Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-02-16
DAILY NATIONAL ERA.

General Government, which the Sentinel, il
true to its own creed must unite with us in
denounoing.
The truth is, legal Slayery--we use the
phrase ~ generally understood in all sections
OF our CONTINGENCIES exists under the Ameri-
can flag on the high seas, outside of the juris-
diction Of State. The slave code of the State
stops at " State limits" has no ertra-terrtoriai
force. To claim that the law of Virginia or
Kentucky can stamp upon man the inefface-
able character of slave, is to claim that ii is
at once universal and supreme. The Sentinel
does well to reject the absurdity that slaves,
under the American flag on the high seas, are
held or continued Us slaves by State law.
And there is no Federal Law, ordaining or
continuing Slavery in such circumstances.
How would it look?
Whereas the transportation of slaves under
the American flag, coastwise, ia great con-
venience to the Planters and Slave traders; And
tchereGs the State Laws under which slaves
are held have no binding force beyond State
limits, and slaves shipped at any port within
o State cannot be held as such, on the high
seas, which are beyond State Jurisdiction
Therefore, Be it enacted by the United
States in Congress assembled, that Slavery be,
and hereby is, legalized, in all American yes
scls, on the ocean, beyond State jurisdiction,
and no person, shipped as a slave ut any port
within the United States, shall be released
from bondage, on passing out Of State jurisdic-
ton into Federal, but shall be continued there
in, by virtue Of said Federal Jurisdiction
This is putting the case in light which
the masses can understand. They know that
no such law exists-that no such law could be
enscted--that there is no provision in the Con-
sti,ution which could be tortured into war
rant for such law
The truth is, the coastwise slave trade is ille-
gal and piratical. Every slave shipped at a
Southern port, the moment he passes out on
the ocean beyond State jurisdiction, is free;
the American flag that covers him then covers
freeman; the captain who conveys him to
another port to be sold, is guilty Of transport
ing q free man to Slavery; and he who buys
him buys q free man.
We pass from this incidental point, to the
Rcond consideration urged by the Sentinel,
against the position under discussion
Again, in the national Territories, over
which the General Government exercises ex-
elusive jurisdiction, Slavery has always existed
among the Indians, admitted and protected by
stfn national exclusive Jurisdiction If the
National Government had no right to interfere
with Indian law to secure freedom to every
one outside State limits, interfering with the
Indiar law, then Slavery was municipal law
of the Indians, entitled to respect as any other
municipal law, and Of course admitting, re-or-
CANNING, and projecting Slavery. Thus the
'policy Of the fathers Of the Republic gave
counte,ance to Slavery co extensive with In
dian population.n
We shall not undertake to contest the as
sertion as to the existence of Slavery among
the Indians, from the time Of the organization
of the Government To what extent it is true,
and with what limitations it should be re-
ceived, we presume the Sentinel knows no
more than we do and that we must con-
fess, is very little. The answer to, it CON-
sidered as an argument against the position of
the address, is obvious and conclusive. Slavery
has existed among the Indians, either as moor
poratsd under the Government Of State
with the citizens thereof or as distinct, indie
pendent communities; in neither case, there
fore, within the Exclusive jurisdiction Of the
General Government.
But enough Of this subject for to-day to-
morrow we may resume it.