Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-06-12

is proper here to remark, that at the present
time that policy is more earnestly sustain
cd in those States than at any previous pc
Rod of their history. After this reference
to the laws on the subject, it is hardly nee.
essaly to repeat, that ifthe application of
Mcssrs. Lafttc e. Co. contcmplates the i'll
PRODUCTION of negroes into the United States
from Africa, either i'll the character of slaves
or. as apprentices bound to service or labor,
1T is clearly in violation of both the letter
and spirit of the law, and cannot be gran
ted.
The form of the application made by
Mcssrs. llafitte and Co. would seem to con
template the introduction into the United
States of negroes from Africa, entitled, on
their arrival, to all the rights and privileges
OF frecmen. proposition, upon its face,
is so absurd that it is hardly worthy Of SC
rious refutation Mcssrs. Lafittc & Co. ask
us to believe that their vessel, fitted out in
the port of Charleston, S. c., is going upon
voyage to Africa, to bring to some port
in the United States cargo of free negroes,
The port to which tho vessel expects to re-
! turn is not indicated. 1t cannot be the one
from which it sails, nor any other port in
the State of South Carolina, as the intro
duction of free negroes into that State is
wisely prohibited by stringent laws and
heavy penalties. it cannot be the port of
any other slaycholding State, as similar
laws in each of those States alike forbid it.
The reason for such laws is so manifest,
that do not feel called upon either TO pro-
duce the evidence of their existence, or to
Justify the policy which led to their adop-
ton. tits sufficient to know that the pub
lie mind of that section of the Union is not
more cordially agreed upon any one subject
than upon the proprcty and ncccssitybf
prohibiting, as far as possible, an increase
OF the free negro population; and hence the
laws to which | refer, prohibiting their i'm
portation from any place.
Can it be that Messrs. Lafitto and Co.
propose to return, with their cargo of free
negroes to port in some of the non-slavc-
holding States? | am not aware of single
State where these new comers would Ye-
ccivo a tolerant, much less a cordial, wei.
come; whilst, by stringent laws and consti.
tutlonal provisions, some ot them have pro-
vidcd for their unconditional exclusion.
Looking beyond the Legislation which
! has been had-n tho s,,l,joot by tho drner-
al Government, and both the slavcholding
and the non-slaveholding States, may be
permitted to refer, in this connection, to
the various, repeated and earnest efforts
which have been made in every section of
the Union, to provide for the removal from
our midst of this most unfortunate class
However varicnt the motives which Ii te
induced these efforts with different sections
of the country, they all exhibit an earnest
desire to diminish rather than increase the
free negro population. This public opinion
thus manifested in every form, is familiar
to every one, and it would be doing great
injustice to the intelligence of Messrs La
tltte q 20. to suppose that they alone were
ignorant of it. Where, then, do they pro
pose to land their cargo of free negroes p
What is the motive which induces the en-
terprisc? 1t cannot be the profits of the
voyage. There are no African emigrants
seeking a passage to this country; and il
there were, they have no means of remune-
rating Messrs. Latitte & Co. for bringing
them, The motive cannot be mere phlan-
thropy, for it would confer no benefit upon
these negroes to bring them to our shores,
where, if permitted to land at all, it would
only be to occupy our pest-houscs, hospitals
and prisons. Tobelieve, under the circum-
stances, that there is a bona tide purpose, on
the part of Messrs. Laftte q Co., to bring
African emigrants to this country to enjoy
the rights and privileges of frccmen, would
require an amount of credulity that. would
justly subject the person so believing to Tie
charge of mental imbecility The convic-
tion is irresistible, that the object of the
proposed enterprise is to bring these "Af
rican emigrants" into the country, with the
view either of making slaves of them, or of
holding them to service or labor. If so,
it is an attempt to evadc the laws of the
country on the subjec of African importa.
ton, to which / have called your attention
Ordinarily, it would be an unsafe rule
for puplic officer to act upon the suspicion
of a purpose on the part of another to vio-
late the laws of the country, but in this case
it is put so clearly beyond the reach OF
doubt, that / think that you not only can,
hut that Jon ere in duty bound. to act upon
the presumption, that it is the intention OF
Messrs: Lafttc 81 Co. to evade the laws OF
the United States, and you should accord
ingly refuse their vessel the clearance asked
flor
| l am, very respectfully,
/ HOWELL CoBB,
Secretary of tho Treasury.
VIM. i. Colcock, Esq,
Collector of Customs, Charleston, S. @.
| Il, --------ss - <----&---
/ THREE SIeNs.--The Baltimore Repub.
liean notices "thrco things which have just
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