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. twill
be remembered that he recommended the
payment of the claims of certain Spaniards
for the Amistad Slaves liberated by the Su'
preme Court of the United States and such
Endorsement of those claims has been astand'
ing item of democratic" messages for TWEEN
ty years. The object is to keep the claim
alive till its 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
eIce in Congress of the veteran JOSHUA Il.
GIpDNGs, whose minute acquaintance with
the whole transaction would enable him to
blast it before the country.
The facts were briefly these. A slave ship
had arrived in Cuba with a cargo of Afri-
cans, which were re-shipped in the sAmistad'
for another port of the island. On this pas
sage the Africans, feeling the instructive i'm
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 helmsman, not daring to run too
wide from the required course, found himself
off the coast of Connecticut instead of Vir-
ginia, 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 Spaniards
and liberate the Africans Could it have ap-
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 IN piolation of both United
States and SpaniSh lar. 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 off the coast to run off
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 right! 1t is an insult to
the country and its disgrace the world over
yet j; IS 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 spoiation 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 pirates."-
Will not our abused people trample it in the
dust, and preserve the justice and honor of
their country.