Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1859-01-07
Tne A.nistnd slave Claim.

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The President in his annual message was
very solcitous that certain Spaniards should
be paid for some men which they had stole
many years ago,-a claim always favored
Ry shareholders, as matter of course.
The facts of the ease are substantially
thesc. Some twenty years ago slave ship
landed a cargo of African negroes on the
Island of Cuba. They were there sold in
lets ito suit purchasers" A lot was bought
by two Spaniards named Ruiz and Mem
dez, who subsequently chartered small
vessel to take them to another part OF the
Island. When oursight Of land, the ne
groes arose and took possession of the yes
sci and demanded to be taken back to
their native homes in Africa. They COM
naitted no assault upon their purchasers,
further than to demand of them their re-
lease from bondage and their restoration to
home, kindred, and liberty. They knew
nothing of navigation, and the vessel finally
found its way into Long Island Sound and
was formally taken possession of by the
Revenue Cutter and brought into New Ha-
ven, where the cases were tried, and the
court decided that they were entitled to
their freedom, and they were subsequently
set at liberty, and the two Spaniards lost
their property" John Quincy Adams
volunteered to be the counsel for the ne
groes and went to New Haven and argued
their case. They were declared free by
the District Court of the United States,
from which an appeal was taken to the full
bench of the United States Supreme Court,
, where til. discussion was affirmed. The
language of the Court was that "it is plain,
beyond controversy, if we examine the ev-
idence, that the negroes neuer acre the tdac-
ful slaves Of any Spanish subject. They
were natives of Africa and acre kidaapp.
cd thence, and were unlawfully transport.
ed to Cuba, in violation of the laws
and treaties of Spain and the most solemn
edicts and declarations of that government
and the negroes were then set at liberty as
.freemea.
Afterwards the Spanish Government
claimed form our Government remunera-
ton for the loss which its citizens had sus-
tanned by the decision of the Connecticut
Court, and the liberation of the Africans.
Our Government recognised this claim and
the democratic administrations since that
day have never failed to urge this prepos-
ferrous and outrageous claim upon the at
tentien of Congress and recommend its pay
ment. Several committees of both Hous-
es Of Congress, made up as they generally
are, of majority Of pposlavery men, have
reported in favor of this claim upon yari'
GUS pretexts, but Congress has never ye
dared to vote an appropriation for it, ane
We trust never will. The Boston Atta
well says that, there are are thousands 0
claims before Congress, founded in equity
and Justice preferred by our own citizens
which have failed to receive the sanction
Congress, and which have never been no
ticed in Presidential messages, and yet thi
Amistad claim,-the meanest and mos
worthless Of all has year after year beer
thrust forward, and pressed upon the at
tention of Congress as though it wer
clothed in Righteousness as with garment
Mr.. Buchanan appears to be the most ur
gent and solicitous of all the Presidents TO
the payment of these negroes who wer
stolen from their native country in viola
ton of our own and the laws of the mos
civilized nations of the earth, and who Xix
brave men rose upon their oppressors AM
gained their liberty. What claim, we ask
do these facts make out that we shall pa.
two Spanish dealers in African slaves 70
the loss which they sustained in being IN
able to get their chattels safely into Gu
ban port.
esy We have received neat little vo
ume entitled ePOets aud Poetry of Vernon