The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1859-04-20
Judge Campbell on the African Slave

the loUnWluI o. 80 much OF Judge lamp I
bells charge delivered to the Grand jury
in Mobile last week, a- relates to the Airi-
can Slave Trade:
The act of Cons1c-- of MAY. lS2o, de /
nounccs as pirates those citizens of the
United State. OF ~ ships company of q /
vessel engaged IN the slave trade. who shall
land such a vessel and iorcibly seize. or
decoy. or bring. or carry away from any
foreign shore. or who l1rCiDiy dctain~ or
confines on such q vessel any negro or
mulatto who j. not slave under the laws
Of any of the states or who attempts 10
sell at sea a. slave such person; or
Lands him from the sea. or transfers HIM TO
another vessel Co bc landed and disposed
of rs slave. The object OF TIN, aet was
to provide coudi-u punishment Tor the
immediate agents and instruments OF tins
infamous trade. The ,hlp'- company OF
such "a vessel commit thn acts oi violence.
They are those who Withdraw by force
the vr.tchad victims from their country.
bind them with m1uaclr~ provided with
reconciliation. crowd them on the hold or
lower decks 81 the vessel. iu pe-ti'cut Jt-
mD~uhrrp. sometime with au insufficient 4
Supplv ct food and water, 90 encounter tie /
horrors at that voyage. amy adequate de-
s,ription az which Is hardly within the /
compa-, oi language. The ant is au act /
Of rubh.r,. and scarcely any voyage Is /
made in which the crime ui murder j. not /
committed. The subjects Of violence are .
men whom the United States, hv treaty as /
well as bv law. have secured against such /.
violence. They are robbed oj all that /
men ordinarily value, and may suffer death F.
from the suffering they endure. The act /
i cousummIrgu 40 sea, or bg landing from
a vessel on the sea. Ii is done without
commission or license from any sovereign.
but in opposition to the laws ct the state
to which the actos, belong. These char
acteristic- ct the crime have led the ma
| tional legislature Co dcuouncc it a. piracy
and do NOT question their authority TO
/ do 50.
But the laws of the United States DO
| not stop at providing punishment against
| the immediate agent, and instruments of
/ this crime.
The authors and contrivcrs of the pi-
/ ratical adventure. who remain ashore to
! collect the fruits, are comprehended with
| in their penal cnJCJmeut~. No citizen of
! the United S,ate-. a- owner. master. factor.
! can build. equip. tit. load ur otherwise
prepare any slip or vessel. cor engage one
| To sail from ia. United States for th,ru
| pose of ENGAGING iu this trade: nor can
any citizen of the United >lat,- take
on board receive. or tran-pa from any OF
! the coasts oi Africa. or other foreign place
| OF country amy negro. muiatto. or person
OF color. not an iHLahittnt nor held To Ia
| Dor under the laws of any of the States.
for the purpose of holding selling OF dis
! posing of such person a. % slave. The
/ ships -p employed are forfeited and the
| persons concerned in any of these act,
are exposed To- fine and imprisonment
| These pru8lJir~ 10 not transcend jon degree
the cnormity Of the offence. Ii 4. difficult
To have more favorable opinion OF the
persons who deliberately plan d voyage ol
this character. who supply the deadly IN
| strumcntalitic- to carry % on: who enlist
! the brutal and hardened agents To perform
the iuhumau work. and vino finally grasp
! the blo0dstained luare which accrue- from
| IT, than OF those Wletched End deha-cd
pirates who execute the fatal enterprise.
The mind that coucsivcs and directs. the
will that determines and pr1SecUte- the
voyage. and the ayJTiye that IS ted with
the baleiul fruit. OF it- iuiguifou- c1nsum-
nation. are surely 10 be charged with "a
large measure OF the guilt oi the enter
prise.
There h. another class oil offenders
against these laws that more immediately
Z
I a. q grand jury. This class D. composed
Of those vino hold iu their custody and
ownership. and who sell and dispose OF
those who are imported into the United
States contrary 10 these laws. shalt ex-
anime the laws particularly on this sub
icCt. tor hear. with no little mortihca-
ton, that two bodie- ot these person, have
bcan brought 20 this city. having passed
I through the length 81 tins judicial district
81 without mole-tatiou or hIulrauC-. | could
scarcely have believed il possible.
