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Richmond Enquirer, October 25, 1839, p.4., Abolitionists.
DOMESTIC
(From the N. Y. Star)
THE ABOLITIONISTS--These fanatics are again at work, Lewis Tappan has caused
Signor Ruiz and Signor Montez, the two Spanish passengers on board the Amistad, to
be arrested and thrown into prison at the suite of the African Pirates of that vessel.
The following is a copy of the writ:
"City and County of New York, ss.
"The People of the State of N. Y. to the sheriff of the City and County of N.
Y., Greeting: We command you, _____ _____, that you take Jose, or Joseph Ruez, otherwise
called Pipi, an alien subject of the Queen of Spain, if he should be found in your
county, and him safely keep, so that you have his body before the Justices of the
Superior Court of the City at the City Hall, in the said city, on the third Monday
in October, 1839, to answer unto FULAH, an African of the Mundi tribe, on a plea
of trespass and assault for falsely imprisoning, beating and ill treating and wounding
the said plaintiff, to his damages, Two Thousand Dollars, as is said; and have you
then and there this writ. Witness, Samuel Jones, Esq., Chief Justice of the said
Court, at the City Hall in the said City, the first Monday of October, 1839.
A. A. CLINTON, Clerk.
Signed, THEO SEDGWICK, Att'y.
"Endorsement..--Let the within defendant be held to bail on $1000. (Signed,)
S. JONES."
A similar writ was issued out of the Common Pleas, against Montez, and Tappan came
to the office with the writ, and when the strangers asked permission to go to the
Spanish Consul, they were refused. If these things can be permitted in this country,
where slave property is recognized by the Constitution and where a large portion
of the Union are slave States, there is no foreseeing what the consequences may be.
Two Spanish merchants carrying their property from one port of Cuba to another, the
slaves rise, and murder the Captain and cook, beat, cut and wound the passengers,
and nearly take their lives--rob the cargo, and commit open acts of piracy and murder
on the high seas. By a providential event, the criminals are captured by a Government
vessel, brought into one of our ports, and are imprisoned. While yet in prison under
such charges, and before the decision of Government can be had on the application
to restore them to their lawful owners, those owners, strangers in our country, and
most miraculously preserved, are arrested by the Abolitionists, at the suit of the
very criminals, now in prison, charged with murder and piracy-- Whether this outrage
on civilization is done to keep these Spanish gentlemen in prison so that if the
blacks are given up, as they will be, they should not appear as evidence against
them remains to be seen. It is wonderful that the writ was not issued by the Abolitionists
in the name of Cinquez , the chief pirate and murderer: it might as well have
been done in his name as in the name of the other two Africans, who, we presume,
know nothing of the matter. A trial is now going on in one of our Courts, against
an Abolitionist, on an indictment for enticing away a negro from his master, and
inducing him to rob him of money to a large amount; and now black pirates and murderers
are made to arrest the very white men whom they had robbed and intended to murder,
and have thrown him into prison under a color of law. What is all this to lead to?
Do the Abolitionists intend to make the blacks our masters--to give them the possession
of the country and its Government? It would seem so in every movement they make.
This is a broad, undoubted case of false imprisonment , and will be treated
as such. We are surprised that a writ should have been issued out of any Court, at
the suggestion of these fanatics, who should be in our lunatic asylums. The affair
creates, as it ought, the greatest indignation throughout the city. Those unfortunate
gentlemen are robbed of their property and nearly murdered by these savages, and
on their arrival here the murderers and pirates are allowed to throw their victims
into prison. It is outrageous.
