Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1864-06-23
Tho Arguelles Case.

Tho Arguellss Case.
I. All the nations of Christendom,
land the JEFF. Davis conspiracy to
boot, are now united in condemna.
ton and Introduction of the overseas
or African Slave-Trade. By our laws.
and those of most civilized nations, il
10 denounced as Piracy, the most helm.
Gus, abhorent, execrable of felonies.
III. This country has honorably CON-
bined with all the great maritime ma
tons Of Europe in league which has
for it's avowed and sole end the extir-
patton of this infamous traffic, and
has, throughout the last thirty or for
ty years, spent many millions Of dol
lars and sacrificed many precious lives
to secure this end.
III. Spain, through her remaining
American possession, is the only cxis-
ting refuge Of this inhuman trade.
Her laws condemn it; her Govern
ment has bound itself by treaties to
suppress it yet slaves, to the aver
age number of some ten thousand per
annum, are still clandestinely shipped
from the western coast of Africa and
run into one or another of the smaller
ports d Cuba, where they are readily
struggled out Of sight among eager,
slaveholding planters, through the pur-
chased connivance Of corrupt officials.
II is currently understood that the Gov
ernor General (for the time being) of
the island receives doubloon per head
AS hush money for every slave so lam
ded, averaging $40, 900 gross for ev-
cry year Of his administration. And
this completely of Spanish officials, in.
Guiding their chief, has been subject
Of frequent and just complaint from
the Governments earnestly seeking
to extinguish the Slave-Trade.
Nv. The late Governor General, Jo-
sc Concha, VIGOROUSLY held at least
one hand constantly behind his back
for these brides his successor in
Office, Gen. Dulce, endeavoring to
maintain better reputation. And SO
great is the profit on buying slaves in
Africa at less than $50 per head, aud
selling them in Cuba at $3.50, that the
trade can never be broken up while it
shall continue to be conntenanced by
the Spanish officials ruling that island.
V. Late last year. large British
built steamship was taken to Cadiz,
there transferred to Spanish owners,
put under the Spanish flag, and cleared
for the Spanish isle of Fernando Pc,
on the African coast, ostcnsibly for
lawful commerce. Bnt at Fernando
Pc she was rapidly cleared Of her car
60 and crowded with slaves, some
twelve hundred in number, with which
she made all speed for Cuba, landing
them last November on the coast Of
the district whereof Col. jose Angus
tin Arguelles was Lieut.. Governor.
vi. Col. Don Jose Augustin Ar.
guelles appears to have had turn for
business which would have distinguish
ed the most unprincipled Yankee ever
heard Of. PROFESSIONALLY. the slave
traders supposed they had made the
thing ell right with him, or they
would have landed their cargo in some
other district-the range for selection
being by no means narrow. But he
FIRST cheated them by Selling their ne.
groes and denouncing their entry to
the Governor General. whereby he
earned and received a gratuity Of If
teen thousand hard dollars. Next, he
sold to planters one hundred and forty.
one of the negroes at 500 to $50
per head, whereby be cleared over
500. 900 more-not greenbacks, but
real. hard Spanish dollars. And next
he cleared himself, obtaining leave of
absence for twenty days in order to
visit this city, whittier he pretended
that he was coming with intent to buy
the Spanish journal, La Cronica.
VII. Arguelles had covered his
tracks pretty well, though not well
enough. He had bribed the priest of
Colon to sell him the official register
of his parish, which he brought away
or destroyed, and to substitute for it
forged one, recording the death and
burial Of the one hundred and forty
one Africans whom he had sold. But
he had not been long gone when the
fraud was somehow exploded there
was . general row and a diplomatic
tangle ; the up-shot Of all which was
the tracking him to this city and his
surrender and extradition, by order Of
President Lincoln and Secretary Sew
ard, by whose direction Marshal MUIR
ray arrested aud conveyed him to q
Spanish vessel in the harbor. which at
once put Oh for Cuba. And there Col.
Jose Augustin Arguelles is very GER
tain to be treated to new and stri-
king lesson in the art of selling (ofi-
cially) dead negroes at the rate OF
500 to $3.50 per head.
Of course, we are glad the rascal is
sure of his deserts, and especially glad
that other exotic scoundrels have re.
ceived warning that mere escape
to this country will not secure them
impunity in their crimes. We have a
good many more gentlemen Of this
class sojourning among us already
than we want, and would be happy to
see the number safely diminishsd.
And yet-and yet-wC should greatly
prefer to see these matters regulated
by law than by executive dictum. We
hold up both hands for . Law author.
izing the President to extrudc and sur.
render fugitive felons ct his discre'
ton but doing It without law Is quite
another matter. Does Gov. Seward
happen to remember the case of the
Bambers IN. Y Tribune.
E Notice. 91"