The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-06-10

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IMPORTATION OF AFRICAN EMIGRANTS.
LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.
TaEAsuRY DEPARTMENT, May a. 1858.
SR: II appears from your letter of goth April, 1885,
that application has been made to you by Messrs f. La
te Co.. merchants of Charleston, South Carolina ito
clear the American ship Richard Golden, W. +. Black
MASTER burden $50 3l.95 TONS for the coast of Africa
for the purpose of taking board African eigrants in
accordance with the u passenger laws and returning
with tho same to port In the United States.
You ask the opinion of the Department upon the pro
prety Of your granting refusing the application
The question is important one, and have delayed
an answc. your letter until could give the subject
proper examination.
The form in which this application is presented In
wolves tho question in embarrassment The object
of the applicants must be cithr to import Africans to be
disposed of slaves to be bound to labor or service
else to bring them into the country like other emil
grants DO entitled their arrival to all the rights and
privileges of freemen In either Of tho two frstnamed
contingencies, the object would be clearly and mani
testify against the laws Of the United States to leave
room for doubt or hesitation. deem It proper how
ever to call your attention to the provisions OF those
laws as they indicate very clearly the general policy
Of the government the subject Of African importa
ton.
Prior to the LIST January 1908, the time fixed by the
constitution when Congress would be authorized to pro-
hbisuch Importation the acts of I'd March, 1894, BAD
and 10th Of May, 1sO0 (2.7O passed These laws
indicate the strong opposition felt at that time to the A
slave trade The subsequent act of I'd March, 1907
(2426 and goth April 1918, 45O well AZ the acts
Of Sd March, 1872 $3.50 and 18th May. 1920, 5000
show only the prompness with which the power
exercised by Congress of prohibiting this trade to the
United States but they also bear evidence OF the stern
purpose of enforcing their provisions by penalties
and large expenditures The legislation ohe slavehold
ing States prior 1908 exhibits the fact that the first
steps taken for it's suppression naugurated by them
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country afford conclusive evidence than the general
opposition everywhere felt to the continuance of the Ar
slave trade.
by reference the acts of 1874 and 1906 against the
slave trade generally it will be that their operation
confined to slaue none The first section of the
act of 1894 provides hat citizen citizens of the
United States, foreigner, any other person coming
into residing within the same SHALL for himself
any other person Whatsoever, either master, factor
owner, build, fit, equip, load or otherwise prepare any
ship vessel within port place Of the said United
States shall any ship vessel to sail from any
port place within the same, for the purpose of
ing on any trade or traffic in slaves to any foreign country
for the purpose Of procuring from any foreign king
dom, place, country, the inhabitants of such kingdom
place, country to be transported to any foreign
try port place whatever to be sold disposed of
dr and If any ship OF vessel shall be fitted out
aforesaid for tho said purposes shall be caused to sail
aforesaid every such ship vessel her tackle fur
niture apparel and other appurtenances shall be forfeit
cd to the United States and shall be liable to be seized
prosecuted ana COnucmncd circuit
district court for the district where the said ship
vessel may be found and seized. =
The language of the act Of 1900 is the in this
respect Both contemplate In general terms the proven
ton of the trade IN aoUes When however In 1907, and
subsequent thereto Congress undertook to prevent the
importation of slaves into the United States, the Ian
guage of the law made stringent and comprc-
hcnsve The first section OF the act Of 1907 provides
" That from and after the first day Of January thou
sand eight hundred and eight it shall not be lawful to
import bring into the United States the Territories
thereof from any foreign Kingdom place. or country any
negro, mulatto person of color with intent to hold
SELL dispose of such negro mulntto person of color
a slave, or 10 be held TO service labor.
This law seeks not only to prevent the introduction
into tho United States Of ocs from Africa but any
gro mulatto person Of color whether introduced as
slaves, or to b he'd sOv labor Whether not the
wisdom of our fathers oresaw at that early day that e
forts would be made under pretended apprentice sys-
tenn TO the slave trade under another name,
not undertake to but the language of the law which
they have left to s the statute book leaves doubt
of the fact that they intended TO provide In the most
unequvoea manner against the increase Of that class of
population by immigration from Africa. No could
then have contemplated object for which African
egans would be brought to this country which is not
clearly guarded against and forbidden by the law to which
am referring 1t ia only necessary to add that
subsequent acts the subject contain the Ian
guage. This view Of the subject Ia strengthened by
reference to the provisions of the act of 28th Febru
airy, 1908, 205 The first section of that act Is
follows "That from and after the first day of April
next no master captain of any ship vessel, or
any other person. shall import bring TO be
imported OF brought any negro, mulatto, or other
psson of color not being native Citizen registered
seaman Of the United States natives Of
tries beyond the Cape of Good Hope, into any port
place Of the United States which port place shall BIO
situated in any State which by law has prohibited
shall prohibit the admission importation of such
gro, mulatto or other person of color and II any cap
tain or master Aforesaid any other person. shall Inn
port or bring or cause TO be imported or brought into
any Of the ports places aforesaid any of the persons
whose admission importation Is prohibited aforesaid
he shall forfeit and pay the Of one thousand dollars
for each and every negro muatto, other person of
color aforesaid brought imported ~ aforesaid to be
sued for and recovered by action Of debt in any court Of
the United States onehaf thereof to the of the
United States the other half to any person persons
prosecuting for tho penalty and In any action instituted
for the recovery Of the penalty aforesaid the person
persons sued may be held TO special bail Poed oiny'
the admission of Indians"