Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-06-04

negro. mulst;o. or other person ot color, not Dang d
| native, citizen, or registered seaman oi Inc on"e"
States, or seam-n natives o! Countries - H.
Cape / Good Hope, into any port or p1eca u ~
United STATES. which port or place aha!i De- 'u" ~
IA my Slat- which by law has prohibited or s"""
urohibi;, The admission or importation OF sncn pe.'",
nnlattn. or other person of cniori and If any capta"
or master aforesaid. or any other per-0n, shai' ~.
mort. or bring, or cause Ia be imported or pr"u-,''
into auy of the ports or places aforesaid. any :" y,
,a-unn- whose admission Or Importation u i'rohloit'''
a. aforesaid. he shall forfeit and pay the sum o, Wv
! ,housard ,InIlar= for each and every negro, in"'a.'''
~ n,her r.,son of color, aforesaid, brought rf ''
oort-t na slprrsald, t. be su"d for and r+ro'rre" "
action nf d-b,. IN any court oil me ulh.cI ~ ;.
one hall Hereof 10 the Use oi HE United S'iies, I t.
,.hcr h,lf 20 any person or persons prosecuting va
,ha a.roI,v. and in any action instituted tor the re-
coyrry ct ID. penalty aforesaid, the person or per
sons sued may nc held so special oah' FfoVtueu "
WAYS, Inst nothing III th'- nc. sha. oe n'""
prohibit the admission ut ii"Naie' unJ.r
IL viii he seen that Congress, by 'n's = ""u".
took tu co Operate with those States when ny ',H'T
legislation, had int-rp",ed ~ prevent 'ne ''hF"it"''p'
Of negroes into hi, country. Al 'hat 'uio -.
s.itu.i0ua! prohibition 10 winch L nave ne'of
restrained Congress from the exercise u , T 80
mower ct prohibiting such Importation. Inc NC
however, b-i3y under 40 such restraint, hah w
raj instances adopted measures "i their own: nnu w
act Of lSU3 showa the ~promptness ol 'he uene'"'
Government N exercising whatever power j FVs
sess.d i'm furthsrauce o.! the obi-ct. The language
thi. act il importsut in another view. IL VIII ne 90
served that liz object Is Ia prevent le imp"tt"''oNI
into the United States ot ANY negro ulelnt'o' "
other persOn of color, not being = NAIVE /" cI''"en, vi
registered seaman OF the United State, or seaihrm
natives of countries beyond the Cape OF Cocoa hope'
10 is not confined 10 slaves or negroes bound ~ inoor'
but Plates th. exclusion, III the broadest terlHa'
of all such peraoni, without regard to The character
III which they may be brought. Ii excludes lrto per
sons as well ~ slaves, and persons bound 10 laoor OF
service. The only limitation in tbs act Is, that II IL
confined 10 such persons a. are prevented ny the
laws of any of the States from being imported into
such States.
At thar time there existed laws Of some OF the
States, not only prohibiting the introduction OF negro
slaves. but also tree negroes. Indeed the policy ot
the slavehoiding States has always been opposed 10
the increase Of is free negro population ana u II
proper here 10 remark, that nj the present TIME lia'
policy ia more earnestly sustained in those States thsn
at any previous period Of their history. After this
reference 10 the laws Oh the subject. II Is hardly he
ressGry To reues', that it ths application OF Messrs.
Lsftte & Go. conternplates the Introduction OF he
grors into the United States from Afrloa, either in the
character Of slaves, or as apprentices bound 10 ser
vice or labor. 1t is clearly i'll violation ut both The
letter and spirit OF The law, and cannot be granted.
The torm Of the application made by Messrs'
Lati:te ani Co would Seem 10 contemplate ils miro
duction into the United States Of negroes from Africa,
entitled, on their arrival, TO all the rights and privi-
leges Of frsemen. The proposition, upon is lace, IL
so absurd that 1t Is hardly worthy Oh serious
rctutation. Messrs. Latitte aud Co. ask us to believe
that their Vessel, fitted out in the port OF Charleston,
:. C., il. going upon a voyage TO Africa, to bring Ia
anme por: in the United STATES n cargo of free negroes.
