The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-08-05
COM NUM- CATiON Ms.
For The Union.
For the Union
THE sLAvE-TRADE-RIG OF SEARCH.
No &


In our last number we stated that the United
States was the only nation under whose laws the
slave-trade had been declared to be piracy. We
know of none other. And the fact OF the officers
and crews of slavers being released, when captured
by English cruisers, is strong evidence that England,
at least, does not consider the save-trade piracy.
We also stated that it would be well to repeal or
modify this law, because 1t would afford preteN'
for searching our vessels on the coast of Africa
1t could only be pretext because this law, ma
king the saye-trade piracy is not the law of nations,
but the law of one nation, which has, by It's enac-
tion shown sincere desire to abolish this odious
traffic. and reserved herself alone the power OF IN
Hicting punishment for the infracton OF her own
laws by her own citizens; and, this being specal
law of single nation, no other has the right 10
take cognizance of it. Does England, Spaln Por-
tugal or France authorize an American cruiser 10
treat SLAYER under either of their flags, as pirates
Certainly not. Their laws do not recognise or adj
init the right. They do not look upon slavery as
piracy. Our government assumes the right OF pun
fishing only her citizens, sailing under the flag
of their own nation.
Upon what principle, then, can any but our own
cruisers search capture any vessel which is pro-
tected by our flag if found in the act of carry
ing off slaves, or having them ON 'board' A Uni
ted States cruiser dare not, and would not detan q
vessel Of any other nation under similar circumsan-
ces No nation has jurisdiction at sea over the mer-
chant vessel Of any other nation unless stipulated
by treaty,and as we have no treaty yielding that
right, and but law applicable only to ourselves, il
would seem reasonable to deny to any nation the
right to Judge by a law with which they have no
concern.
The general abolition of the slave-trade is
not part of the law of nations; it is only sane
toned by particular nations, in. which we have
had no share We kept aloof from general trea-
ties, and were satisfied with abolishing it under
special act of Congress-specifying such penal
ties as were considered best adapted to check it, If
this law declared the save-trade piracy, it went no
further; it did not delegate to any other power au-
thority to punish this species Of piracy; nor did it
yield any right to foreign vessel Of war to search
our vessels, to discover whether they were pirates
under this act 1t is clear, England does not consider
the slave.trade piracy; or, if she does, the penalty
is not as severe as that inflicted by herself for the
crime of piracy, acknowledged SO to be under the
law of nations. She is satisfied with recapturing
the vessel and slaves; permitting the violators of
the law to escape without any other punishment
than the loss of property.
Piracy on the high seas is capital offence. But
we have shown that the slave-trade is not so con-
sidered in England therefore, under their own laws,
they cannot assimilate the two Hence they have
no right to know what codes are respecting the
slave trade. We have this code as family COM
pect and it would be invidious in any one to med
die with it-nay, it would be dangerous. We are
strong enough to enforce our own laws on the coast
of Africa and, in proof Of the sincerity of our
desire for the abolition Of the slave-trade, we have
only to point to the colonies settled by the coored
race from the United States.
On and near their territories the slave-rade is en-
tirely abolished; while under the very guns q
might say of England, Denmark and Holland it
is carried on to an enormous extent. mean in the
Blight of Benin.
Have we not reason to doubt the sincerity of
search any but American vessels, she still permits
savers to escape'
Why did England send an agent from Jamaica
to Monrovia via Sierra Leone, to try to disgust the
American colored man with Africa, and induce
him to go with him to Jamaica, under the apprentice
system : Why does she want freemen--for the
American colonists all free--to enter into a
limited bondage when she is severe upon staprry?
| would pity any poor fellow who could be so led
astray and am sorry to say this agent induced two
or three (who, by-the-by, could well be spared) to
, 4
them go; for they were among the only troublesome
people in the colony.
England sends all the Africans recapt,tred on the
coast of Africa to Sierra Leone where they remain
in considerable numbers.
To repay the expense of their recapture, they
are held to labor the public roads, and in the town
of Sierra Leone, for certain number fyears. For
the first six months after their recapture, they have
to labor daily on the roads; and, afterwards six
days in every month for five years. We were struck
with the number at work the roads and else
where's and, particularly SO, with seeing great
many with the ball and chain to their legs, and an
overseer with a whip over them. This attract
ed our attention SO much, as to lead US to in
ouire into the cause Of it. We were told
they were conpicts. Why these poor ignorant
creatures should be held convicts, is lesson yet
to be learned by phanthropists. We have also
seen these rccaptured Africans doing the work which
in our country is done by horses. Even among the
worst of slave masters, no human being has been
made to perform the work Of beasts of burden.
These poor creatures drag up from the wharves, to
the warehouses of Sierra Leone, heavily laden wag-
ons What would Mr.. Richard Baxter, cele-
brated philanthropst, say, if he were alive at this
time, and at this period Of slavery intolerance had he
seen those poor creatures in state Of almost entire
nudity, do the work of horses and oxen' He would
certainly reiterate what he said in 1878: "They
who 60 out as pirates, and take away poor Africans
to make them slaves and sell them, the worst Of
robbers, and ought to be considered as the wors
enemies of mankind and they who buy them, and
make use of them as mere beasts of burden, are
more fitted to be called demons than christians
What should those be called who iberaie them, and
'make use ofthem as mere beasts of burdeni'