The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-06-17
AN IMPORTANT INSTRUMENTATION AP-
PREMTIClES.

The reader will find on the fourth page o.
the Era letter from Howell Cobb, Secretary
of the Treasury, containing an important de-
csion, under our laws, in regard to the African
slave trade.
E. LATTE & Co., merchants of Charleston,
8. c., having, under instructions from c. A.
Lamar, of Savannah, Georgia, applied to Mr..
Colcock, Collector of the port, to clear his ship,
the Richard Golden, for the coast of Africa,
for the purpose of taking on board African
emigrants, in accordance with the United States
passenger laws, and returning with the came
to port in the United States" the Collector
asked the opinion of the Department, as to the
propriety of granting the application. Mr.
Cobb instructs him to refuse the application,
the undertaking being in clear contravention
or evasion of the Laws of the United States
The act of 1907 prohibits the importation or
bringing into the United States, of any negro,
mulatto, or person Of color, " as slave, or to
be held to service or labor" OF course, the
Apprentice scheme, which the Louisiana Legis-
lature came very near sanctioning, could not
have been carried into operation without q
fragrant violation of this act. Another law,
passed in 1903, prohibits the importation of
any "negro, mulatto, or ether person of color,
not being native, citizen, or registered sea.
man of the United States, or sesmen, natives
of countries beyond the Cape of Good Hope,
into the ports of any State which by law has
prohibited or shall prohibit the admission of
such negro, mulatto, or other person of color"
This law provides for the exclusion of free
persons of color, as well as of slaves-and as
ell of the slave States have prohibited by law
the admission of free colored persons, no man
can import or cause to be imported into them
emigrants from Africa, without violating the
laws of the United States. Under Whatsoever
aspect this enterprise of LATTE & Co. may be
considered, it is clearly illegal. The Secretary
presents these views at considerable length,
and with great force of argument.
1t remains to be seen what effect this decision
will have in the South. If rumors, credited
by portion of the Southern press, are to be
relied upon, already emigrants from the coast
of Africa have been imported into the United
States. Can it be that the Collector at New
Orleans has been less scrupulous than the
Charleston officer? If the Administration be
in earnest, it will not rest satisfied with simply
making public this decision of the Depart.
ment. 1t will issue peremptory instructions to
every Collector in the United States to refuse
any clearances for such purposes as are boldly
proclaimed by these Charleston merchants, and
Immediately set on foot proceedings with q
view to bring to punishment any persons who
may have violated the laws by the importation
of African apprentices, as they are called
if indeed there has been any such scoun.
drelism perpetrated. LATTE & Co. are In
dignant at the letter of Mr.. Cobb, as contain.
ing imputations Of a design on their part to
evade or violate the Laws. They say it is for
their principal, Mr.. Lamar, to judge how far
the decision "may, serve to debar him from
the prosecution of his proposed enterprise, and
it is for him to take such steps as he may deem
proper to test the legal question affecting his
rights"
1t 10 hardly probable that we have seen the
end of this matter. Two years ago, the pre-
diction that q serious attempt would be made
in the South to reopen the foreign slave trade
was scented a. utterly fanatical. Nov, we see
q deliberate movement by q large portion Of
Southern Shareholders to accompIiah this very
object Hopeless Of succeeding by open and
direct methods. the plot is to reach the great
end covertly. They will not insist upon q re.
peal of the Laws interdicting the slave trade
they will not seek to import Africans bound to
service-they will only ship "emigrants from
the coast Of africa, in accordance soith the pas.
senger lasos Of the United States" Bot, here
an unexpected obstacle meets them. Their
own States prohibit the admission of free per.
sons Of color, and Law Of the United States
forbids the importation of such persons into
any State whose laws prohibit their admission.
How is this difficulty to be got over? By
State action. Let South Carolina, Georgis,