The Press.
London, England, 1857-10-31 00:00:00

rH E PRESS, OCTOBER 31, 1857.

Lord HARROWBY, into such unvarnished can-
dour, and such ludicrously apologetic admis-
sion of the blunders of his own Primo Mi-
nister !

A NEW SLAVE TRADE.
WE are unfeignedly sorry at the news which

has reached us from the coast of Africa. It

is impossible to acquit the French Govern-

inent of at least culpable negligence in the
commencement of this ill-starred business.
We are willing as yet to believe that there is
no complicity. But there are circumstances
connected with the history of these transac-
tions which render suspicion excusable, and
will as certainly demand that the interference
of the English Government should be prompt
and vigorous as that the explanations of the
Imperial Court should be frank and explicit.
If, owing to the weight of affairs which he
may consider more important, th e French
Emperor has placed himself in the hands of
untrustworthy agents, let the truth be candidly
acknowledged. England will then be satisfied,
and the short-lived encouragement unwittingly
afforded to a condemned and inhuman traffic
be summarily cut short.
A few years since, in 1852-3, a report reached
the ears of the French Government that
a well-known firm at Marseilles was exten-
sively engaged in the African slave traffic,
which the French had pledged themselves to
exterminate. In consequence of this rumour
the head of the firm was more surprised than
pleased by a sudden visit of the Procureur•
Imperial, who walked into his counting-house
one morning and with scant permission pro-
ceeded to overhaul his books. After, how-
ever, a close investigation of his accounts, not
a trace of such transactions could be found,
and though rumour was not silenced, the law
was compelled to be satisfied, and the mcr
chant remained unmolested. He was not,
however, as it seemed, equally satisfied himself.
His character, he professed, had been blasted
—his mercantile reputation injured—and he
would no longer continue in a position which
had subjected him to a surveillance which he
might not escape from so easily a second
time. Whether it arose from just indignation
at the past, or equally just apprehensions for
the future, we cannot, of course, determine,
and have no right to conjecture, bat M.
REGIS retired from business; bequeathing,
however, the use of his name to his successors,
who continued to carry on the firm under the
old title. A proof, we should think, that M.
REGIS'S imputed connection with the slave
trade had not in any way diminished the profits
of his business.

It is now, we suppose, about a year ago
since it occurred to the French Government
to try the experiment of African labour on
their unproductive %Vest India colonies The
plan they adopted for giving effect to their
intentions is that which has now borne such
evil fruit, and which gave birth to Lord
BROUGHAM'S celebrated speech in July last.
They entered into a contract with a mercan-
tile house engaged in the West Indian trade
for a supply of 10,000 Africans. These were
to be put to compulsory labour for ten years,
at the expiration of which time they would
have their choice either of returning to Africa
or renewing their period of service. Now, the
good or the evil of this scheme lay entirely in
the way the negroes were to be obtained at
first. If they came willingly, there was no
more harm in binding themselves to compul-
sory labour than in a soldier binding himself
to compulsory service. But, considering the
condition of Africa at the present moment,

1051

and that the embers of the old slave trade
were still fully alive, and required but the
faintest breath of encouragement from a Euro-
pean power to burst into a flame, it is clear
that the most stringent provisions on this
head should have been introduced into the
contract. Provisions which ahould have ren-
dered the compulsory deportation of Africans
impossible. Perhaps, to have declared the
payment of money to any African chiefs, in re-
turn for the production of " labourers," a vio-
lation of the contract, if not a heavy crime,
would have gone far to effect this desirable
end. But simply to require that a certain
number of negroes should be forthcoming
within a certain time, and to leave the means
of procuring them entirely to the discretion of
others, is conduct which, under existing cir-
cumstances, is very mildly described by the
epithet of gross carelessness.
Had the Government, however, so far taken
precautions against the abuse of their policy as
to intrust its execution to hands that were
above suspicion—had they displayed any soli-
citude that their contractor should be a man
of such standing as would warrant his absti-
nence from foully disgraceful gains they
might have escaped any worse charge than
that of neglectfulness. But of all other firms
in the world, which should be that selected by
the Imperial Government but our old acquaint-
ances at Marseilles the house which still
carried on business, and still continued to be
suspected, under the name of Regis !
These are facts which lead us to the brink
of very painful conclusions. A contract is
drawn up for the execution of a design which,
though not in itself unlawful, would naturally
be brought into such close contact
actions that are so, as to make it very
foresee with what difficulty they w,
kept distinct. No provisions are int
into the contract for the more effect
servation of this difference, and its .
is confided to hands which, it' invetera,
picions be not totally groundless, are
likely to break them down than
them.
Here we pause for the present. The
quences that might have been foreseen
followed. Slaves are purchased unbly
The slave trade has again raised i.
The chiefs are everywhere hunting down their
unhappy subjects, and making war on each
other for the sake of captives. A flourishing
settlement of free Africans under British pro-
tection has been well-nigh broken up, and a
promising branch of British commerce nipped
in the bud. What will Lord PALMERSTON do ?
We anxiously await the information,

ith trans-
1, easy to
would be
itroduced
tual pre-
excution
erate sue-
are more
maintain
0 •
'he conse-
een have •
lushingly.
its head.

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