Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-07-18
Our Philanthropy.

Our FnllnuthrOpJs
There are strange stories current about the
apparent fatality which seems to have carried
off over two hundred of the liberated Afri-
cans at Key West People say that the SOL
emn ceremony of taking a coffin out to sea,
and throwing it overheard, is symbolic fig
ure, denoting that an African has disap-
peared into the interior some where; and
has become an institution. The fatality re-
ported from there seemed remarkable. That
under the best of care, and apparently happy
the Africans should take TO dying off more
rapidly than on the middle passage, showed
a very reprobate disposition; but it is agreat
comfort to think that although dead to us,
and to the Government, these Africans still
live in useful capacity, among Christian
pc ople. How much better this is, than if
they had died, or returned to their native
land, ignorant Of the way of saivationl
The Montgomery (Ala.) Mail relates that a
few persons from that place and Charleston,
fitted out an expedition for Key West, 'for
the purpose of liberating some of the healthy
negroes there under charge of the United
States Marshall" but owing to some accident
to the steamer which was to join them, the
humane project failed. Very likely Satan,
who always goeth about seeking to devour,
raised squall and blew the steamer off the
coast, to prevent these heathens being brought
within Christian influence, and their souls
rescued from his clutches.
1t is to be hoped that some means may yet
be successful in snatching these Africans from
the wretched fate to which the Government
has doomed them. 1t is unaccountable that
the Republican sentiment is not aroused in
this matter. By their professions, it wonld
appear that nothing is so sacred with them
as slavery where it is; but our Government
seizes cargoes of slaves, fairly purchased
where slavery is an existing institution, and
robs the owners of their property, and yet no
protest is heard from the Republican party.
These negroes were held by as good a title
as any negro in the slave States is held. The
Republicans profess to have no intention to
abolish slavery where it exists; yet the
Government interWnes, with its navy, to
abolish slavery where it existed, and the
Republicans uphold it. What reason has
the South to suppose that they will not ex-
tend the same policy to it, if they get the
power?
The people of the South have just as good
a right to take. these negroes from the
Government, as the Government had to take
them from their owners; far better, for the
wrong-doer acquires no rights. If~ the
| Government had a right to take these slaves
from their rightful owners and set them free
then there are no rights of property in slaves
any where, and abolition is the supreme law
| of the land.
Three hundred and fifty of these captured
negroes have been shipped for Africa Cor
respondents say they went reluctant ant
weeping, and would not have gone but fo
compulsion. They go to Liberia, where the,
will be sold for a specified time for their sup
port. What will become of them then W
know not. The beginning does not promis
well. A year or two ago much noise wa
made about the shipment of cargo @
negroes from there to the West Indies, afte
the coohe system. Some thought that
hardly paid to send Africans back, at such
cost, to be re-exported.
This is the end Of our philanthropy. Fo
this we create the horrors of the middle pas
, sage, which would have no existence but fo
the attempt to suppress the trade, and
punish it as piracy. If negroes could
, transported as freely as cattle, they would
, as well taken care of and no shipper woul
, lose property by want of care, which was il
creasing in value every day of the voyag
For this we ruin all legitimate commerC
with the African Coast, by the vigilance, SUI
l picion and detention from our and the Britis
d cruisers, and make hopeless any prospect
:, stimulating any African industry at HON
q which might make men too valuable for expor
e We seize these wretches on the high sea
!, emaciated and diseased on account of OF
Y philanthrophy we rob owners who hol
5 them by just as good right as any slaves a.
D held in our own country; and then we al
: afraid to do them any good. We gratu
tously vindicate their right to freedom, b.
we dare not set them free. To return the
5 to their own country would be merely TO r
G turn them TO the trader for new ventur
and perhaps new recapture. We dare n
apprentice them here, although they wou
greatly prefer that so we put them out
our sight by sending them to Liberia, to the
great grief, and having them sold out for
term Of years there, TO become vagabonds,
relapse into barbarism at the end of the tern
and probably into slavery again. This "
call philanthropy, and are paying va
amount of money for it every year, and bl
ashort time ago Senator Wilson and Sewar
and others wanted to build ten steame
more, especially for the African service.