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

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The discussion pro and con Of the Free
Soil movement, and the investigation Of the
past and present position Of some Of the lea
ders in it, cannot but result in good in more
Martin Van Buren,, his political opponents
have dragged from the grave of the past,
every one of his official acts which told in
favor of slavery, and paraded their skeleton
forms in the broad sunlight of the present.
Some Of these, il must be admitted have rath-
er an ugly look but the friends of the Free
Soil movement have endeavored to send a
part Of them back to their resting place, and
to clolhe the others in such apologies or pal
l%iations as they best can.
His conduct in regard to The Amistad Afri-
cans has of late been made the subject Of
much comment, and documentary evidence
has been adtuced on the one hand 10 prove
that il was the very acme Of mysticism
act of absolute despotism while on the 9TH
err hand, letters and opinions Of great men
are produced 10 show that il was not really
so bad after all. We well remember the in
dignation which every abolitionist felt at the
time of the trial Of these captfves, when it
was ascertained That Martin Van Buren, de-
signed interposing his official authority 10 aid
the pirates Ruiz and Monies in the reclama-
ton Of their alledged slaves. The act was
denounced as infamous, the name OF Van
Buren, was spit upon, and his character hel1
up as most de,estable. 1t may be that the
abolitionists of 1910 suffered their sympa-
thies TO become too much excited, II may be
their language was ill-judged and fanatical,
but of this we are not yet convinced. SO
far as our knowledge extended, there was not
a single one who claimed to be an abolition
list who then believed that the censures bes-
towed upon the Executive were any too Sc
we're. But it is not so now. 1t is necessary
for the nominee of the Free Soil convention
to have all his unrepented pro-slavery acts
placed in as favorable a position as possible,
and therefore many are engaged III seeking
out excuses for them, which they would pro-
badly never stoop 10 do, were he not their
candidate. But suppose all they urge is true,
suppose the history of the last eight years
has placed those actions of Martin Van Bu-
rem which abolitionisls once so emphasically
condemned in a more favorable light; what
is the lesson that is taught, what is The in
ference that should be drawn? Simply this;
that the Wing and Democratic nominees foi
the Presidency should not be SO severely
cehsuied Tor their supposed relations to the
system of slavery, lest, when eight year;
more have rolled by, professed abolitionist'
will find il necessary or expedient to show
that they were not so very much in favor o
slavery after all. Who knows but The appa
rant %servili,y Of Cass may be made to seen
no more than ordinary courtesy and Taylor
importation of blood-hounds an act as lauda
BILE as the introduction of Durham cattle O
Merino sheep!
But let US refer to the facts in relation t
the Amistad Africans. and see whether the
+ have improved-as wine is said TO dob
age. OF course no one can object to thi'
, for as Martin Van Buren, has left his retir'
ment, and again entered upon the stage
public life, it will not be considered indect
4 rous or uncourteous to scan his deeds viii
acting as Executive Of this nation. Our o.
, iect in SO doing is not to extenuate, as is ev
IDENTIFY the case with some, or to set dow
aught in malice, as may be true of other
we desire simply to present facts as they a
and were.
The correspondence in relation To this m;
ter which was laid before Congress contai
,e but one letter written by the Executive,
though Forsyth, then Secretary of State, Fl
IS quently refers to the opinions of the Pre-
a. dent. That letter was written, as will a
Id pear, while the case of the Africans was /
m fore the Circuit Court of Connecticut.
ly "The Marshal of the United States for
District Of Connecticut will deliver over
Lieut.. John ]. Paine, Of the United Sta
Navy, and aid in conveying on board
Schooner Grampus, under his command,
the negroes late Of the Spanish School
y Amistad, in his custody, under process N
of -pending before the Circuit Court of the
TX, Smtes, for the District of Connecticut. |
ut SO doing, this order will be his warrant.
as "Given under my hand, at this city
We Washington, this seventh day of January,
he ID. 1910.
of ~ MARTIN VAN BUREN,
IL is urged by some that Van Buren,
Ter not intend TO interfere with the court, althou
the order is to deliver over the negroes I"
60 der process nOw pending" However I
he may be, il cannot be denied that he desiI
si- ed totpreven. the negroes having an oppor
i'd, nifty to pgosecuissn appeal, provided The
,ue eision of the court was against them. 7
whole country was deeply interested in