Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1859-05-13
Domestic Slavery in British
America.


The following letter from tie pen of
writer who signs himself IAN English
man." and whose letters The London
Times. few years ago, pronounced
equal TO those Of "Junius." 1t is ad-
dressed to the Cotton Supply Associa-
ton Of England, but will be read with
interest on this side of the water:
II come now to the marrow of my
complaint,and | invoke the unimpassion-
ed Judgment of the Manchester Cotton
Supply Association. am about to ap-
proach the most serious charge which can
be brought against a government pro-
Tossing itself to be free, and the patron
of freedom. Neither able to extenuate e
a single circumstance, nor anxious to
set down aught in malice will record
an instance Of hagrant ngdoing as
it floats to the surface Of ofrecolleclion and
$, substautiate my plea.
"By his Own direct acts or by the acts
Of the officers deputed to govern the Gold
Coast. the Colonial Minister has support
ed, and does still support internal slav-
cry. Seventeen years ago. DR.. Madden
characterized the administration of the
law, in regard to slavery within the lin
its of our African dominions, as detes-
table system, which, in the end, would
pile dishonor on the reverend fame; and
infict permanent iuj ury on the general
commerce of England. 1t may be well
that should forego oil vague gcnerali-
T ties aud that. being furnished with the
needful notes. | should recount at once
the substance Of disgraceful action
Qnase Amyan vs. Accoosooah Chubah -
which was heard c.iore the Hon. Robert
Clarke. at Cape Coast, on the 23 Of las,
September.
"Having been sworn. Qnasie Amyan
stated tha, he resided at Accassah. and
was married to the defendant eight years
ago. He had lived happi| Y with her for
seven years and four months, and she
had borne him four childr n. two OF
vino were alive. In January. he was
cited before Ahoomah, the chief of Air
matcoon. xhen he was hned thirteen and
a-halt ackies, ON the ground that his
nephew. whom he had left in charge o
hls children, had refused to hand them
over to the messenger of Ahoom III. Ou
hat occasion his nephew wa, beaten and
dragged before Ahnomah. HIS wife
and two chiIdren were IN the possession
of the defendant Tney had app led tc
him Tor iood, with walch ne had suppl
ed them
Inc defendant admitted that the
plmntih had paid thlfteen and a-hal'
acSies to her husband Dowa' tor her
daughter, as dowry money. Some time
since >he ma summoned her husband "a
the Magistrate outt, because, aIthou n
free woman' she had oten treated by
MN as ms slaNe' ont the statement
when n" been then made By her OF ner
being 'ree' was ol'provei aad decree
'a' granted That she should pay nlne
ounces to redeem herself, her danght'' !
and Two grand en- idren. Accordingly
the 'ehdaht borrowed nine ounces
from ahoomah. IN the understanding
that' wheh the defendant had Obtained
the tickets OF manumissiop from the
Court she should pawn herself, her
daughter ana Two gTandch'Idren' to him
returning to AJlrmacoon with the man
umittory tickets, the defendant did pawr
herself and family Ahoomah sent ioi
the plaintif, his wife and two children
nd explained to them that they were
his pawns, lnasmuch as he had lent the
defendant the means of redeemlng her
self and them on the express condition
that they should become his pawns.
"Ihe defendant on being re-examined
del osed that he had borrowed the dow.
ry-money, thirteen and a.half ackies
witch was to be payable IN SIX months,
and which, by reason OF the interest, had
now swollen to eighteen ackies.
"cs'ee lam'e, having been sworn, af'
hrmed that. by tie laws OF the country
the defen liant, icing a slave, could not
pawn herself or any OF her family.
"ln reply to question put by the
foreman OF the jury, the plaintiff alleg d
that he was aware that the daughter o
the defendant was Dowa's slave, wher
he married her; that he was not his un'
c.e's heir, bur was nephew OF Dowa.
"ln answer to the jury, the detenean
reiterated that she was Ahoomahs PAWN
Dowa, the husband OF the defendant
confessed that he had received thirteer
and a-half ackies from the plaintiff fol