The fir -act.0u OF the act of April Isis.
pursuing al. earlier enactment ct March
lNU7 rauiar-i 10 acknowledgements or bring
d in any manner whatsoever iutothe United
Statr~, from abroad amy negro mulatto. OF
, | person OF color with intent To- hold. sell
; or dispose of such person a. slave. The
: same act declare that neither the impor-
, | tiers nor amy person or persons claiming
from them. shall hold amy right title. or
interest in or To-. amy mulatto, negro. or
person OF color brought into tle United
= States contrary to thc act. Thus Won will
= | perceive that ryery person who iorau hour
, holds in his custody, g. slaves. Africans
thus illegally imported +. guilty ct a false
. imprisonment. They are not subjects Of
D property, and every cNorci-o OF e right of
G property over them is q violation OF law.
II | Will show YOU that il is not only IS viola
, ton of the laws of the United States. but
;, also Of the laws ct the State of Alabama
I The law of the United Statc- H. That II
r any person or persons whatsoever. shall
\ bring within the jurisdiction Of the Uni
ted states, irOmauy foreign kingdom place
or country. or from sea, any such negro
J mulattp or person of color, or shall hold
e sell. or otherwise dispose OF such person
80 brought in rs q slave or be aiding Oh
abctting therein. shall. for every such OF
fence, forfeit and pay not exceeding ter
thousand dollars. and shall suffer impris
onmeut not exceeding seven, uurless tAar
, three years.
n Congress being aware OF the difficulty O
!. making proof OF the violation of tins act
have placed much Of the burden Of proc
upon the defendant 10 eNouerate himself
T. Upon the proof thtta negro, mulatto. o.
Is person OF color. j. an African. or not a ma
N tive of the United States, which proc
- would result IN most cases from the ap
pearancc and language of the person IL i
e essential To the relief ct the defendant q
1t prove that the importation was made NOR
pr than five years before the Institution O
Il the prosecution.
You viii observe the comprcheusiv
" language of the section OF the act of Isl,
n | have referred 10 above.
N II any person shall hold. sell. or dispos
10 Of any person of color 30 brought in "a.
slave. to he held to service or labor. or b
u aiding or abettiug therein. lac shall Iucu
IS the penalty. So that ii a party Of Afr
lis cans newly imported, should bs found "a
ie an hour in any part cd this iii tTiCt in ia
custody and under the power Of master
or agent. or overseer, or factor. or broker
IN either to be held OF 10 Dee sold. or dispose
le Of rs slaves, the penalty would be- incm
y. red.
- And it j, under this section of the ac
that direct you 60 make strict inquiry
w. aud true pre-cnment- of an the man
ny festation- Of ownership o. control Ly pei
ut sons assuming to have the custody an
control Of these Africans To -timullt
into activity citizens who might be oihel
D. wise Indifferent. Congress. by the act q
o. 1919. afforded q remedy of q civil uatur
pc 10 secure the person, of the Africans via
M might bo illegally imported. The Di~tri,
Attorney, upon the receipt Of Iuiormatio
from any person that Africans illegally ia
ported are in the custody Of any ono.
required 10 file an information 20 test ia
accuracy Of the information and the vail,
IN its of the title. And upon the return
Ia a verdict in favor of the United State
the power to control them Is coniided (
+, the Executive Department of the govern
'ie ment.
H. ANY person who shall successfully mali
Is tain the information will he entitled To-
~ bounty Of fifty dollars from the trcaSur
a Of the I. States for every negro or perso
of color who may bee delivered 90 the Ma
~ shall. besides the pcualtio. that may bee D.
an covered Of the criminal. There is "a
ais doubt that the District Court may tax
,b proper measures to secure the iorthcon
ing Of the uvgros- 90 abide the ,euteu,
ais Of the court in the case. upon proper al
NJ plication Of the District Attorney for ia.
no purpo-e.
m. This completes what have % say
-, the slave trade acts But think IL PRO
= or To bring To- your recollection the 81
Pr cumStance- under which these nets wei
ng formed, and the motives that exist z
i've their exact and rigid enforcement. III
first Congress Of the United Colonies.
lT14. testified their sense OF the enormit
OF this traffic and their determination th
il should be- forever abandoned. The 90
+" eminent Of the rcyolution-thc Congre
Of l776-Some three months before a
an 10Th April the Declaration of Indcpeu
.r l eucs in dafaruniuinfr the. fngueurt.- IA