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"Chevalier de Argaiz to Mr. Forsyth,29th November,
1839, and translation." U.S. Congress. House. Africans Taken in the Amistad.
26th Congress., 1st sess., 1840.H. Doc. 185.
The Chevalier de Argaiz to Mr. Forsyth.
WASHINGTON, 29 de Noviembrc de 1839.
Con el oficio de 22 del actual, del Sor. A. Vail, encargado del despacho del Departamento
de Estado, recibio el abajo firmado la copia del informe, que, por orden del Sor.
Presidente, se pidio al attorney de los Estados Unidos en New York.
Aunque no es el animo del enviado extraordinario de S. M. C. entrar ahora en una
polemica sobre este asunto con el expresado attorney, no puede menos de manifestar
ve de muy diferente manera que el esta cuestion de la prision del Sor. Don Jose Ruiz,
y de demostrar al mismo tiempo haste donde lo permitan sus razones, que el Gobierno
General de la Union esta obligado a conceder al dicho Ruiz mas favor, protection,
y socorro, que haste aqui le ha concedido, y que se ha reducido a mandar a dicho
attorney le ofreszca sus consejos, (y su ayuda, si necesario fuese ;) es decir que
le ha concedido un abogado gratis, como lo conceden todos los tribunales a
los acusados, que, por falta de medios, no pueden defenderse.
Tomando este asunto desde su origen, hay que considerar la situacion de Ruiz a su
llegada a los Estados Unidos. Embarcado en la goleta Amistad en el puerto de la Habana,
pare conducir unos negros de su propiedad a Guanaja, provisto de los documentos que
exigen la ley y las ordenanzas, dio la vela en la tarde del 28 de Junio ultimo; en
la del 29 de 30 del mismo se amotinan los negros, asesinan al capitan y a su cocinero,
que era un negro; dos marineros blancos, unicos de la tripulacion, huyen en el bote;
es maltratado y herido Montes, a quien como a Ruiz salve la vida la misma necesidad
que los negros tienen de salvar la suya, y los obligan a gobernar el buque, que en
vez de dirigir al este, como los amotinados querian, llegan a las costas de los Estados
Unidos, y un buque de la Union los conduce a New London.
[23]
Al llegar Montes y Ruiz a estos Estados reclaman la proteccion que les concede
el derecho internacional, y el enviado extraordinario y ministro plenipotenciario
de S. M. C., el Sor. Calderon de la Barca, asi lo pide al Gobierno de la Union, en
6 de Setiembre ultimo, apoyandose en el tratado de 1795.
Este tratado, en sn articulo 8°, dice: " Cuando los subditos y habitantes
de la una de las dos partes contratantes, con sus buques, bien sean publicos o de
guerra, bien particulares o mercantiles, se viesen obligados por una tempestad por
escaper de piratas o de enemigos, o por cualquiera otra necesidad urgente, a buscar
refugio y abrigo en alguno de los rios, bahias, radas, o puertos de una de las dos
partes, seran recibidos y tratados con humanidad, y gozaran de todo favor, proteccion,
y socorro, y les sera licito proveerse de refrescos viveres, y demas cosas necesarias
para su sustento, para componer sus buques, y continuar su viage, todo mediante un
precio equitativo; y no se les detendra o impedira de modo alguno el salir de dichos
puertos o radas, antes bien podran retirarse y partir como y cuando les pareciere,
sin ningun obstaculo o impedimento."
Han encontrado acaso Montes y Ruiz en estos Estados todo favor, proteccion, y
socorro ? Se les ha detenidos, o no ? Se les ha impedido de algun modo, o no, el
salir de estos puertos o radas? Han podido retirarse y partir como y cuando les haya
parecido, sin ningun obstaculo e impedimento ? La prision de New York puede responder
a estas cuestiones.
En vano se dire que la prision de Montes y Ruiz nada tiene que ver con los tratados;
pues es consecuencia de una demanda civil. Quien o quienes la han entablado? En la
realidad, toda la nacion federal lo sabe, pero legalmente la demanda ha sido presentado
por tres hombres, que declarando han sido vendidos en Africa, demuestran el estado
de esclavitud en que alli se hallaban; luego, si en su propio pais eran esclavos,
de donde les viene hallarse ahora en la plenitud de los derechos civiles? Ademas
pesa sobre ellos una acusacion criminal, y en todo pais civilizado estuvieron siempre
suspendidos los expresados derechos para semejantes acusados.
