Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-01-21
southera View of the slave Trade.

on the slave trade at the South, in which
the editor very reasonably remarks:
! 1--WE can readily see how Southern men
may oppose the opening of the African
Stave Trade with the Southern States upon
question of economy, but ives cannot see
how Southern men, believing the institution
of slavery 10 be Heaven-apPointed and
wise institution, both for master and slave,
denounce the introduction of more slaves
into the South, as an Infamous erime'"
There is n5 avoiding the conclusion ar
rived at in the articles on the subject in this
paper. II slasery is right anywhere, it is
right everywhere. II slaves are held by
the same tenure as other property, they are
entitled to the same government protection,
and the owners cansot be deprived of their
property. The principle, now declared,
that slavery is right in itself, and is protected
| by the constitution in all the territories of
the United States, and our law of Congress
declaring slavery ON the ocean piracy, form
the most glaring contradictions that ever ex-
isted in any government, civilized or savage
Is not the ocean, as much the land, ter
ritory of the United States, as far as the iu-
risdiction of government over its own citi>
zens is concerned Why is slavery SO very
un- amphibious principle, that it lives on
U. S. territory on land. but dies under U. S.
jurisdiction on the water This glaring in
consistency cannot exist. There are but
two roads out of it. One is the establish
ment of slavery universally. The other is the
restoration of the only true principle that
slavery is always wrong; that it is only toll
Grated in the slave States, and is piracy ev-
erywhere under the jurisdiction of the gen.
eral government. All common sense and
sound reason declare the latter, but in the
South, interest requires the former and this
is the course the Enquirer takes Starting
on the basis-that trade in American negroes
is right. its .argument is logical against the
right of Congress to suppress it. Our limits
prevent extracting more than enough to
show the general tenor of the argument.
'The Constitution gives Congress the
powerIo define and punish piracies and
felonies on the high seas, and offenses
against the law of nations Now, buying
negroes in Africa, or even stealing them
there, is neither piracy or felony committed
en- the continent of Africa, nor cannot be
on 'the high SEAS Under this power Con-
gress has declared that murder or robbery.
committed on the high seas, or in any river,
haven or bay, out of the jurisdiction or in
any particular State-or any offense, which
If committed within the body of the country,
would, by the laws of the United States, be
punishable with death-should be adjndged
to re piracy and felony, and punishable with
DEATH This is definition german to the !
law of nations, and hence within the provis- |
ions of the Constitution. But, not satisfied |
with this definition, Congress has extended |
piracy to include slave trading, and with the
exercise OF the same power, could include
the trade in opium under the definition of
piracy. The power to define piracy is not
to say what ofenses shall be piracy, but
what offenses are piracy BY the Law of aa-
tons. The trainers Of the Constitution new
er meant that Congress should punish the
trade in uncfUitized negroes, wlFi1e II pro-
tected the trade in civilized negroes.
1.-The African slave trade is not san of
fense against the law of nations,' for every
nation has at one time or another encour-
aged and protected it,"
In an article on the SLAYER Wanderer, COP
led into this paper from the Savannah Re
publican, the editer remarked, with apparent
superf1uty, that no one ever entered into
the slave trade TO establish principle. The
Enquirer tnkes the opposite view OF the af-
fair. 1t declares that many honorable men
believe the laws prohibiting the slave trade
unconstitutional; they expect no relief from
Congress, and look to the Supreme Court;
"but constitutional points can only arise be-
fore the Snpreme Court, through the instru-
mentality of a sscdSe,'' and ''case'' involving
the constitutionality OF these laws can only
arise out of their violation. This violation
has been made, not from The hope of pecu-
mary g4iE, but a means of deciding
question which they believe involves sub
mission to an unconstitutional (and hence
not bnding) law, or dissolution oe the Union
to avoid the consequences resulting from SUBJ
mission to an unconstitutional precedent"
Hence it seems there is principle in
volyed in the matter, on which depends the
permanency of the Union. IF. after all the
labor that has been expended in saving the
Union, il is now brought to the brink of a
precpice by the arrival of this, perhaps bo-
gus, SLAYER, Wumierer. the "let her slide''
Sc sentiment, attributed to Mr.. Banks, may be-
come relief. What is the stability Oft
Union worth that can be knocked out of its
propriety by single cargo of Africans =
The Enquirer concludes long article as
follows
But there are many other issues involved
in the revision of the laws now prohibiting
the slave trade, which we desire to be made,
aud which we believe will be accomplished
by the discussion in the ''Echo" and "Wan
derer'' questions.
We hope this discussion will lberate our
country from the 'entangling alliance" of
the slave treaties. We hope this discussion
will wipe from the statute books those laws
which now cast dishon orable reflections up
on the institution OF slavery, by the punish
meEt they infiict upon those who may ems
gage in it. We hope this discussion may
prohibit American national vessels from
pursuing and capturing the vessels of any
nation other than the United States, who
may be engaged in the foreign slave trade.
Ii any other nation desires to engage in it,
we have no objection; and we want TO see
the United s. ates occupying this position
saying to the world "SlGuery rs right, and
the sooner you introduce it the better for
your national heaith.'' We prohibit our
own citizens from bringing any more slaves
from Africa, not that we believe it to be
wrong, but because we believe. from eco
no,nical principles, that we have enough
here already
The "Barkis' of the Supreme court "is
willing," undoubtedly. That institution,
high exalted above popular prejudice. can
discover slavery supreme everywhere; an
excellent tonic for health; the black drop;
the 'rhubarb, senna and purgative drug" to
purge away the evils of the nation.
! But it is the fate of the attempt to estab-
lish slavery on principle, to gain nothing
but tread mill progress The more it is
| rir ifs