Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-12-24
THE SLAVE TRADE RE-OPENED.

The fact, now fully confirmed, that the
yacht Wanderer, landed in Georgia, a few
days since, a cargo of slaves, direct from the
Congo River, is startling one. The more
Southern States, unable to see why, espcci-
ally if slavery is right and expedient, they
should not bring their slaves from Guinea as
well as from Virginia, if they can get the for.
eign article cheapest, propose to try the con-
stitutionality of the law which makes the
slave trade piracy. And there is reason to
suppose that our Government was aware that
the experiment was planned, and has delibe-
rately allowed it to be tried. The Washing
ton correspondent of the New York journal
Of Commerce makes such a statement lie
says: 1.-THE Wanderer slavery case was de-
hberately made as an experiment to test the
consttutionality of the United States laws
against the slave trade. Mr.. Lamar of Geor-
gia, gave notice to Secretary Cobb that the
case would be made
Senator Wilson introduced a resolution
which was adopted in the Senate on Thurs
day, calling on the President for information
concerning this landing of slaves, which may
elicit some information on this and other
appear to be settled The Wanderer receiv-
ed her outfit in the City of New York in
June last Before leaving that port she was
suspected of being IL SLAYER, but her owners
succeeded in binding the eyes of those COM
missoned to investigate her character
She at once proceeded to the African coast,
was watched by the American Squadron,
took in her cargo ofSlaves. escaped the vigil
lance" of the "coast guard, and landed her
human freight in the State of Georgia. The
n. Y. Herald is 'authorzed to state" that
she had on board eighty negroes who were
selected on account of their health, vigor,
size and strength; that they were treated
with the utmost care on the voyage, and
finally landed in good condition at some
point between Florida and Georgia. where
they readily brought seven hundred dollars
each-making an aggregate of fifty-six thou
sand dollars
The cargo was doubtless much larger The
Augusta (Ga.) Dispatch of the 18th, says that
two hundred and scventy-seven Of the cargo
were brought up the Savannah river and
landed three miles below Augusta, on the
South Carolina side. The Dispatch adds
CIV earn on good authority that the orr
gindl cargo consisted of four hundred and
twenty, and that not one of them died or was
seriously ill on the passage 1t is supposed
that the Wanderer acted only as a decoy
boat, and that the vessel that brought them
is at large. Citizens OF our city are proba-
bly, interested in the enterprise, and thps c
brought up the river are supposed to be their
share the spoils, and have been distribut-
ed on their plantations. IL is quietly limited
that this is the third cargo landed by the
same company during the last six months .
The Dispatch is delight ed with the results
of the enterprise, and says "the trade may be
called piracy by false construction of fool
ish law, but the day will come when the
South will make it the right arm of her le-
climate commerce, and then there may he
some chance for even us poor editors to own
sooty skin or two, Who know. p
The Augusta Chronicle condemns the pro-
ceeding but doubts whether the United
States government can stop its repetition
1t says
The people should not hesitate to resort
to any and all legitimate means to arrest at
once and forever traffic So disastrous, if
permitted, to the public wealth of the South.
Ii there exist upon the statute books of the
Southern States any laws which will protect
them against this traffic, they should be en-
forced most rgidly against all violators.'
OF course Charleston and by many through
out the far South this successful venture is
hailed with intense satisfaction. What next i?