Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-01-07

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to the Senate and they inserted in it an amendment
making an appropriation of $4,000 to pay these
Spanish pirates for their loss of human nesh, by
not bcing able 10 carry out their speculations
against the treaties and laws Of their Government
against the rights Of man and laws of God. 1t
came before this body on that amendment; il wns
argued here by that venerated friend of his coun-
try and of mankind from Massachusetts. Mr.. Ap.
ANS, who yet fingered upon the confines of time
lie was pale and trembling with the weight of four.
score years: His voice was feeble, and he had
\ ceased to mingle in tho debates Of this body lie
was acquainted with this cause in all its details
and " hen IL was brought up for discussion in the
Committee Of the Whole, he rose To address tho
committee upon this proposed appropriation. Gen.
tlcmcn came from all parts Of the hall and crowd
cd near him, and around him. to catch the last &c.
cents Of that venerable and dying statesman; and
glory in the fact that those accents Of dcnunca.
tion were against the African slave trade. and
against those who participate in it---apainst tbi.
rialm ana against the recommendation Of the Pres
ldent. IL was his last, liis dying speech for he
never spoke in this body afterwards And, sir. of
I Democrats and Wings, not FIVE members who had
the hardlhood TO vote for the amendment of the
Senate-not five mon, do not know. sir. that n
single voice was raised in favor of it, will not
pronounce II infamous No, sir, my friend from
virginia says he is going to report in favor of H.
and | know that he would not do anything that he
does not regard as honorable, however much mis-
| taken hc might be- And yet, sir. here after tie
| lapse Of fourteen years from the time when these
people were imporcd-whcn two-thirds Of the seats
| ol tins House are filled by men who have never
served here before, and probably not q dozen who
have ever participated in the examination of this
claim, 1t Is again urged upon us. And why so p
The President says, "the obligation is believed to
be imposed on us by treaty stipulation"
Aud now want to bcspeak a kindness from my
trlcnd, the chairman of the Committee on Foreign
Affairs and II is this: that when he urges this
claim upon the ground of treaty stipulations, hc
will he so kind us to tell the treaty, the section
and the clause ON which he bases our liability
MrBAlLY, Of Virginia. | shall be very apt to
do it.
Mr.. GIDD1NGS A former Committee on For
cign Aiuirs said that it was in the eighth NINTH or
tenth nrticlc--they do not know exactly which--of
the treaty OF 1873. Tho courts said il was not in
either Of them. Now, what ask Of my friend is,
to tell us the specific clause on which he bases the
right Of these spanish slave dealers TO the money
of my constituents.
Why, sir, if the President and Senate had made
thousand treaties that we should pay the Spanish
slave dealers for all the losses they may sustain in
pursuing their occupation, is there member Of
this lody 50 lost to his own duty to his sllrcspcct,
as to vote II dollar Of the peoples money for such
purpose? Why, sir, the President and Senate may
make such treaties as they please; if they can car
ry them out, all right; we cannot Interfere. But
II they call on us, the Representatives Of the pco
pie, to pay money for thoir treaties. they send
us such q treaty as does not shock the conscience
of civilized man. We would not be particular in
regard to subjects Of policy; but We would make
no appropriation TO maintain piracy If the SEN
ate should send us such treaty. But, Fortunate
y, they have made no treaty committing us 10 the
support Of this Spanish slave trade.
Mr. Chairman, have no time to read extracts.
The President says that this claim has been report
ed ON by both Houses Of Congress. Now, desire
to call the attention of the committee and of the
country to the fact, that when this claim came be-
fore the Senate they male merely verbal report !;
but 50 far as my knowledge extends they never put
pen t. paper in regard to it, and | cannot bc mSta-
ken on this point. When provincial judge once
consulted Lord Mansfield in regard to his duty, he
was advised always to tell WhW his opinion was,
but To be careful never TO assign reasons for il.
SO it was with the Senate. They said that Sj0,-
600 ought to be allowed to pay these Spanish pi-
rates but they dared not put pen to paper to as
sign reasons why it should be done. They were
too wary for that. ] ask my friend from Virginia
Mr.. BWIl to be little more gallant than they
were, and TO assign to us the reasons ON which he
wishes us TO act. In this House written report
was made and here | ask the attention of gentle
men from tho the State Of Pennsylvania, and from
the city Of Philadelphia in particular. | speak in
no unkndncss. If ] entertain i'll will towards any
human being ON carth God forgive me but tho
truth is due to all men, and are bound to speak
1t. l say, then, that the very first page Of that
report, in the the second paragraph there is most
palpnblc Obvious misrepresentation. will not 80
further and say that it was intentional and delib-
crate misrepresentation of iacts-that it was pre-
meditated lalschood. | leave every every man who
reads the report to pass his own judgment upon it,
For my own part can regard it in no other light
say then, sir, that the report drawn up by the
chairman Of the Committee ON Foreign Affairs, in
1874, asserts that these men were seized upon the
eastern coast OF Connecticut, on the 26th day of
August, 1910, instead of 1899 will refer to the
thirteenth page Of the report, to show the inten-
ton of that statement, where he admits that they
were landed in Havana ON the 18th of June, 1889
and then says that they were fourteen months in
Cuba when the records of the courts show you that
they were only sixteen days in Cuba.
This misrepresentation, as understand was put
forth to show that the court could not determine
whether these Africans had been long resident in
Cuba, or had been recently imported, That is the
inference which the author draws from his own
Misrepresentation. | leave it to every man to say
whether the misrepresentation was intended or not.
The records of the district court Of Connecticut
show that this claim of Ruiz and Monte2 was filed
on the 10Th of August, 1889 that the answers OF
the Africans were filed ON the 10Th of September,
1889 and that about the LIST of january, lSlO, the
ship and cargo were libeled by Lieutenant Gdncy.
Now, sir, even if the author made this error thro'
Ignorance or inattention, he has written himself
down unworthy of confidence; yet the President
would have us Influenced by such report and he
gravcly refers to it as an authority to control hon
est men.
at is plain beyond controversy, If We examine
the evidence that these negroes mover were the
lawful slaves of Ruiz or Montcz, or Of any other
Spanish subjects. They natives Of Africa, and
were kidnapped there, and were nlawfully trans
ported to Cuba, in violation of the laws and treat
les of Spain, and the most solemn edicts and dec
lnratons Of that Government. BY these laws, and
treaties, and odicts, the African Slave trade is ut
terly aboished the dealing in that trade is deemed
a heinous crime; and the negroes thereby intro
duced into the dominions Of Spain declared to
be free. Ruiz and Montez are proved to have made
the pretended purchase of these negroes with full
knowledge of all tho circumstances. And so CO.
gent and irresistible is the evidence in this respect
that the District Attorney has admitted in open
court, upon the record that these negroes were ma
tive Africans, and recently imported into Cuba as
alleged in their answers to the lbes in the ease"