New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-02

So. a'o. tha, famous pirate Blackboard, sorto'
rival Of tue Bu, beard Of the storybook uho larked
on the coast Of tie C.rolinss, was eouutensnced
by colonial S, cretaries, and by Governors and
legislators, as the Echo pirates now are, and WAS
finally taken by two ships fitted out in the Chesa-
Ieake by Gov. SPotsWood of Virginia, carried 70
tOst Colony ard tried and baoged there In fact
j, is little curious to remark that the yer! pro-
vision in the Federal Constitution giving to the
Federal Government jurisdiction over piracy, aud
power also to detine it, was borrowed. like 80
many other provisions Of that in,trunenr, from an
act Of Parliament, by which the mother country
assumed jurisdiction which the Colonies seemed
but too little inclined TO exercise for themselves
therein defining piracy On way which did not
exscty suit all the COlones), AID establishing
special Admiralty Courts for the trial Of offenders
Bot If il be piracy for ships to steal goods on the
coast of Africa, What obstacle ia there to making
1t piracy 10 steal men on the same COST. or to De-
core the receivers Of them from those who have
stolen tbeml 1t used to be common practice
among pirates-kept up by the Barbiry cruisers to
q recent pericd-to seize upon meo, whether taken
at sea or snatchtd up from the l.ud, and to hod
them for ransom Is il not ca laly piracy to seize
upon men and hold them for sale 7
But our South Csrolins jurlst is not conteut with
merely appealing to the nature OF things fji'
lowing the example set by the Supreme Court OF
the United States in Its Interpretation Of the be.r-
ings cf the Federal Constitution upon Slavery, he
must needs appeal to alleged historical fact'-in
doing which, be betrays the same deplorable isnO-
rance of American history with the greater part
Of our American orators and statesmen, including
the Supreme Court itself With non chalence,
a total ignorance Of fact, and law, or dIsregar
of them, which Cnel.J Justice fancy himself might
envy, our South Carolina jurist Informs Us in his
speech, THAT when the Constitution OF these
" States was ado opted'-neaning thereby the Fed
eral Constitution the slave-trade was as lesti-
mate ar the trade in wool in coffee, or in tobacco.
e" 1t was legitimate and innocent trade, rccog-
" nzed AZ tueh, at that time, BY all men.
Such is the unblushitg, We dare say the
ignorant, and, so far as ignorance excuses
Senator, the innocent assertion of this South Car
olina legislator, who, perhaps, indeed, could
scarcely be expected TO know more Of the history
and law of his country than the Chief Justice OF
the United States. The real facts are these: BY
tie terms Of the American Association, entered
into by the twelve Colonies in the first
Continental Congress, aud to which Georgia soon
alterward assented, with which Association the
Revolution commenced the slaye.trade was
specially denounced, not only as impol,ic, but as
immoral and wicked, and the colonies specially
pledged themfelyes TO each other to an entire ab-
stinence from II, aud from any trade with those
concerned in it-a pledge from which no cooay
was ever released though the Carollnas and Georgia
disgraced themselves by temporary violations OF
it, and which remains in fall force to the
present day. la fuliillInent Of this pledge,
the Colonies, soon sfterward independent States,
proceeded to enact laws msAlog the slive'trade
illegal and criminal. Delaware did so by her Con-
sttutiOn; Mary'an and Virgins by rpecisl laws-
sn example initiated by all the States north of the
Potomac. Even South Carolina herself, at the mo-
ment the Federal Constitution was adopted had
al act, sfterward repealed, prohibiting tie inpor-
tation of slaves. Prior to the organization Of the
Federal Government, the States of Rhode Island,
Massachusetts Connecticut aud Penbsy sylSanla had
also passed acts forbdding their citizens to engage
in the slave-trAde, for the supply Of any country
whatever; and, doubtless, this examp,s would have
engeneraly initiated had not the Federal CVsS'F
tuition transferred to Congress jurisdiction over
this subject which it did not hesitate speedily to
exercise. So much for law and history, as ex.
pounded in the South Carolina Senate.
Tie N. Y. Times PROCESSES its inability to see
baf f,r rtbar ourn.sas sra IN Ia suhsarraJ hot