Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-10-20

II. The North, or at least the liberty loving
portion, felt that a great principle was invol-
we'd in the issue, and they were as energetic
and as determined as the South. The con-
test was not simply between two Spaniards
on the one side, and forty Africans on the
other, but IL was a contest between Slavery
and Freedom. Van Duren fraiernized with
those who battled for the former; and through
his Secretary Of State, he in subsistence in
formed the Marshal to whom the foregoing
order was addressed, that if the decision OF
tho Court was adverse TO the negroes, they
were 10 be hurried on board the Grampus,
taking it for granted that they would not APP
peal from such a decision. The commander
Of that vessel was ordered to deliver them to
the Captain General Of Cuba, under whose
laws Martin Van Buren, well knew that many
Of them would be doomed to death for at
tempting what the revolutionary fathers sue
ceeded in effecting. John Quincy Adams,
the father of the Free Soil nominee for the
Vice Presidency, in one of his speeches re-
fers to the document quoted and says:
"This order Ito take the negroes) was on
its face positive, sweeping, unconstitutional.
No specification of persons, no names, not
even their number all the negroes, late Of
The Spanish Schooner Amislad, in his cdsto-
dy, under process nOW pending before the
Circuit Court of the United States. Was
this order given in a country where the
Rights Of Persons were words without mean
ing In the Kingdom Of Dahomeyl In
the region where the Bowstring is the War
rant Of Execution! 1t was given in the land
of the Declaration of Independence-in the
land of the Selfevident Truth. Ii was given
by a President of the United States
at was of course null and void and if,
before the decision of the Court, it had been
delivered TO the Marshal, and he had execu-
ted it, he would have staked not only the
lives of the negroes, but his OWE head, and
that of Martin Van Buren, tire sfgner Of the
order, upon the event."
Now if Martin Van Buren, has given evil
dence OF his sincere repentance for this out
rage upon liberty, it would be unjust and I'M
generous to remember it against him. Has
he done so? In his letter to the Barnburn-
ers' Convention at Utica, he said
"The extent to which | have sustained it
Slavery in the various stations | have &C.
cupied is known 10 the country. tcas at
the time yell aware that I trent further in this
respect than many IF my best friends could ap-
prone. But deeply penetrated by the convic-
ton tina, slavery was the only subject which
could endanger our blessed Union, was
determined that no effort on my part, within
the pale of the Constitution, should he wan
ting to sustain its compromises as they were
] unhoYctnod and - a. nm ~ cnurce Df cDusDIO-
ton to me that / pursued The course / then a.
dopted."
The same spirit that led him 10 sustain
slavery within the Constitution, and upon
American soil, doubtless led him to act as he
did in the case of the Amistad Africans, for
the South made the controversy between the
Spanish pirates and the African %captives their
own, and they demanded that the supporters
of American slavery should rally to the de-
fence OF Cuban chattelism that they who
were pledged to sustain the internal system
here, must do it BY sustaining it there-and
Martin Van Buren, did so. If he has repen-
ted of this great sin before God, let the peo'
f pie have the evidence of it. Instead of the
lame apologies of his supporters for the deed
/ let the public hear his honest condemnation
) Of it. Martin Van Buren, did what he could
: to deprive the captives Of the Amistad o
such trial as they were entitled to, and IL
place them in the hands Of the Captain Gen
eral Of Cuba to be treated as assassins-to b.
whipped and tortured and hung let him nov
y declare whether he has repented Of this grea
wickedness, or has not.