Pero hay mas, aun; suponiendo que estos negros esten en este pais en aptitud de entablar
demandas civiles, vuelvase a abrir el tratado de 1795, y vease su articulo 7°,
en el dice: " Y en los casos de aprehension,detencion, o arresto, bien sea por
deudas contraidas u ofensas cometidas por algun ciudadano o subdito de una de las
partes contratantes en la jurisdiccion de la otra, se procedera unicamente por orden
y autoridad de la justicia, y segun los tramites ordinarios seguidos en semejantes
casos." Si las faltas alegadas por los negros, contra las que presentan su demanda,
son ciertas, solo pudieron ser cometidas antes que ellos fuesen duenos del buque
Amistad; esto es en la isle de Cuba o en sus aguas; luego el juzgarlas es, segun
el sentido y la letra de esta estipulacion, de la competencia y jurisdiccion de aquella
isla, y de ningun modo de la jurisdiccion de los tribunales de estos Estados; y en
este punto es en el que el abajo firmado difiere totalmente de la opinion del attorney
de los Estados Unidos en New York.
[24]
Aqui se presenta ahora bien claro y sencillo el caso de la prision y persecuciones
que padece el Sor. Ruiz. Este debio, segun el articulo 8°, encontrar en los Estados
Unidos favor, proteccion, y socorro, y encontro una carcel en la que gime
desde el 17 de Octubre ultimo; no se le pudo detener ni impedir de modo alquno
el salir de estos puertos o radas, antes bien tenia derecho pare retirarse
y partir cuando le pareciese, sin ningun obstaculo ni impedimento. Y,
no es impedimento el intentarle una causa civil, en la que es sabido que los demandantes
son los que menos parte tienen ? No es obstaculo una carcel o una fianza que
se le exige?
Y el Gobierno General de la Union, conociendo que " como en cierto modo el arresto
de aquellas personas tiene el mismo conexion con otra ocurrencia que ha sido elevada
a la consideracion del Presidente, en consecuencia de una correspondencia entre la
legacion de Espana y el Departamento de Estado," cree haber llenado su deber
con "dar instrucciones al attorney de los Estados Unidos en el distrito de New
York, para que entre en comunicacion con Ruiz, y le ofrezca sus consejos (y su ayuda,
si necesario fuese) en cualquiera medida propia para procurarle su libertad ?"
Lo que, como queda dicho, equivale a darle un abogado gratis.
Tan lejoses esta resolucion de satisfacer al representante de S. M. C., que no puede
menos de declarar que en su corto saber y emender el Gobierno General de la Union,
para cumplir con las clausalas estipuladas en el tratado, se halla obligado a defender
de oficio al expresado Ruiz, dando por el la fianza que se le exige, proporcionandole
de este modo su libertad, y colocandolo en la posicion que le asegura el tratado
de 1795; asi lo reclama el abajo firmado, enviado extraordinario y ministro plenipotenciario
de S. M. C., fundandose en la letra y sentido de las estipulaciones de aquel.
El infrascrito renueva al Sor. Forsyth, Secretario de Estado del Gobierno General
de la Union, las seguridades de so alta consideracion.
EL CABALLERO ARGAIZ
Al Hon. Sor. JUAN FORSYTH,
Secretario de Estado de los Elstados Unidos.
_______
The Chevalier de Argaiz to Mr. Forsyth.
[TRANSLATION ]
WASHINGTON, November 29, 1839.
The undersigned received on the 22d instant, with the note from Mr. Vail, the
acting Secretary of State, the copy of the opinion which had been asked from the
attorney of the United States at New York, by order of the President.
Although the envoy extraordinary of Her Catholic Majesty does not intend to enter,
at present, into a discussion (polemica ) with regard to this affair, he cannot
still do less than declare that he views the question of the imprisonment of Don
Jose Ruiz in a very different light; and to demonstrate, at the same time, so far
as reasoning will go, that the Government of the United States is bound to extend
to the said Ruiz more favor, protection, and assistance, than it has as yet granted
him, which has been no more than directing the abovementioned attorney to offer him
his advice, (and assistance if there should be occasion;) that is to say, the Government
has given him an attorney gratis, as all courts allow to those accused persons
who, from want of means, cannot defend themselves. Taking this affair from its commencement,
the situation of Ruiz on his arrival in the United States is to be considered. Having
embarked in the schooner Amistad, at the port of Havana, for the purpose of carrying
some negroes belonging to him to Guanaja, and being provided with the documents required
by the law and the ordinances, he set sail on the 28th of June last; on the night
of the 29-30th of the same month, the negroes rebel; they assassinate the captain,
and his cook, a negro man; two white sailors alone, of the crew, escape in the boat;
Montes is wounded and ill-treated, though his life, as well as that of Ruiz, is spared,
from the mere necessity on the part of the negroes to save themselves; and they are
obliged to manage the vessel, which, instead of steering to the eastward, as the
mutineers wished, they brought to the coasts of the United States; and a vessel belonging
to the Union carries them into New London.
