The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-06-05
IMPORTANT DEPARTMENTAL DECISION

The Hon. Howell Cobb, Secretary of the Treas
ury,jthas written letter to the Collector of the
Customs at Charleston, South Carolina, forbidding
MN to grant clearance to a vessel ''for the coast
OF Africa, for the purpose of taking on board
African emigrants, in accordance with the United
States passenger laws, and returning with the same
to a port in the United States"i is a document
which will not only command the attention but the
approval OF the great body of the American people
Mr.. Cobb recites ae laws on the subject of the i'm
portatlon OF negroes for any purpose whatever and
interprets with clearness both the letter and the
spirit of those laws. He correctly assumes that
public opinion in almost every part of the United
States favors diminution rather than an increase
of the free negro population.
Two OF the Charleston papers before us admit the
strength of the Secretarys argument, whilst one of
them doubts his power the law is silent as to
e1n1grdnts. The Uereury thinks the Secretary and
Collector are bound to administer the laws as then
are, and that there ample means for their vim
dication if violated. But the Mercuru adds:
"The whole letter shows what we have recently
asserted, that to reopen the African slave trade,
land the apprentice system is that trade only under
another name) whether wise or not, is impractical
BILE in the Union. Even if the law of lS0S did not
exist the Northern Representatives in Congress-
would pass laws efecually to prohibit the reopen
ing of this trade in any form whatever On this
account we have deprecated the agitation of the
subject, as tending only to divide the South with
out the possibility Of having any practical existence
whilst the Union continues"
The E0eniag Ners attributes the application of
MesSrs. Lahtte Co., who applied for this clear
ance, to desire 'to test probably for Others GER
tain supposed doubtful questions on the importa-
ton of negroes from Africa" and saws:
"W c not only regard the Secretary's letter con
elusive every phase and point of the question in
volved, and that it is the only proper and states
manlike response to the application which the Ad-
ministration could give but looking at the case as
on ats face an effort to enter upon the importation
of wild and savage Africans, never mind in what
character or for what purpose, into this country,
we deprecatc and condemn it large, and denouncc
it as unworthy of those gentlemen and dsrespect-
full to this community
After pointing out the impolicy and mpropriety
OF this apparent effort to evade the laws the Nc,rs
adds, with emphasis, its decided condemnation:
''Ihe Secretarys letter clearly shows that the
laws OF Congress, both in letter and in spirit pro-
hbit an importation for these purposes as slaves or
apprentices) TO any part of the United States
Does it become Southern citizens to undertake or
countenance clandestine violations of the laws Of
the land? These laws are not alone Federal enact
ments; they also the laws of South Carolina NV
her own legislation.
ller act of 1885 provides that it shall not be law
tu for any free negro person of color to migrate
into this State, or be brought introduced into its
limits under any pretext whatever, by land or by
water The enactment is general as to all the Al.
rican unenslaved race from any part of the world
Does it become Carolinians, and the comfy of the
State with the others, to violate the spirit of this
law, and to attempt to introduce such interdicted
persons into other States to bring them throuqh
other States into this "'-Nat MteUigencer.