The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-06-16

to Speclai Dali ffOCtUeU UItOuySJ naS
nothing in this act shall be construed to
prohibit the admission of Indians"
1t will be seen that Congress by this
act undertook to cooperate with those
states which, by state legislation, had
to prevent the importation of
negroes into the country. At that time
the constitutional prohibition to which
1 have referred, restrained Congress
from the exercise of the absolute power
of prohibiting such Importation. The
States, however, being under no such re-
s%traint, had in several instances adopted
measures of their own; and the act of
1903 shows the promptness of the Gen
eral Government in exercising whatev-
err W in furtherance of the Object
The language of this act is important in
another view. 1t will be observed that
its object is to prevent the importation
into the United States of "any negro,
mulatto, or other person of color, not be
ing a native, a citizen, or registered sea-
man of the United States, or seamen ma
tives of other countries beyond the Cape
of Good Hope. It is not confined to
slaves or negroes bound to labor, but
contemplates the exclusion, in the broad
est terms, of all such persons, without
regard to the character in which they
NAV be brought. 1t excludes free per-
sons as we'll as slaves and persons bound
to labor or service. The only limitation
in the act is, that it is confined to suclr
persons as are prevented by the laws oil
any of the States from being imported
into such States
At that time there existed laws of
some of the States, not only prohibiting
the introduction of negro slaves, but al
so free negroes. Indeed. the policy of
the slaveholding States has always been
opposed to the increase of its free negro
population; and it is proper here to re
mark, that at the present time that pol
icy is more earnestly sustained in those
States than in any previous period of
their history. After this reference to the
laws on the subject, it is hardly necessa-
ry to repeat that if the application of
Messrs Laitte s. Co., contemplates the
introduction of negroes into the Uuited
STATES from Africa, either in the charac-
ter of slaves or as apprentices bound to
service or labor, it is clearly in violation
of both the letter and spirit of the law,
and cannot be granted.
The form of the applicable on made by
Messrs. Laftte & Co., would seem to
contemplate tho introduction into the
United States of negroes from Africa,
entitled, on their arrival, to all the rights
and privileges of freemen. The propo-
sition, upon its face, is so absurd that it
is hardly worthy of serious refutation.-
e.E. G. ~ oel> ,,e - ha1Irro
that their vessel, fitted out in the port
of Charleston, SC, is going upon a
voyage to Africa, to bring to some port
in the United States a cargo of free ne
groes. The port to which the vessel e
poets to return is not indicted. 1t can:
not be the one. from which it sails, nor
any other port in the State of South
Carolina, as the introduction of free ne.
gri cs into that State is prohibited by
stringent laws and heavy penalties. 1t
cannot be the port of any other slave.
holding State, as similar laws in each Of
those States alike forbid it. The reason
for such laws are so manifest that dc
not feel called upon either to produce
the-evidcnce of their existence, or to jus
tify the policy which led to their adoP-
ton. 1t is sufficient to know that the
pubic mind of that section of the Uuion
is not more cordially agreed upon any
one subject than upon the ~propriety and
necessity of prohibiting, as far as posi-
BILE, an increase of the free negro popu-
~lation; and hence the laws to which [ re-
fer, prohibiting their importation fro m
any place.
Can it be that Messrs Lafitte & Co.,
propose. to return, with their cargo OF
free negroes, to n port in some of the
non slaveholding States? l am not aware
of a single State where these new corners
would receive a tolerant, much less q
cordial welcome; whilst, by stringent
laws and constitutional provisions, some
of them have provided for their uncon-
stitutional exclusion.
Looking beyond the legislation which
has been had on the subject by the gen.
erai government, and both the slavehold-
iag and noc-slavcholding States, ] may
be permitted to refer, in this c. injection,
to the various, repeated aud earnest eff
forts which have been made in every Sec
ton of the Union, to provide for the re-
moval from our midst of this most un.
fortunate class, However ~varieut the
motives which have induced these eff
forts with different persons, in different
! sections of the country, they all exhibit
an earnest desire to diminish rather than
increase the FREQ negro population. This
| public opinion, thus manifested in every
form, is familiar to every one, and it
would be doing great injustice to the it,
telligenco of Messrs. Lafitte & Co, tc
suppose that they alone were ignorant
of it. Where, then, do they propose tc
land their cargo of free negroes? What
is the motive which induces the enter
prise? It cannot be the profits of the
voyage. There are no African emf
grants seeking a passage to this country:
and if there were, they have no means Of
remunerating Messrs. Laftte & Co., fol
bringing them. The motive cannot be
mere philanthropy, for it would confer
mo benefit upon these negroes to bring
them to our shores, where, if permitted
to land at all, it would only be to occu
by our pest houses, hospitals and pris
ons. To believe, under these circum
stances, that there is a bona tide purpose
on the part of Messrs. Lafitte & Co., t.
bring African emigrants to this country
to enjoy the rights and privileges Of free
men, would require a. amount Of credu
iity that would justly subject the perso.
so believing to the charge of mental i'm
( becility. The conviction is irresistible
that the object of the proposed enter
nrise il to brine these African emf