The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-05-03
NulIlGicatiom In the Souah-The slave
Trade Practically Resest0bltsAea.


capture fugitive slave the whole south rings
with the denunciations Of their bad faith. In
fidelity to the Constitution, fanaticism, hypoc-
| risy, larceny, false philanthrophy, and many
other wicked things are alleged against them.
| The accusing South, standing erect. burns with
the indignation Of outraged honor, and saddens
| at the spectacle OF decayng patriotism. The
constitution Is evoked, and her rigid conformity
to its provisions and requirements 10 put in con-
t-ast with the per6dy and backsliding Of the
North. Al! this must necessarily culmina.e in
threats OF disunion. When one Of the two par
ties to q compact returns Punic faith for sublime
fidelity, the other will sooner or later effect .
dissolution Of the alliance. The difficulties
which beset the reclamation of q negro illegally
self -emancipated BY feetness Of foot and the
diablerie Of abolitionism, Is vexatious enough to
his owner, and possibly legal obligations may
weigh but lightly on these citizens Of the free
States whom he summons to hunt down the fu
gitive, that he may be delivered again to penal
serviude but the error, If error it be, Is on the
side Of humanity principle, which in every
age and country mitigates the rigors Of the Law.
But when the laws are openly violated for the
purpose Of enslaving negroes; and when juries
acting under the obligations of on oath, nullify
these laws, and pronounce pirates guiltless, the
plea Of humanity cannot be rendered in mitiga
tion Of the crime. Condemned by divine and
statute Law, by public and private Law, by higher
and lower law, the slave trade has no foothold
but debasing and ravenous cupidity. Yet
jury in the city of Charleston has recently rem
dered verdict which virtually declares it le-
giinate.
The SLAYER Echo was captured with her hu-
man cargo and brought into the port Of Charles.
ton. The Africans we're handed over to the
;kovso hv fh0 Tod
Authorities, and we're transported to their ma
tive shores. The officers and crew of the cap
tured brig were held to trial. The evidence
against them was conclusive. A model Of their
vessel, showing her TO be q SLAYER perfectly
equipped, was exhibited to the jury. A chart
which was found among her papers was marked
with q line representing her Ocean course from
the Coast OF Africa The ownership Of her
was proved to be vested in her captain, q man
by tie name of TownShend, who was also
proved to be o native of Rhode Island. The
act under which he "and his accomplices were
indicted says that any person being OF the ships
company of any vessel, owned wholly or in
part by any citizen Of the United States, who
shall receive on any foreign shore, any negro
or mulatto, not held to service by the laws Of
either Of the States or Territories Of the United
States, on board such vessel with intent to make
him q slave, or who shall forciLly confne or
detain, or aid and assist in con6ning or detain
ing, any such negro on board such vessel, shall
be deemed pirate, and suffer DEATH"
The law and the evidence were thus complete,
and Judge Wayne, who concurred in the Dred
Scott decision, and in his address to the Grand
jury, dwelt with emphasis on the constitution.
ality OF the former. The verdict Of acquittal
showed how unnecessary such witnesses would
have been. In Savannah a similar trial is pend
ing before Judge Campbell. The Wanderer, a
vessel owned by Mr.. G. A. L. Lamar, was seized
and confscated as a SLAYER. When set up for
sale, her owner claimed her as his property,
and warned all persons against bidding for her.
One man had the temsrity to disregard the
warniRg and he was Knocked down by Lamar.
The negroes had been openly landed in Savan-
nah, SO an indictment was found against the
owner Of the vessel, and others, for violation
of the laws against the slave trade. The ver-
dict will be counterpart OF the Charleston
verdict. In the meantime no attempt has been
made by the Federal Government to rescue the
captives. They have been paraded before the
eyes of the United States Officers, and the Mar
shal has been actually put under arrest for de-
taining some of them in the vessel. It would
seem that notification can 60 no farther than
this unless, indeed, it pulled Judge Campbell
Oft his bench.
Contemporaneonsly with these occurrences,
forty-sx persons were put on trial IN Oberlin,
Western Reserve, Ohio, for a violation Of the
fugitive slave law. The Jury pronounced the
first on the list, and the only one on whose case
a verdict has been rendered, guilty, and they
are all in prison. Which is the North or South
more faithful to constitutional obiigationsS
Were fugitive slave to be recaptured, the
civil and military force Of the Federal Govern
ment would be put in motion to do it. When
a whole cargo of kidnapped negroes are to be
rescued, the task is left to the civil officers, who
are notorously incompetent to do it, even il
they are willing. We leave all these facts to
speak for themselves. No commentary of ours
could add to their force.-[St. Louis Democrat