Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-08-07

Tor a considerable length OF time in accomplishing
the destruction Of thuse outlaws. New, sir dur
ing the whole expedition they visited every ss
pected vessel that fell in their way, no matter
what colors it bore. They visited British and
Spanish and French vessels, for that purpose. just
as freely as they did those which sailed under
our own flag. 1t was their duty to do so. | think
their instructions will be found to contain orders
to visit not only suspected vessels, but suspected
places. And | believe the Official reports now on
file in the Navy Department will show that they
faithfully fulfilled tn cir Instructions. They visit.
ed ships they landed upon territory belonging
to other nations and | deny that England, or
France, or Spain, ever uttered a complaint or de.
manded explanation. Indeed, the shlps and peo-
pie Of those nations went further. Seeing our
Government carrying on a war Tor the beneht oil
mankind, they lent our ships and men employed in
hat work every convenient aid ami facility. And
b nd a suspected ship bearing the British dag re.
fused to make her true character known, her com
mander would have justly incurred the od'um OF
aiding and encouraging piracy /; or had the Brit
ish Government denied our right to ascertain the
character Of suspected ships bearing the flag Of
that nation, we should have charged them with
y mpa'hizing with the pirates.
In these remarks ! have described not merely
our practice on that occasion, but on every occa-
sion. | have described not merely the practice OF
our own Government, but that of every civilized
nation. From the 4th Of July, l716. to this day,
our practice, and the practice of Christians Gov
ernments. has been uniform, when operating
against pirates, excepting that class, more tecbni'
cally called American pirates" who under the
flag of the United States, are engaged in the
African slave trade. These were formerly treated
differently. They were not regarded as at war
with mankind. They bore the flags Of various
nations, and pursued their refarious vacations uD-
molested. But as Christianity extended, and its
principles were better understood, this traffic in
human flesh was seen to De a revolving crime.
and most Christian nations pronounced it piracy,
and treated those who pursued it as outlaws"
worthy of death.
Participating in this general view, the Uni
ted States by EXPRESS statute, prepared with great
labor, examined and deliberated upon with great
solemnity, and passed By the Senate and by this
House, | think, without a dissenting voice, pro-
nounced the African slave trade to be piracy,
and those who followed that vocation to be pi.
rates, worthy of death. The act was duly approx
ed by the Executive, published, and announced to
the civilized world.
At this point of my remarks, l lay down anoth'
err proposition which, | think, will not be doubt
, ed or denied. By this important step, we as a
nation become obligated, bound in justice and
p~ropriety, to treat those engaged IN the African
D slave trade as pirates. That rs a Government
g we are bound to aid and assist in Graduating
this piracy from the earth. That it is the duty OF
our states men ana citizens 10 lenu all COnVeni
ent assistance to the ships of Britain and Of al
e other nations engaged in suppressing this piracy
c That it is, the obvious duty of the command
err, officers. and crew, of every suspected shiI
= whether it bear American, French, Spanish, Brit
y ish. or Russian colors, cheerfully to give satistac
tory evidence of her nationality, when called OF
Q for that purpose by ships actually engaged in the
. humane work of suppressing this traffic in slaves
. If any oficer refuse to give such information, thu
! refusal constitutes evidence of guilt. In short
j | lay down the comprehensive proposition, that 81
far as this Government is concerned, so far as oul
statesmen, our people, our merchants, our shiI
{ owners, the commanders and crews of our mer
e chant vessels, are concerned I'VE hold the same
relation TO the African slave trade which we hole
! to others piracies-bound by all the duties Incl
: dent to piracy of any other character.
Il Now, sir, like any other proposition based npor
a clear and obvious justice, | think these will not bt
e denied. They will deny none of them. The oniy
objection that can be raised against them, is tina
: which our Ministers at London have repeated
thousand times. -They ipsisi shat British lof6cers
Z visiting our s4lpEs = ssafl s. g Ai q s., ,as1 So nsvs
s 81; sssF T ns,d s n s NY I'M ssa Ss sa. a slsss sss' s.s !
committed wrongs upon our ships, when visiting
o them for the aTowed purpose of learning theh
, character; and | add that; in every such case, thu
o British Government is responsible, and has IL
every instance promptly grated indemnity.
lido not believe that a single instance OF such
abuse has occurred, at any recent period, in the
9 Gulf of Mexico. If any has taken place. | have nc
C apprehension whatever that b~ostilities will follow
for am confident that the British Ministers will
as in past times, explain, apologize, or indemnif,
C those who shall be shown to have sustained loss.
b Here ! might, with much apparent ~pIopriety
leave the subject. But our government is nov
d openly engaged in efforts to overthrow the doctrine
k have laid down-doctrines which common,
" themselves to tie conscience and jud gment of a
rejecting men and of civilized nations. The absur
position now occupied by this Government, in re
gard to the slave trade, has been reached by slo'
degrees. WI have taken one step after anothe
in this downward course, until we now stand b
fore the nations OF the earth in the attitude OF So
=, porting this piracy. Historic facts will place thi
~ whole matter in a more conspicuous light than o
nj gument or refined logic.
Long before ourRevolution, the people Of these co
bonies complained to the parent Government OIL
existence of the slave trade as a grievance. In tt
congress of IVA, the members formed an assoc
h. alton for the purpose of Encouraging the sla'
=" trade; and the author of the Declaration of Ind
a pendence, in l776, set forth, in his draft of tn
y instrument, that the British King kept OPT
% markets where men were bought and sold," ar
"a assigned this as one of the reasons why the col
- MES should separate from the mother country.
y. the Convention which framed the Constitution, la
~ euage equally denunciatorT Of this traffic was us'
~ and Mr.. Madison informs us that he himself d
,o clared, in Convention. that it would be wrong
~. admit In the CONSTITUTION that mee can no.u pro
~ erty in their fellow men.
Some of the States, however, were DESTROYS
VI continuing the slave trade for a time but so strol
II" was the sentiment OF the people against that barb
GUS mi that it was deemed necessary TO pi
to vide, by express stipulation, that Congress shou
not prohibit it prior to the year 1908. Before tn
out day arrived. Congress passed a law for the to'
abolition Of the African slave trade-the act
the take effect on the LIST day of January of that YET
lily Unfortunately, by the same law, Congress pl
.ro- vided thar persons might carry slaves from o
on. port of the United States to another, under certa
rn- regulations. The coast wise transportation
ait slaves vas then supposed necessary for the far
use lies who emigrated from one slave State to anotf
hat for at that day no such eommeree was know as
inter State slave trade. But this provision In
so act of 1907 has for many years been prostituted
as. the protection Of an increasing in hum
Of flesh.
ain At the close of the was OF 1914, both Eagla
ne and the United States felt the inconsistency VIII
bad characterized their action in the recent CO
IAN, test nv authorizing their people to butcher co