The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-06-24

The Slave Trsde-The I..ue Coming.
From Tho Chicago fines, Jun. ssh.
Mesrs. LATTE 4 Co., Of Charleston, NJ
Gently applied to the collector Of that bort
for clearance for the ship Richard Co6den
that she might proceed to the coast of Afri-
ca for load Of African emigrants, in &C.
cordancs with the United States passenger
laws. The collector of the port Of Charles
ton referred the application TO the Secretary
Of the Treasury, and that officer, under date
OF May 22d, forbids the collector to issue
the clearance As demanded
Mr.. Cobb states that the object of the
application must be either to import Afri.
cans to be held and disposed Of as slaves, or
to be held as apprentices, or to bring them
hither that they may, like other emigrants,
enjoy the rights and privileges of freemen.
Against the proposition to bring them hith-
er slaves, or under the pretext of apprentices
bound to service or labor, the Secretary
quotes the laws Of the land, which strictly
forbid such proceedings, and states that
those laws are so plain and conclusive that
no man can have any hesitation in arriving
at their import. The proposition that they
might be brought here as other emiprants,
entitled, on their arrival, TO the right OF free.
men, the Secretary thinks extremely absurd.
The laws OF South Carolina, particularly,
prohibit the possibility of free Africans
coming into that State, and the laws of
other States are equally exclusive of that
class of population.
Where, then" inquiries the Secretary,
do they propose to land their cargoes Of
free negroes? What is the motives that in.
duced the enterprise! 1t cannot be the
profits OF the voyage. There are no Afri-
can emgrants seeking passage to this
country; and if there were they have no
means OF rcnumerating Messrs. I.atitte &
Co. Tor bringing them. The motive cannot
be mere philanthrOphy for it would confer
no benefit upon the negroes, to bring them
to our shores, where, if permitted to land at
all 1t would only be to occupy our pest
houses, hospitals and prisons. To believe,
under the circumstances, there is bona fie
purpose, on the part Of Messrs Lafitte &
Co, to bring African emigrants to this
country, to enjoy the rights and privileges
OF ireemen, would require an amount of Gre.
dulity that would Justly subject the persons
so believing to the charged Of mental imbe.
cility. The conviction is irresistible, that
the objects Of the proposed enterprise is to
bring these African emigrants' into the
country, with the view either of making
slaves OF them, or OF holding them to the
service OF labor. If So, it is an attempt to
evade the laws OF the country on the sub.
Ject OF African importation, to which have
called your attention
10 this very correct view of the existing
law, the Charleston Mercury takes excep-
ton. 1t argues that the right to import
emigrants from Africa, is as valid as to
bring them from England or France, and
then it adds
1t appears to us, therefore that the SEQ
rctary's instructions to the port collector,
iorbidding him to grant a clearance to the
ship Richard Golden, il based on assump-
tons that no administrative officer has
right to make, and is usurpation not war
ranted by law. The Secretary and the port
collector are bound to administer the laws
AZ they are. II they are defective, it is the
fault OF the legislative power, which can rec
tity oil defects. To administer the laws up.
on differences or suspicious, against the plain
purport OF an application which is strictly
legal, is as dangerous to the rights oil citi-
zen as it must be without authority. In this
case, il the laws should be violated by the
use oil the clearance to import either slaves
or apprentices into the Southern States,
these laws have provided the most ample aud
efficient means for their vindication The
whole letter, however shows what we have
repeatedly asserted, that to reopen the Az
rlcan slave trade apprentice system is the
trade only under another name,l whether
wise or not, is impracticable to theUnion"
The Mercury thinks and saws that there
can be no hope for revival Of the slave
trade while the Union ia in existence. The
dissolution OF the Union il the only chance
for Il revival Of the slave trade and for that
dissolution the Mercury labors severely and
constantly.
The issue al the South is now, aud has
been growing up into deep signticance--tlie
repeal Of the law OF ls0S against the slave
trade, or dissolution OF the Union. The
first direct application for a legalization of
the slave trade under the form OF the appren.
tice system, has been rejected BY the gov
eminent. The application will soon assume
another shape, and it will be pressed with
yigor that knows no rest, until the broad is
sue is placed before Congress aud the people
the revival of the slave trade. or the dis
ISOLATION of the Union.