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

any trade or traffic in slaves to any forciyn
country; or for the purpose of procuring,
from any foreign kingdom, place or country,
the inhabitants of such kingdom, place or
country, to be transported to any foreign
country, port, or place whatever, to be sold
or disposed of, as slaves; and if any shin
or vessel shall be so fitted out, as aforesaid,
every such ship or vessel, her tackle, fur
mture, apparel and other oppurtcnanccs,
shall be forfeited to the United States; and
shall be liable to be seized, prosecuted and
condemned in any of the Circuit Courts, or
District Court for the District where the
said ship or vessel may be found and sciz-
cd"
The language Of the act of 1900 is the
same in this respect Both contemplate,
in general terms, the prevention of the
trade in slaves When, however, in 1907,
and subsequent thereto, Congress under
took to prevent the importation of slaves
into the United States, the language of the
law was made more stringent and comprc-
hcnslre. The first section of the act of
lSO1 provides, "That from and after the
hrst day OF January, one thousand eight
hundred and eight, it shall not be lawful to
import or bring into the United States or
the Territories thereof, from any foreign
kingdom, place, or country, any negro, mu-
latto; or person of color, with intent to hold
sell or dispose of such negro, mulatto, or
person OF color, as slave, or to be held to
service or labor.
This law seeks not only to prevent the
introduction into the United States of fslaycs
from Africa, but any negro, mulatto or per
son of color, whether introduced as slaves
or,to be held to service or labor. Whcth-
er or not the wisdom of our fathers foresaw
at that early day that efforts would be made,
under pretended apprentice system, to re-
new tho slave trade under another name,
cannot undertake to say but the language
of the law which they have left to lis on the
statute book, leaves no doubt of the fact
that they intended to provide, in the most
unequiyocal manner, against the increase
of that class of population by immigration
from Africa. No one could then have
contemplated an object for which Af-
rican cmigrants would be brought to this
country, which is not clearly guardcdagainst
and forbidden by the law to which am now
referring. 1t is only necessary to add that
subsequent acts on the saihinnt contain the
same language. This view of the subject
is strengthened by reference to the provis-
ions of the act of 29th February, 1903,
(2.2O5.) The first section of that act is as
follows +: "That from and after the first day
OF April next, no master or captain of any
ship or vessel, or any other person, shall
import OF bring, or cause to be imported or
brought, any negro, mulatto, or other person
of color, not being a native, citizen or reg
istered seaman of the United States, or sea-
men natives of countries beyond the Cape
of Good Hope, into any port or place OF he
United States, which port or place shall be
situated in any State which by law has pro-
hibited the admission or importation of such
negro, mulatto, or other person of color !;
and ifany captain or master aforesaid, or
any other person, shall import, or bring, or
cause to be imported or brought, into any
OF the ports or places aforesaid, any of the
persons whose admission or importation is
prohibited as aforesaid, he shall forfeit and
pay the SUM of one thousand dollars for
each and opcry negro, mulatto, or other
person ofc color, aforesaid, brought or import
ed as aforesaid, to be sued for and recover
cd by action of debt, in any court of the
United States -onc-half thereof to the use
OF the United States, tho other half to any
person or persons prosecuting for the pen
atty; and in any action instituted for the
recovery of the penalty aforesaid, the person
sued may be held especial bail: Provtdet2,
ARRAYS, That nothing in this act shall be
construed to prohibit the admission of In
dians"
1t will be seen that Congress, by this act,
undertook to cooperate with those States
which, by State legislation, had interposcd
to prevent the importation of negroes into
this country. AT that time the constitu-
tional prohibition to whichI have before
referred, restrained Congress from the exer-
ciscvof the absolute power of prohibiting
such importation, The States, however,
being under no such restraint, mad in seye-
raj in~lnces adopted measures of their own:
and th act of 1903 shows the pron,ptness
of the General Government in exercising
whatever power it possessed ip furtherance
| Of the object. The language OF this act is
important in another view it will be OBJ
served that It's object is to prevent the i'm
| portation into the United States of " any
| ncgroy mulatto, on other person of color,
4 not being native, citizen, or registered
seaman of the United States, or seamen me-
tives of countries beyond the cape of Gcoi
Hope" 1t is not confpod to slaves or ne-
groes bound to labor, but contemplates the
exclusion, in the broadest terms, .ofall such
persons, without regard to the character in
| which th6ymay be brought. 1T excludes
free persons as well as slaves and persons
= hna III tn Iahn i. ~ !.