Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-12-30
Chr Dailp Spy.
The Amistad Case.


Congress, The proposition, contained in the Pres.
idem's Message, 10 pay the Spanish pirates, Ruiz
and Monez, for the Amstad captiyes.
Dir. BayIey, Of Virginia, boldly stated to the
House that the Committee Foreign Affairs. of
which be is chairman, Was ready to report bill IA
favor Of an appropriation for this purpose. We do
not think that either the President or MIR. Bayley
could have adopted course better calculated TO
agitate the question of Slavery, than they have
adopted in this The proposition TO pay for
the AmisIad Capuves, is SO mOnsirous-is OUT
rageousIy subversive of justice, humanity, and the
thrice confirmed laws Of the United States--lhat
the soul Of every man, who has spark Of indie
pendence in his breast, must revolt against it. Ii is
impossible to conceive Of proposition more tram
scendently wicked, it is almost impossible TO believe
that any persons save buccaneers could have
ed to a recommendation SO utterly opposed to wha'
is generally called common honesty
Mr. Giddings, in unanswerabe speech, expos
ed the nearious character Of the whole proceedings
Of our government, in relation TO the Amstad ne
groes. He placed the whole merits Of the case SO
clearly before the House. that would suppose
that nobody but a confirmed scoundre would now
dare to vote tor the appropriation. By the laws of
Spain, the Slave trade is held TO be piracy. Spain
has also bound herself, since 1917, by solemn treaty
with Great Britain, to abolish the Slave trade.
To carry negroes from Africa in a Spanish vessel,
with the intention of making slaves Of them, is pi.
racy. To introduce men who have been kidnapped
from their homes, into any Spanish colony and to
sell them for slaves, is also piracy. man who is
stolen from Africa, and is carried to Spanish terrific
ry cannot legally become slave as a man stolen
from Africa aud carried to British or United States
territory, cannot legally become a slave. Under
these circumstances, in 1889, certain negroes who
were kidnapped in Africa, clandestiney car
ried to Cuba aud sold to Ruiz and Montez, who
were slave dealers. The negroes lodged in
the barracoons Of Cuba, on the 18th day Of June
1889, and on the 24th Of the same month, Ruiz OBJ
tanned, from the Goveror General Of the island, a
permit TO carry certain legal slaves, or i,s4noes, to
Principe, situated on the east side Of Cuba. Mon.
tex, under similar pretences Obtained similar pei.
nit.
On the lei Of JnS, while The Amlsad with the
kidnapped Africans board, was on her passage
from HAVANA to Principe, these injured people rose
up against their oppressors, overpowered them, and
took possession Of the schooner. In their attempt
to in her TO their native country hey reached
Montank Point, on the east side Of Long Island
On the 29lh of August, 1899, the men Ruiz
and Monlez, whose lives the captives had spared,
fled demand ia the United States District Court OF
the Ssa.e Of Connecticut, for these people as slaves
On the 18th OF September, the negroes made
swer to this claim denying that they ever mad been
slaves; and declaring that they had been imported
into Cuba in violation of Spanish laws and treaties,
and that they were therefore, entitled TO their free
dom. The case thoroughly examined and ar.
gued in the United States District Court Of Connec-
ticut, and decree entered declaring that the
facts we're as the negroes alleged them to be; and
the captiyes Here therefore, ordered to be set Free
An appeal was taken from this decision, to the
Circuit CoU OF the United States; but the Circuit
Court confirmed the decision. An appeal was then
carried TO the United States Supreme Court, and the
decision was again affirmed.
All the Judicial tribunals, in this country, compe-
tent to take cognzance Of this case united in de-
claring that Ruiz and Monez had no claim whatever
upon those Anlsiad captives, but that the captves
were wronged and injured reemen who had right.
fully regained their liberty and were entitled to en-
joy il. But the executive, pushed by the slave pow
er beyond its position and prerogative, has supercil-
iousll ignored the action Of the Courts in this case;
and has again and again asked the legislature to
sanction the piracy Of Ruiz and Mon,ez; and to
compensate those ruians for the unsuccessful issue
of their Amissd adventure. Frank Pierce revives
the subject after the judgment of the Judicial courts
has been pronounced for fourteen years; he re-
wives 1t Tor the purpose Of proving shareholders
that he has no Northern prejud'ces; its revival will
also prove TO those gentlemen that "agation'' upon
the question of Slavery is not yet scrushed out.''