Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-01-11
DOMESTIC.


DOMESTIC.
(Ftaoa the Penrsylcanon.J
Messrs Editors Nothing has occurred that more Sc
rously threatens bad consequences than the conduct
oflhe British Authorities at Nassau, New Providence,
in the Of the brig Creole. They not only liberated
the slaves the instant she arrived there, but in the
most offensive manner as u,ay be seen in the state
ment Of facts fully set forth in late Richmond En-
qurer The British officer who first boarded her, after
hearing detail OF the atrocities from the slaves, said
10 them, You are fools, you should have killed all the
whites, and then there would have been evidence.
This is but one sample of their offensive conduct We
know also, as far the highest official documents
can be relied on, that what the official authorities at
Nassau did will be sanctioned in evety essential parcu-
lar by the home Government in England Mr. Steven
sons letter to Lord Pamerston of the 23d of Deem.
Der, 81, on The of the Enterprise, begins by
marking, that he had learned with deep regret from
his ordshps note, "the it is the intention of her Ma
jesty's Government to adhere TO its determination OF
not only refusing all compensation to the OF
the slaves boafd the Enterprise, but for any other
slaves belonging 10 citizens Of the u. S, who may
hereafter, arfai.rer be brought
within the dominions and jurisdiction Of the British
Crown.
Here have the doctrine plainly laid down for our
information beforehand The case Of the Creole is
more aggravated than that of the Enterprise the former
vessel having fallen under British jurisdiction through,
of mutny and murder; whilst the latter driven
upon the coast of New Providence through stress Of
weather II is quite clear that the conduct of the Brit
ish authorities IN the Of the Creole holds out the
very highest invitation TO slaves who in future may be
in Of legal transfer from American tn
another in coasng vessels, 10 rise upon the captain
and crew, their threats, and then into Nassau
any other British harbor coast. There the
slaves will be joyfuy greeted and Immediately Fiber
ated and do not believe, from anything that is known
at present. that Britain will surrender the ringcad
in the mutiny-unless agree to return them, il
perchance acquitted.
This is all intolerable 1t must be corrected The
South will not bear it. The nation ought not to bear it
There is such thing right among nations which, il
II be perseyeringy violated those wronged will be dri.
ven to the use of force In the letter of Mr. Stevenson
alluded to- and in prior from him to Lord Palmer
ston still more cogent and full the subject he
has demonstrated, that this conduct in Britain violates
tine first principles of public law settled BY all nations,
and by than Britain, without the least dispute
question for than two nuries .io,o she would
suddenly changet NO,c she undertakes TO wrest slaves
from the ownership of American citizens, when the for
ner are cast inyoluntarly or even come by crme into
her jurisdiction, the ground that they not pro-
petty by late municipal law Of her own-viz: her
West India emancipation act. MIR. Stevenson shows
that the right OF nation thus to prescribe 10 decide
FOR anor what is, or what is not property has never
before been exercised by any nation under the
Great Britain stands alone in The claim. Our Cons;i.
tuition, framed by sages as pure as any who ever lived
with Washington at their head, recognized property in
slaves. Britain annus their work. She does this III
the face of her laws, acts and DEGREES continued
through ages Of which Mr. Stevenson has told her TO
reign Secretary. Her SIR William Scott, extoed The
most famous Of her judges in the field Of public law
has declared slaves TO be 'res positG commcrco sub
iec to mortgage as goods and chaltels, and as cons
ln,nC the value Of es,aes"- So too, as regards her
assumed r.h Of search to stop the slave trade, her
Duke of Wellington, renowned as lie justly is, and
wise as they also repute him in England d. cared in
the House Of LORDS that il stalking very dangcr-
that tlp i,tJr ,ho
had ever presided in n court Of Admiralty (meaning
Sir William Scol had declared his opinions against
and that the u s. might be expected to resist it,
Are We gong 10 dsappont the Duke; Let us hope
net, any than forget that is due TO ourselves.
Mr. Barrow said in the Senltn the other day, in
ference 10 this of the Creole That "he property Of
the South unsafe and that if is 10 be subjected
10 The pllndering propenses Of British officials, they
would be compelled TO fit out ornaments and destroy
Nassau and other nests Of ncendaries and plunderers
adjacent 10 our coast. This IS mere question Of pow
Undoubtedly would be justliiable in that course
by ever right Of self defence and every principle Of
public Law. II is just the English and French have
been acting towards the new Spanish American siacs
when wrongs have been committed and justice withheld
II is analogous to the doctrine the English assume in
the If the Caroline though the circumstances
different, government disavowed all support
to the Navy Islanders, and was doing lis best 10 put
them down. We shall have to consider in the end,
how far i may be expedcnt to order some such vete
ran as Stewart, with the home squadron to Nassau TO
secure US justice. Surely We are not 10 be kept whole
years in correspondence with the home government in
ENGLAND upon this subject. Did Sir Allan McNab
write home before he ordered Drew and his to in
wade territory These outrages at very doors,
sometimes at The North, sometimes the South, may well
try patience. One thing at least let US cease from;
lei us cease to call ourselves great nation whilst they
last
| cannot close my remarks without tribute 10 our
late Minister to London, Mr. Stevenson, whose des-
patches The right of Search and on this novel and
monslrous claim of England to liberate our slaves
coming Involuntary within British jurisdiction, have
lately been published. There is power, spirit and
patriotism in them that do him the highest homer
They never violate official dignity yet frank, ex-
plict, and full of manly tone in uphodns the rights
of his country, and showing by examples from brl-
fish history and British jurisprudence, how nconsls
emily as well unusy that nation acts towards u.s.
His arguments are unanswerable and the whole
character of his dispatches mastery They prominent
ly evncc Independent strength and capacity for self
Judgment well other high attributes IN rcprcsen
tatve welding abroad the pen for his country For the
most part they appear have been written under very
s,nted instructions, and sometimes, certainly, without
any instructions ALL yet believe that the nation will
second all that he has thus written This
passing tribute is the more due, he has been bera
ly attacked by portions Of the Wing party in and out of
Congress, who have little attended to his course IN Eng
land or misled by prejudice, been Unqualified TO ap
preciate it, lie out the patriotic enlightened,
high spirited American-engrafted upon the honora-
bic virginan. Let him be judged by his dispatches
length befure the world in ex,enso In my estimate
of them, they are So national well as able, they will
into diplomatic code and be referred 10 as land
marks. Their peculiar applicability at this time to
things the most important in our foreign relations,
tua and prospective, recommends them to the perusal
of all; and not less is this the with those he so
forcibly wrote the boundary question, published
heretofore. A. b.
Decision in the case of the woman Grace
ANDREW SrEvEssoS.-The proceedings connected
with the late dinner given this distinguished diploma
fist by the citizens of Richmond without dctnction of
party have been published at large in the Richmond
Enquirer, and regret the necessity we are under
of passing them by without even anything like an e1-
tended notice.
There is public man in our country who has been
the object Of bitter vtuperaton for his connection
with party than Mr.. Stevenson; and scarcely man on
ssz.L has s.sianed h;n,salc successfnlly he is