The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-02-06
Piratical Democracy.

Another demonstration of the piratica
character of the so-called Democratic party
is found in the last Presidents Message
which, we fear, has been overlooked. 1t will
be remembered that he recommended the
payment Of the claims of certain Spanlards
for the AmiStad Slaves liberated by the SUI
preme Court Of the United States and such
Endorsement of those claims has been stand
ing item of democratic messages for TWEEN
" years. The object is to keep the claim
alive till IFS infamy is forgotten, then rush IT
through as an obligation to the slaveholding
democracy Probably it would have been
passed long before this time but for the pres
cree in Congress Of the veteran JOSHUA Il.
CLIPPINGS, whose minute acquaintance with
the whole transaction would enable him to
blast it before the country
The facts were briefly these. slave ship
had arrived in Cuba with a cargo of Afri
cans. which were re-shipped in the "Amstad'
for another port of the island. On this pas
sage the Africans. feeling the instructive inn
pulses Of liberty in their hearts, planned and
achieved in mastery manner the control of
the vessel, then attempted to steer for Africa
But the heimsman, not daring to run toe
wide from the required course, found himself
OFT the coast Of Connecticut instead of Vir.
GINA, and the claimants sought help of the
Federal Officers, who took possession of the
vessel. Without specifying now all the pro
cess, the case reached the Circuit Court of the
United States, and was carried from that to
Supreme Court in Washington. There it
was argued with such unanswerable ability
by JOHN Q. ADAMS as compelled the servile
bench TO reject the claim of the Spanlards
and lberate the Africans Could it have APP
peared that they were slaves in any legal
sense, they would quickly have been given
up but it was made to appear beyond all
possible doubt that they were natice africans,
recently imported IL riolation of both United
States and Spanish lac. They were therefore
free and the claimants were pirates. They
could neither speak nor understand a word
of any language except an African dialect.
This case interested the whole country,
and the Shareholders employed every art to
defeat the ends Of Justice. A vessel was
even ordered to lie oil the coast to run of
with the Africans when they should be liber
ated by the court, and re-kidnapped. Indeed,
this democracy through its administration,
spared near zeal nor shame nor guilt to aid
the slaveholding fraternity of both countries,
and prevent the dreaded influence of the U.
States Government countenancing alledged
slaves in asserting and maintaining their
rights on the high seas.
Instead Of hanging the Spanish claimants
as pirates, or sending them home in chains
for that purpose, they were "Dons" at once,
and our paltroon democracy through its
presidents has been strenuouSly insisting ev-
er since on the payment Of their claims for
damage as Just and rigit! 1t is an insult to
the country and its disgrace the world over,
yet !; s repeated year after year, and will ere
long be granted. We know neither man nor
paper of that party that offers any objection
to this preposterous demand.
PAYMENT to northern men of claims due
them for fifty years, under the spoliation bill is
again and again defeated, but this demand of
foreign pirates and endorsed by the United
States, is pressed year after year, and proba-
bly, the people will be made to pay it. So
has this democracy" debauched the public
mind and made itself, as Mr.. ADAMS said,
"the mere catchpole of Spanish prates."-
Will not our abused people trample it in the
dust, and preserve the justice and honor Of
their country