Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-04-24

A New DIspepsation-The Slave Trade.
According to the telegraphic report to the
Boston Herald Of the decision of Judge Me-
grath of the United States District Court of
the Georgia District in the case of Captain
Corrie, of the slave yacht Wanderer, the de-
cision IL sustained by the Supreme Court, OF
which there can be little doubt, removes every
obstacle on the part of this government to
the opening of the African slave trade. AS
reported, The Judge ruled that II is not the
slave trade, I. g., the transportation Of negroes
from Africa to this country, but the stealing
of negroes on foreign shores and landing them
as slaves in the United States which is de-
clared piracy by the Act of May 10, 1920"
This of course, removes all restriction for
it is well known that slavers do not make
raids upon Africa and lxidnap their cargoes,
but purchase them fairly from traders on the
coast; and that, except what is made con-
structively criminal by our statutes, the
purchase of slaves in Africa and their ship
ment to market is just as fair, regular and
moral as the commerce in slaves between the
Northern slave States and the planting States
Whatever may be the technical legality of
the decision, it commends itself to the good
sense of the community as consistent and
logical. We are not talking of humanity
nor abstract right but Of consistent and logi-
cal deductions from premises already fixed.
We know of no political party which under
takes to assume abstract right as the starting
point in their policy towardslavery. The near
est approach to it which the Republican party
has made, is that slavery is sacred where it is,
and monstrous wrong where it isn't while
Democracy holds that slavery is right and
scriptural, and the natural and divinely-fxed
condition of the negro, but it ventilates its mo-
rality by denouucing it as piratical and quite
shocking to the moral sense, in Africa, where
really they ought to know what the natural
condition Of the negro should be; and on the
high seas, unless the negros natural condition
has the stamp of the right market on it.
Slavery is recognized by local law in Af-
rica, and has all the sanctity that state rights
can throw around domestic institution.
So it has in the slave States Of this Union.
But in the paradoxical construction which has
hitherto been put on our laws on the slave
trade, our citizens were free to purchase slaves
in Virginia, and transport them by sea
to any market; but if they purchased
them in Africa they were declared guilty of
piracy, and liable to be hanged-Our laws and
morals increasing in virtue in proportion as
the sphere was beyond our legal jurisdiction.
Not only that, but our courts have under
taken TO stretch their arms, which were in
competent to remove the slave trade beam
from their own territories and domestic
waters, and reach the trade between foreign
nations, to pluck out the mote there. YES
sells taking cargoes, legally purchased in AT
RIGA, to Cuba or Brazil, never coming within
reach of our jurisdiction, have been con-
demned, and their crews held guilty of cap
ital crime for doing what within our own
jurisdiction is legal commerce. By the logical
sequences of decisions of the Supreme Court,
citizen of a slave State is entitled to
legal protection in the possession of his slave
property in any Territory of the United
States where he may take it but if he pur
chases it outside the jurisdiction of the United
States, although he may never bring it withir
their jurisdiction, the law declares him
pirate. The whole power of the general Gov.
ernment, with its army and navy, is held in
readiness to prevent and punish the purchase
and shipment of slaves from Africa to the
United States; and to re-capture them for tn,
owner, if they escape from him after they
have become domesticated here. Such iudicia
monstrosities could not always last, and it il
probably just as well that the subject should
be revised now as at any time.
The South and the Administration party
claim that slave property is natural right
which follows the owner wherever he may
go, the same as his right to other propert,
which he carries with him, and that it is en-
titled to the same legal protection; but t.
let loose Paixhan guns and other war-dogt
upon him when he happens to have hi
natural right out ofsight of land, is not pro.
lection.
Douglas, the champion QD of popular SOW.
ereignty, says that he could by no mannel
Of means consent to sacrifice his ''great prin
ciple" and accept nomination at Charleston
on any platform which conceded to pro
perty in slaves any greater protection
than the law gives to other property. Ger
tainly this delightful champion will no
say that to seize cargo of this property Of
the coast and send it back to Afric
to be furnished with moral pocket handker
chiefs at the cost of the Government, as MI
Buchanan did that of the Echo, and to strin
the owner up by the neck-however improv
ing that operation might be to figure sue
as Douglass Indicating the high destiny +
which he was born, would be furnishing tn
same protection to property in slaves as othe
property. G...
The Republicans are fond of professin
their high regard for slavery where it is es
tablished by local law; the local law also COY
ering its transit by sea, and they have onl
TO extend the same veneration to the loct
laws ofAfrica, to reconcile their conscience
to the change.
The Nashville Gazette says that it is