The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-07-22
Fro,n the DoiIu .Ns3r.

The case of Manuel Pereira, an articled sea-
man of British ship, now lying in goal at
Charleston, South Carolina, for the offence Of
having a dark skin, is still in abeyance. The
vessel put into Charleston in sinking state !;
and this man, Portuguese by birth, but an in
dentured British seaman, was carried off to
prison, as man of color. His captain was
charged with his expenses, which he refused to
pay ; and the man remains in the hands of his
captors. His fate would probaly be that of
other men of color, Imprisonment for their conf
pexion in that portion of the world, he would
be sold as slave to pay his goal fees,--but
that our consul at Charleston has taken up the
affair; and the unfortunate man will not be lost
sight of.
Lord Stanly, when the case was mentioned in
Parliament on the 22d ult, said the case re,
auired "most dslic ito handling," and further
remarked on the diversity of opinion among the
Americans about "the mutual obligations and
powers of the federal and provincial govern
ment-." The state of governments are not
provincial" but sovereign; and here lies the
difficulty and the 'delicacy" of the present case,
and of some former troubles of the same kind
Lord Palmerston had occasion to make spirited
statements and replies on an incident of the
same character and other British ministers will
have TO be spirited, Il good many times over, be-
fore colored seaman can feel themselves safe in
some of the ports of some of the States.
Not to trespass on the "delicacy" of this par
ticuar case,--which must be well taken care of
by government,-we will only just intimate to
all whom it may concern, that thousands are
interested in this case of Manuel Perera, and
that his cry for justice excites our ears to listen
for what is said of such matters on the spot
There can be no encroachment on delicacy" in
attending to what the Americans themselves
and the people of South Carolina in particular
have to say on the question.
Lord Stanley said that relaxation has al
ready taken place in the laws of one of the
states, relative to the entrance of free persons
of color within it's boundary provided they are
subjects of foreign powers The State referred
to is Louisiana. Louisiana nov allows colored
seamen from abroad to land on her chores for
their necessary duties, if provided with a pass
port from the Mayor of the port. South Caro-
lima is contemptuous towards her sister State
for this. The Charleston newspapers want to
know whether seamen from the Northern States
are included in this provision.
BY the Constitution of the United States,
every free citizen has the right to traverse the
whole length and breadth of the Union as freely
as if every part of it was his home. The
Charleston people seem to have forgotten this
somewhat prominent provision Of their Consti-
tuition The Charleston Mercury now says !:
"Let colored seamen from the North be foi hidden
to enter our ports, and let their introduction
subject the vessel to fine of thousand dollars,
for every one, and we venture TO say we should
be no more troubled with the visits of those
precious citizens of Massachusetts. >" Will
Charleston through one of its mouth pieces, in.
deed venture to say this
Then Charleston is very bold. South Caro-
lima likes to be assured that she ia very bold.
But there is another half to the statement: she
is bold under the stimulus of incessant fear.
! This il is which makes the delicacy" of deal
ing with her; and to this is owing the embar-
rassment of the general government in faithfully
carrying out its foreign relations. If South
Carolina were a province with local govern.
ment, there could be little difficulty; but she is
sovereign State, Al present contravening the
engagements entered into by her federal head
| 1t needs no proving to the officials at WASH
ington that it is breach of the spirit and letter
of their alliance with European nations to seize
European freemen, and lodge them in goal
without preience of offence. They see and feel
it as strongly as we do. But South Carolina
claims, louisiana did till lately, the right 10
control, by her own legislation, the whole cub
| ject matter;" and she is so convinced of this,
that her newspapers shave no fears for the ere.
| dit of the State"
! About the "creditn of the State in such a
transaction, there is but one opinion beyond the
bounds of the State AS to the scope of " her
own legislation" the courts will settle that The
unquestionable consequence will be that if she
i does not reconcile her enaetments with the obi
cations of the federal government in its foreign
relations, she will have to sustain the consequent
Gee of her breach of those obligations. If che
claims to control the subject matter now, she
will have to control her own citizens to bear the
| issue.
And for whatl Because her territory is
crowded with negro slaves, who can be KEEP,
down only by never seeing free person of color
The extravaganza of such proceedings as those
in question, the folly, the hopelesspess, the ex