The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-09-16
From the Richmond Wal South.
THE SLAYER AT CHARLESTON.

Apart from the novelty of the incident, ihs
capture of the Echo is interesting in polits
| cal aspect In the first place, the effect OF QVj
statute for the SUPP Tefsion of the slave trad
will he determined il the trial of the crew and
! the disposition of tie cargo. Already paper
in the interest Of the Ibolitionists are predict
inc the practical MULTI cation Of the law in ths
escape of the culprits md the enslavement q
the negroes. Considerig the systematic resist
ance opposed to the sof Grafton of the fugitiv;
slave law by the fanatf of the North, they ara
certainly the last peops, in the world to coz
plain, if the South ssetld refuse to enforce az
Objectionable enactu aS.
1t is evident, howes et, as well from the char
acter of the South Cs-o5nians as from the abor
tive issue of the atteSapt to take the rescusi
negroes from the custody of the Federal author
ties, that the law agsinst the slave trade will b.
executed with as much iedelity in Columbia a
in Boston. s
We understand tbs ttorney General has de
cided that the statute ilpera,ively requires the
return to Africa of a grees rescued irons 0
SLAYER. If such is the s<F, all good citizens vii
desire its enforcement, no matter how repHg
nant to reason or hun nifty. 1t is an unkind
and inexpedient provis ,n-it removes the I'M
happy African from and of civilization and
Christianity, in which,,le is secure of physica,
comfort and moral am, aoration, to q region Of
Pagan darkness and k.,ody barbarity; but this
consideration may pdk be urged against the
execution OF legal enactment We have nc
higher law in the T. nth than the literal OBJ
legations of the statute { ,ok and in dischargins
our duty as citizens, Y = are not perverted by
the impulses of philsi- ,ropy. The President
will adopt all possible easures to mitigate the
severe destiny of the vi 'ims of a mistaken pol
icy; and then, with II signal illustration Of
its folly, the law will * eplaced by some more
judicious and humane isctment.
In regard to the fat of the criminals, who
were arrested in an IT of outlawry against
God and man, we pre-. me there can be bui
one wish ard one opibS n. We do not mean tt
stigmatize the slave rs e as a violation of the
moral law in itself; b. with the circumstances
of cruelty which distn = ish the conduct of the
men in command of rs Echo," it is ag sra
waited into an enormot i-crime against HEAVIER
and humanity. In apSther column of this pa
per, the reader will ifs description, by ar
eyewitness, of the G sdition of the negroes
rescued from The Eel :" Il
Was there ever ID e narrowing narrative
The heart that melts 4 at the story must be
hard indeed That 4iscience must be hope
lessly perverse which q fuses to condemn the
authors of 80 much feriDg to the veres,
penalties OF outraged ~ Ihey are guilty o.
something more than stchnicsl piracy. 9hey
are guilty of murder Ion babes and helples.
women. No repugnksYe to an obnoxious stat
ute, or attachment to q tarticular policy, should
offer anything in apo.c, > for crimes so revolt
ing to the instincts OF Lr.manity and the laws O
civilized society.
The narrative from I, e Mercury is interest
ing in another import AIT aspect. 1t exhibit.
the physical and mora condition of the native
African in light VIII b will be fatal to the
projects of the slave-trs . agitators for surely
no man of sound jude. ant will consent to in
troduce 80 degraded a debased an elernen'
into the bosom of thern society. From
such recruits to our n. population, every re
hecting citizen will pc for deliverance. Ad
nit the want of mo- labor in the South
concede the great advr ages to the African o.
Subsection to q master an enlightened and
Christian community 5 nd still the argup1en,
against the revival of Z. slave trade, as IL af
fects the interests of to, Southern States, will
be absolutely overwhelming. In this view, thu
capture of the Echo indeed fortu aatt
circumstance.