[25]
On their arrival in the United States, Montes and Ruiz claimed the protection
allowed them by the international law; and the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary
of Her Catholic Majesty, Senor Calderon de la Barca, made a request to that effect
to the Government of the Union, on the 6th of September Iast, based upon the provisions
of the treaty of 1795.
This treaty, in its 8th article, says: " In case the subjects and inhabitants
of either party, with their shipping, whether public and of war, or private and of
merchants, be forced, through stress of weather, pursuit of pirates or enemies, or
any other urgent necessity for seeking of shelter and harbor, to retreat and enter
into any of the rivers, bays, roads, or ports, belonging to the other party, they
shall be received and treated with all humanity, and enjoy all favor, protection,
and help; and they shall be permitted to refresh, and provide themselves, at reasonable
rates, with victuals and all things needful for the subsistence of their persons,
or reparation of their ships, and prosecution of their voyage; and they shall no
ways be hindered from returning out of the said ports or roads, but may remove and
depart when and whither they please, without any let or hindrance." Now, have
Montes and Ruiz received in the United States "all favor, protection, and
help?" Have they not been detained and hindered from returning out of the ports
or roads of the United States ? Have they been allowed to remove and depart when
and how they pleased, without any let or hindrance? The prison of New York can
answer all these questions.
It is in vain to say that the imprisonment of Montes and Ruiz has no connexion with
treaties, as it is in consequence of a civil prosecution. Who has set on foot this
prosecution? The whole nation knows the prosecution has been set on foot legally
by three men, who, by their declaration that they have been sold in Africa, prove
the state of slavery in which they were in that country. Now, if they were slaves
in their own country, how do they come to be here in the enjoyment of civil rights?
Moreover, a criminal accusation is now hanging over them; and in every civilized
country the said rights would be always suspended with respect to persons Iying under
such accusations.
But even supposing these negroes to be in the United States competent to begin civil
prosecutions; let the treaty of 1795 be opened, and in its 7th article it will be
seen that, "in all cases of seizure, detention, or arrest for debts contracted,
or offences committed, by any citizen or subject of the one party, within the jurisdiction
of the other, the same shall be made and prosecuted by order and authority of law
only, and according to the reguIar course of proceeding usual in such cases."
If the delinquencies against which the negroes complain, and on account of which
they are now prosecuting, have been really committed, they were committed before
the negroes became masters of the schooner Amistad—that is to say, in the island
of Cuba, or in its waters; and, therefore, according to the letter and the spirit
of this stipulation, they should come under the jurisdiction of that island, and
by no means under that of the courts of these States; and on this point it is that
the undersigned differs entirely in opinion from the attorney of the United States
for the district of New York.
[26]
The case of the imprisonment and persecutions to which Senor Ruiz has been subjected
has now been presented in a clear light. Senor Ruiz should, agreeably to the 8th
article of the treaty, have found "favor, protection, and help" in the
United States; and he found a prison, in which he has been suffering since the 17th
of October last. He was not to be detained or hindered in any way from returning
out of these ports or roads, but, on the contrary, had the right to remove and depart
whenever he pleased, without any let or hindrance. Now, is it no hindrance to set
on foot a civil prosecution against him, when it is well known that the plaintiffs
have no part in it? Is not an imprisonment, or the bail that is required, a hindrance?
And does the General Government of the Union, while knowing that "the imprisonment
of those persons connects itself with another occurrence which has been brought under
the President's consideration, in consequence of a correspondence between the Spanish
legation and the Department of State," conceive that it has done its duty by
giving instructions to the attorney of the United States for the district of New
York to put himself in communication with Ruiz, and to offer him his advice (and
his aid, if necessary) as to any measure which it may be proper for him to adopt
in order to procure his release, which, as I have before observed, amounts to nothing
more than giving him an attorney gratis?
The representative of Her Catholic Majesty is so far from being satisfied with this
resolution, that he cannot avoid declaring that, according to his imperfect knowledge
and understanding, the General Government is bound, in compliance with the stipulations
of the treaty, to defend the said Ruiz officially, by giving for him the bail required,
and setting him at liberty, so as to place him in the position assured to him by
the treaty of 1795. This the undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary
of Her Catholic Majesty now demands in virtue of the letter and sense of the stipulations
of that treaty.
The undersigned renews to Mr. Forsyth, Secretary of State of the General Government
of the Union, the assurances of his high consideration.
THE CHEVALIER DE ARGAIZ.
Hon. JOHN FORSYTH,
Secretary of State.
