Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-01-07
NUMBER 60.
FROM the Savannah Republican, December 3,.l
Sentiments on the Slave Trade IN ,bo Co.,,

~ .i>' Is that the laws of Congress proh
uns the trade and declaring those who M
=" .nsage IN IT guilty of piracy are unconst,t
-, u'lal 1t !, beyond the power OF Concre
e. - -! tlat the aborng population of anv Sta
., - s""'i no. DC added TO in such manner asGl
=" people OF such State shall consider most eYn
u. ee,i! anu proper The second ground of iust
er hcation Is, that allowing the laws 10 be consf
l. tutioha that instrument having been SET a, i,
ie nance bv the rcScucrs Of fugitive slaves mn
'f nulili'ers at the North, it is no longer Lindin
l. as compact upon the people OF the south
{ IL Is an eitectual answer to the first proposi
tion to say. that whatever individual membes
OF society may think or say of the laws IN
JUDICIAL authorities Of the county-thc onl,
power competent 10 pass upon thcm-promi
heiit among whom are two able Judges rcsidine
!; !" TWO southern States, Carolina and Georgia
nave delivered from the bench well considered
ueciS'oilS, declaring that those laws are cons,i.
."llohai. ana that Congress had perfect rich,
to pass them. This simple fact is 4 comnle,c
eXtlnguishcr TO the objection.
rs regards the second objection. we thinl.
those who make it have certainly not serionsIy
considered its import. Have they not time
and again. and ten thousand tines over de.
houhced the slave rescucrS and opponents or
law ut the North rs an infamous band of trai.
tors and tanatical kmves: Has not the who'll.
vEfa"1HTS upp. asd Of a hsahyheaas, aha na,tne
not all denounced their conduct in setting up
higher law than the constitution. As base and
revolutionary: Who again. arc the men AT
the North who engage III such diSgraceiul and
reasonable proceedings: Ii is true one State
has endorsed such conduct, in time Of high
political excitement, by legislative enactments,
sc, she is beginning to feel the diShonor OF bad
faith and to inaugurate measures Of repeal
The men ut the North who engage in this
disrcputable conduct are free negroes and mobs
of white vigabcnds equally, il not more despi-
cable, all combined under the lead Of few
-azy fanatics, who have no countenancc from
Il, sober and patriotic element Of society. Is
it hc example of such men that the South is
calle on to initiate: Is it on IL platform side
by Sta with such creatures that yon would
place Il. decent. respectable, and law-abiding
people o Georgia: No one. we apprchcnd.
will standIp boldly and counsel such policy;
and yet sue, is the effect of the argument and
You can max nothing else of it. The friends Of
the slave trad would put uS in that position.
and vet there i:not insn of them who would
not consider hinclf inSultci and call for pis-
Z tolls and coffee 10 Il dozen. did any one init
; mate that he Is to '. found i'll the very com
hny that he recommends 50 earnestly to
; Offers. We think tie advice bad and the COM
pan, worse, and sllaN not only reject both,
pnt nevall Oh all rc can ap follow our exam
pie' We have. from the very beginning, con
: S'defed ttesc Northrn higher law men rs
{; deSpicable elan Of fahticS and fools reckless
l alike OF Their own chahctcr and the best inte'
rests OF the country: andwc shall moi, At this
day, when We are doing Wat we can To ,hwart
} their wicked designs. comphmi>c ourselves by
? following III their iootSteps and setting the
laws of our country at dciiant. Even should
whole State at the North, b; a unanimous
!ote Of her citizens. prove rccre:Ht TO her con.
Stitutionai obligations, il would b, no reason
why Georgia should place herself ina like po
siti"n Nor would il Lc ground of complaint
against the federal government and license to
resist It's laws, while that government has done
It's constitutional duty by passing all necessary
laws for orr protection.
We think. then. these two arguments are cf
icctually disposed ol.
But the argument of the friends Of law and
order in the case now claiming public attention
docs not stop here There is 4 higher and
more sacred ground that they ocrupy-onc u
which there can be no demurrer. sophistical
or otherwise, and from which they can appea!
to the sense Of right and Loyalty OF every Gcor
glan. Granting. for the argument tha: the
North has violated her constitutional oblga-
tons. that her bad faith has relieved us from
our share OF the compact. and that the federal
government has forfeited the respect and allie.
glance Of Southern men--let all these things
be 40, there yet remains upon the citizens of
Georgm prohibition which no man will dare
say he has right 10 set aside. The good old
State from whose bosom we sprung or by
whom We haze been protected in our rights
and liberty. has never yet forfeited her claiua
to the respect and obedience Of her children. -
II is her constitution and her laws that We now
assert in opposition to the African slave trade
and where is the man that will ,laro come for.
ward and fling defiance at her commands :
" no will say that those who yield obedience
to her behests are black republicans in prnci.
pie and enemies to the South:
In the eleventh section, fourth article. of the
constitution of Georgia. is IN he found the fol.
lowing caiise:-
There shall be no future importation of
slaves into this State from Africa. or any for
cign place. after the first dav of October next"
n79S)
There it stands, in our very organic law the
solemn condemnation of our patriot fathers
upon this Illicit traffic. Let every Georgian
read ii and bow TO the majesty of the laws Of
his OWN State. whatever he may think Of Fede-
raj bchcsts and cnactmcnts.
But again the Legislature of Georgia, for
the purpose Of giving effect to this provision OF
the constitution: and in aid Of the Federal law.
on the 10Th of December, 1917. passed sta.
tutc from which We copy the following sec.
tons
See. |. II shall he lawful for his EXccllency
the Governor. and he is hereby authorized to
appoint some fit and proper person to proceed
to all such ports and places within this State aS
have or may have or may hereafter hold any
negroes, mulattoes or persons of color, as may
have been or hereafter may he seized or con
dcmned under the above rccited act of Con
gress, (act lS0S.J and who may be subject to
the control of this State, and the person so ap
pointed shall have full power and authority to
ask, demand, and recover and receive all such
negroes. mulattoeS. or persons Of color. and to
convey the same to Millcdgevil!c and place
them under the immediate control fthc Execu-
tive of this State
Sec. .. His Excellcncy. the Governor, is
hereby empowered to cause th. said negroes,
mulattoeS. or persons of color, Ia be sold, after
giving sixty days notice in public gazette, in
such manner as he may think best calculated
for the interests of this Siaie.-tCobb's Digest,
p. 9ss.J
In addition to this. the Legislature Of Georgia.
on the 10th December, 1915. passed the follow.
ing act
Whereas. numbers of African slaves have
been illegally introduced into the State in
direct violation Of the laws Of the United
States and Of this State.
Sec. |. BE it therefore y,aciej That ty
the encouragement Of those who have used Or
shall Use their efforts to suppress this u-ihc'
by informing against and sczing the yves 50
imported, they shall, on final conderhat'oh oi
the same, as forfeited to the STATE receive one
tenth Of the amount Of the nett'roceed' OF 'ne
- los oc the co,nn. Droyii-I, nOtIllnn HeTelf