The port 10 which the vessel expects to return Is moi
Indicated. 1t cannO: be the one from which It saH',
nor any elmer rort in the State OF South Carolina
as the Introduction OF nte negroes into that State II
wisely prohibited by stringent laws ana h5avY penal.
ties. j cannot be the port OF any other slavehOlding
State, as similar laws in each Of those States alike
forbid il. The reason for such laws ia so manifest,
that ] do not leei called upon either TO produce the
evidence oI their existence, Or to justify the policy
which led TO their adoption II is sufficient TO know
that the public Mint Of that section Of the Union l..
not more cordially agreed upon any one subject than
upon the ~propriety and necessity of prohibiting, AZ tar
AS possible, M Increase Ui the free negro population;
and hence the lava 10 which ! refer, prohibiting their
importation from any place.
Caa i, be that Messrs. LATTE and Go. propose to
return, with their cargo OF free negroes, 10 O port IN
some Of the Eon.slayeholding States! am not
aware of Il single State where these new corners
would receive a tolerant, much leas a cordial, vel
come; whilst, by stringent lave and constitutional
provisions. some Of them have provided for their un-
conditional exclusion.
Looking beyond the legislation which has been
had on the subject by the General Government,
and both the rlavrholding and the non.slavehOlding
States, | may he permitted Ia refer, in this connec
ton, to the various, repeated and earnest efforts
whica have been made IN every section OF the
Union, 10 Pro"ite :or the removal from our midst
Of this most unfortunate olasI. However varisrt
tho motives which have induced tnese Efforts with
different persuu-, in different sections Of the couD
try, they all exhibit an earnest desire 10 diminish
rather than iucreee- tho tree negro population
This publ opinion. thus manifested in every
form, ID familiar IL e!rrv one, and it would BE-
doing grea: Injustice to Ihs iuie,iiGIacs Of M-s+rs
Laitt- and Co., 10 suppose that they sions were iSno.
ran, oft. Where, then, do they propose 10 land their
cargo ct free negroes Whist il the motive which in.
iuce, ii.s enterprise! II cannot be the profits Of the
voyage. There .re - African emisra.its seeking a
passage 10 this country; aIG Il there we're, they have
40 In-ana Of rcnuii-rsting Messrs. LhHtte aud TO, for
bringing them. The motive cannot b. mere rbian
| lrropv. .rr u would confer no ben-!i: upon ihc-s ns.
u iAui AZ Do IL woalt on, be- :; occupy our pest
houses, hospitals aud pGitDns. To h-i.-v., under the
| circumstances. hat thc!e il u bond Gd' purpose, an
iis uHft q, Messr-. Lstitia aud Co., 10 bring Atrican
e~lnisrants - lh,s .ogairv To enjoy the rights aud pri.
vil-ges Of ir-eInen, would require SO amount Of ere
dulity that would Justly subject the person go neii-v
lns Ia :hn charge "f mental lmbcC.llfy. The convic-
tivn IL irrasi2liblc, that the object o. tie proposed Ell.
terpri4. - 10 nriu, ,;.es. - frican erDigrhnts into the
country, with tie view eiiger q, mating alsv-I U'
them, or ui hoidiug them In service Or labor. 1t 20.
j: is nI attempt to evadc Ih. isws Ui the country on
the subject ot African iinE rtation, To which ] have
! chi,rd y"uf attention.
Ordinarily, II wodiu bs sh unsnfe rule Tor n pubic
oni6er n act upon the suspicion o. n PURPOSE Oh the
part of another IL violate the laws Of the coanlry.
but in this case il is put {" cieerly beyond t!ie REACH
uf doubt. tina, ] think that You not only o.n. bat that
you arr i'll duty bound 10 act upon the presumption,
that It IL the intention of Messrs. Latte d Co. 10
evsde tho Laws Of the United S,a.es, aud you should
| accordingly refuse iheir vessel the clearance asked
for. an, very respectfully,
HOWELL COBB,
Secretary OF the Treasury.
W.. i. CoLCocK, Esq. Collector OF the Customs,
Charleston, =. ..