New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-05-18
SENSIBLE VIEWS.

Ia March, 1856, the Legislature of Virginia passed
law providing for the inspection of vessels before
leaving port. This done to prevent the Abolition
thieves Of the North coming to Virginia in the guise
Of regular traders, from enticing negroes board
their vessels and carrying them away in large num-
bers had been previously done on numerous ocea-
sions The law was a polite, just and proper one,
and should have been enacted long before.
The law although stringent in its operation, made
provision for little inconvenience, detention or ex-
pense. The pilot police are always in waiting with
their swift sailing crafts to inspect vessels bound
northward and the inspection fee is but tive dollars
This bare statement proves that the law is neither IN
convenient nor oppressive Nevertheless, 1t raised
terrific commoton among the slave stealers Of Massa-
chusets It put the thieves Of that redoubtabe COM
monwealth in q mighty rage. 1t made them swear
terribly SWEET profusey and anathematze profoundly.
Not being able to steal formerly they put on more
steam in order to make up in the cursing department
what was lacking in the department OF theft The
Legislature has taken part on the thief side OF the
question and has appropriated $4,000 to test the con-
| stitutionalty of the law before the courts. The
Boston Traveller hopes that the Governor OF Massa-
| chusetts will appoint commission OF reliable mem
to proceed to Virginia. g finish testing the question
in the State courts, where proceedings in the case
have already progressed stages" and that, II
Judgment goes against the thieves the suit will be car
ried to the Supreme Court of the United States.
What 8 sublime sight-how worthy the Massachu.
sets of to-day but how unworthy the Massachusetts,
of former times Ito her interest herself against
local law of another State, adopted for the express
purpose Of protecting from plumber and robbery the
people thereof!
1 Referring to this subject the Richmond Enquirer
Of the 1lth:inst., very sensibly observes:
The State of Virginia has contributed literally to the
Union she is still attached to ittruy and deeply But
she would be recreant to that spirit of independence
to her sister States Of the South to her interests
and honor, if she was willing to submit tamey to such
ontrages as were continually perpetrated upon the
slave property of her citizens before the enactment OF
the inspection law Of March the 18th, 1885, II that
law is unconstitutional, it is unsafe for the slavehold
ing States to trade with the North. And to discon-
tinue commerce between that section and this, is at
/ once to acknowledge that the Union exists only in
name and form, not In pracuce orin lact. .he Ooh'
sttuon OF the United States is 80 overruled by the
local laws Of Massachusetts, as to preclude the people
of Virginia from protection to their property and the
laws OF Virginia are so overruled by the CONSTITUTION
not to allow us to protect ourselves then tine Time
has come when the Federal Government is incapable
performing its functions and each State is
to obtain its own redress best it cam or to submit
quietly to aggression and insult If the fugitive slave
law Is imperative, ana the Inspection law Is uucolst
tutional the State OF Virginia is truly to be placed in
a most deplorable position.
If Marshal Rynders has right to arrest and inspect
vessels, upon suspicion to prevent slave stealing on
the coast Of Africa, surely the Constitution Of the Uni
ted States imposes restraint upon the officers ac
credited by the Governor of Virginia. for the suppress
sion of slavesteaing in our own waters Should Mas
sachusetts persist in her purpose to test the constu
tionality Of the law, she will find that her twenty-five
hundred dollars have been spent in futile effort TO
remove restriction upon robbery.
| "The Constitution of the United States'' and the
laws of Congress passed inpursuance of its authority
are overruled in many of the Northern States of the
conederacy, so far as protection to the person and
property of the Southern people is concerned They
are tramped under foot in New York. Massachusetts,,
Vermont, Maine, Ohio, Michigan and other States,
with open scorn and contumely and there is no re-
dress present prospective. Both the Constitution
and the laws are poweress and the man who expects
to see them enforced according to ancient CUSTOM
when the North was inhabited by loyal and law
abiding people, has stronger faith than we are en-
lowed with.
| The suggestion in the last paragraph is truly
pointed. The Abolitionsts think it perfectly horrible
to bring the savage and babarous cannbals of Africa
to this or any other country, and civiize and make
christians of them far their mental constituents
will permtbu deem it perfectly right to steal ne
groes from their neighbors after they elevated
| civilized and chrstianzed! Oh, philanthropy, how
/ much contemplate wickedness is practiced in thy
name!