The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-12-30
so REMEDY FOR THE SLAVE TRADE.

The Washington J.sipH expresses strong dis
appreciation ofthc conduct oithe South Carolina
Grand Jury, which refused to find bills Of in
dictment against tie officers and crew of the
SLAYER Echo. and reprobates the act Of the
Kandcrer in landing a CARO- Of slaves on, the
coast o. Georgia. But II pronounces The ease
bryond the reach Of thu Federal arm. Our
Feler;.l Government j. pronounced fliiura {:
and unless the States themselves or public
opinion take hold Of the matter there J., no
remedy. Tie Cat5i as explicit on these points.
1t saws
II" Il Is highly probable ;bat a cargo of slaves
have been landed IN one Of the State OF the
UBion. We are IN possession Of no, specific
Information on the subject there are. never
thsless, maay reasons 20 believe that the ques-
ritn has assumed practical shape. and per
haps It should be 50 treated by the public. In
the case Of the Echo. aud the proceedings Of
the tribunals thereon. candOr cOmpcls Us 10
admit that our institutions have failed. The
LAWS have not been executed as they Onght to
have been. and, as We believe. nine-tenths and
nip.e of the American people desire they should
be. We sax, therefore, that our institutions in the
case referred to have failed. They have failed
10 the extent Of screening. instead Of Furnishing.
offenders. This is clearly a misfortune-a
great radical, fundamental, misfortune, Every
one AT all cOnversant with the structure of our
system knows that the punishment of crime Is
mainly intrusted to Iuries. to be drawn from
the people. Ii the community of the place re-
fuse to enforce penal laws. we see no adequate
relpedy therefor, nor can We cali II anything
else than failure Of our institutions. The
acknowledged to be- without remedy, in this
that it prevails in opposition Ia tile ma ority Of
athe American people. Assuming that the
Wanderer. As reported. has landed cargo of
slaves in one Of the ports of Georgia, and that
the captiyes are being distributed and sold
throughout that State, We have IA right to infer
thAt,t is In accU.lance with public opinion. If
the oeople Of Georgia are opposed to the slave
trade. and To- the recognition of slave property,
on such a tenure, we take il tosbe the clearcst
thing in the world that they will punish the Of
tenders. and if their statutes are defective,
enact Others. by which oil parties. acting with
knowledge Of the facts. shall be held 10 proper
account Il Is hardly fair 10 suppose that the
Laws Of Georgia have been framed to meet the
contingency to which we a!lude. The Federal
! tribunals have undoubted jurisdiction Of the
/ original offenders; but they stand a poor
chance of honestly executing the laws in "a
| com .nunity who not only wink ct the crime
committed, but voluntarily and knowingly ala
| the Criminals in rendering their unlawful
! schemes profitable and safe" < If
! the l3eople Of Georgia are determined to import
Slayfs and TO make slaves, the Federal authnri-
/ ties Hill be confined. in their efforts to suppress
the traffic, wholly 10 the high seas, where their
jurisdiction is complete
If.people in the free States openly or secret
" assist fugitive slave to escape from his
master, or attempt to wrest him ont Of the hands
of the Marshal, all the powers Of the Federal
| Government are brought into requisition in
order to put down the daring outrage Of Higher
lawisW. lp the case Of Anthony Burns, the
United States troops were sent to Boston, aud
the cost Of returning that one chattel to his
master was some forty thousand dollars. The
Fede5al Government is never pronounced
powefless ih such cases; but if cargo of AT
riean; are brought to the country to be en-
shaved in violation of opr laws which pronounce
the AIT pirpcy it is only a thing to be depre
Gated: but for which there is no remedy.
We are Plumply told by the official organ
that = II ne peopIecf Geoyyia are Determines
10 is,.yoJ4 sicrres and to make Slares. tie FEEDER
al authorities ariU be confined, in their efforts t
supp ss HIe traffic, ,rhoiy 70 the high seas
,chere..Meir Jurisdiction is complete"
We should like to know what has become o
the kabeds corpus; that it cannot be used for tn
release of these new-made slaves from thei
piratral claimants? 1t may be said witt
truth, that there is no remedy for the finding
of periured grand jurors butthe Remuneration
of theshqbens corpus is most uncalIed-for &C
of selfdenial on the part of the Administration
1t is the duty Of the Federal Executive, by it
agents to bring every imported African befor
the District Judges and Commissioners, unde
the haLeos corpus process. They cannot evad
this xithout high dereliction of duty; an
the Aalerican people will hold the Administra
ton as more culPable than the grand jurors i
the q ho case, if they neglect to see the right
of thtse ignorant and helpless savages Wind
Gated.