Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-01-15
From the Ohio State journal.
SOUTHERN VIEW OF THE SLAVE
TRADE.

The Richmond Enquirer has an article on the
slave trade at the South, in which the editor very
req sonably remarks;
"We can readily see howSouthern men may op.
pose the opening of the African Slave Trade with
the SoutbernStutes upon the question of economy
but we cannot see how Southern men, believing
the institution Of slavery to be Ileaven-appoint.
ed and wise institution both for master and slave
denounce the introduction of more slaves into the
South, an Infamous crime"
There is no avoiding The conclusion arrived at
in the articles on the subject in this paper. If
slavery is right anywhere. it is right Everywhere
Ii slaves are held by the same tenure as other
property, they entitled to the same govern
ment protection, and the owners cannot Se depriy
ed of their property. The principles row declar
ed, that slavery is right in itself und il protected
by the constitution in all the territories of the
United States, and our law of Congress declaring
slavery on the piracy. form the mOst glarinc
contradiction that ever existed in any government
civilized or savage. Is not the ocean, as much as
the land territory of the United Safes us far a.
the Jurisdiction of government over its own citi
zens is concerned Why is slavery so very un,
nmphbous principle, that it lives on U. S. ter.
r;tories on land, but dies under L. S. jurisdiction
on the water? This glarng Inconsistency cannot
exist. There are but two roads out of it, One is
the establishment Of slavery universally. The
other is the restoration Of the only true principle
that slavery is always wrong, that it is only toler
ated in the slave States, and is piracy everywhere
under the jurisdiction of the general government.
All common sense and sound reason declare the
latter, but in the South interest requires the for
mer. and this is the course the Enquirer takes
Starting the basis that trade American ne.
groes is right, its argument is logical ugsnst the
right of Congress to suppress it. Our limits pre-,
vent extracting more than enough to show the
general tenor of the argument
THE Constitution gives Congress the power to
define and punish piracy ard feonies on the high
seas, and ofenses against the law of nations
Now, buying negroes in Africa, or even stealing
them there. is neither piracy or felony committed
on the continent of Africa. bur cannot be on the
high seas Under this power Congress has de.
cared that murder or robbery, committed on the
high seas, or in any river. haven or bay, out of
the jurisdiction of any particular State-or any
offence, which, if committed within the body of
tuc "VuIub iHo Ih"s VI
States be punishable with deaih--should be ad
judged to De piracy and felony, and punishable
with death This is definition german to the
law of nations. and hence within the provisions of
the Constitution. But, not satisfied with this
definition. Congress has extended piracy to
include slave trading, and with the exercise of
the same power, could include the trade in opium
under the definition Of piracy. The power to de.
fine piracy is not to say what ofense shall be pira
cy, but what ofense are piracy by the iap of ma.
tions. The trainers Of the Constitution never
meant thar Congress should punish the trade in
uncirilzed negroes, while it protested the trade
in civilized negroes
"The African slave trade is not IAN offeuse
against the law Of nations for every nation has
at one time or another encouraged and protected
it,"
In an article ON the SLAYER Wanderer. copied
into this paper from the Savannah Republican, the
editor remarked with apparent superauity, that
no vne ever entered into the slave trade to sstab'