Year: 1860

The Charleston Mercury publishes recent de-
cision made by Judge Magrath, Of the United
States District Court, in the case OF the United
States against William G. Corrie, Of the yacht
/" Wanderer, - in which the doctrine is laid down
that 1t is no violation of our laws to import Africans
into this country who were not free in their own
land The Judge decided, moreover, that IT was
the duty of the Government, in all prosecutions TO
show that the persons imported 1rere free at the
time they were brought away. As it is impossible
for the Government to prove this, even if such
should happen in any instance to be the case, the
decision shows the law to be dead letter upon
the statute book-and thus, there is no real inn
pediment in the way OF African importation.


The law of Congress which was passed for the
purpose Of breaking up the African slave trade,
declares the ofense to be piracy and punishable in
the same way. But, according to the construction
pnt upon it by Judge Magrath, II contemplates
only the seizure and deportation of Africans who
are free. If they are slaves at the time they are
brought away, the penalties of the act are not in
Cured. If they are free, the United States Inust
prove that fact before conviction can be had.
Thus, in either event, the probabilities are that
there can never be any punishment, under the pre-
sent act, for the importation Of Africans into this
country.


We suspected something of this sort, short
time ago, when we noticed that Wilson, of Massa-
ehusetts, introduced into the Senate bill or
resolution of enquiry, looking to additional iegisla
ton for the suppression of the African slave trade
Wilson had doubtless been examining the present
law, and had discovered its defects. He saw that
no conviction could be secured under its provis-
ions, and he, therefore, proposed to make it more
stringent.


But somehow or other notwithstanding the
laws of the United States of Great Britain and of
France--and notwithstanding all the fleets that
these powers station upon the African coast-the
slave trade is believed to be carried on still. And
we doubt IL all the checks and penalties which Mr..
Wilson proposes for its suppression, will have the
effect OF breaking it up.


We shall expect to hear some extravagant howl
ing and ululation from the New York Tribune and
kindred journals over this decision. These phi
lanthropists should understand, however, that the
South is not dependent upon the African slave
trade for its supply of labor If they will examine
the statistics Of population, they will find that the
slave population of the South increases, in nat


ura way, faster than any class of people on earth
"a fact which, of ITSELF disprovcs all the Abolition
falsehoods that are circulated about the cruelty
| with which they are treated. There are now four
| millions of slaves in the South, and the number


annually increases, from natural causes. And it
| is curious fact though a weIl-established one,
that notwithstanding the heavy drain which the


Cotton States constantly making upon Virginia,


Maryland and Kentucky, the number of slaves in
| these latter States is constantly increasing. Does


anybody believe that this would be the case if they
| were subjected to the cruelty and hardships which


Abolitonists are SO fond of holding up to the gaze
| of the world?


| The political power Of the North may possibly


arrest the extension of slavery, but it can never


prevent its growth and development much less


secure its abolition in the States where it already


exists. Sensible people, ,al over the country, are
| beginning to find out that it is the products OF


slave labor which constitute the true wealth of the


nation and that the destruction of the institution


would involve the bankruptcy of the country. Add


to this the rapid dissipation at the North of the


mistaken ideas about the cruelty and oppression Of
the system, and we have clear and hopeful view


of the future which promises, we think, an over


throw of the sectional party which now dominates
| the North.