The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-29 00:00:00

the Cuban slave trade is openly notorious, and the
conduct of that Power with respect to it is most
dishonourable and unjust. Spain, it seems, can

repudiate her moral obligations as well as her finan-
cial liabilities, and the half million which we paid
to her many a long year since in consideration

of her consenting to treaties which she has
never attempted to fulfil, has as yet produced no
visible results. We waste every year time and
treasure, and what is worse the lives of gallant men
and. officers in cruising on the fatal cost of Africs,
while all the time Spain is open:y encouraging the
trade in defiance of all her engagements. How-

ever willing the Spanish Ministry may be to fufil

.he terms of the contract entered into long ago,

they have almost insuperable difficulties to contend
against in the reluctance of the people to abandon
a regular source of profit. Remonstrance and
lenity have been tried long enough ; it is now high
time that some more decisive steps wore taken if

we hope to put an end to this cruel waste of human
life. Let our Government demand from Spain the
stoppage of the Cuban traffic, or else the immediate
repayment of the money advanced to her in coni-
deration of the unfulfilled treaties. Such an alter-
native if properly pressed and supported by the
appearance of an English fleet would do a good
deal more towards arresting the progress of the
slavers than any amount of vigilance on the African
coast. Our men might ea well fall in action against

the Spaniards as succumb to the influence of the
deadly climate, and it would he doing far greater
and more effectual service to negroes to stop the
fountain head than 'o increase the horrors of the
passage by inducing the slavers to pack them closer
in order to avoid detection. It is satisfactory to
find from Lord PALMERSTON'S answer to Mr.
CAVE on Friday night, that a good deal has
been done even as the matter now stands. It
is undoubtedly a matter of congratulation that the
Brazilian trade, which used to amount to 60,000 or
70,000 slaves a year, and which consequently—as
the noble lord justly remarked—implied the misery
of three times that number who fell victims to the
horrors of the journey, is now entirely at an end.
It is so far gratifying to know that the Cuban

trade has decreased from an annual importation o
20,000 to 6,000 or 7,000, but that is still an unsatis.

factory result of our great and continuous efforts
We do not question the sincerity of the noble
Premier's assertions of his own earnest desire to
forward the good cause, but we fear that neither his
efforts nor those of any other Minister will suffice
to stop the traffic until some better terms are ex•
torted from Spain. It is unfortunate that France,
who proposes to share our anxiety for the suppres-
sion of the slave trade, should be the only nation
which refuses to allow us the right of search. Such
an exception is peculiarly to be regretted, as the
affair of the free coolies was at least open to sus-
picion. The Federal Government thought it ad-
visable to stop that scheme and its abuses, and as
they employ cruisers on the African coast it would
be no more than consistent to allow us the desired
privilege. In this respect President LINCOLN has
set a worthy example, agreeing to a treaty for a
mutual right of search, which has proved of great
assistance to the cruisers. The reduction in the
actual importation of slaves into Cuba is in-
deed mainly attributed to this treaty by
Lord PALarERSTON. As a proof of the value
of such a privilege, Mr. CAVE mentioned a com-
plaint made to Lord Coy` LEY at the close of 1862,
which announced that a steamer had just left the
African coast carrying 1,000 slaves under the French
flag, It has recently been asserted, in a memorial
from Jamaica, that the slave trade is being carried
on In NU vigour wLilc our coloniats at British
Guiana have addressed the Government on the
same topic, pointing out the obstacles in the way of
their trade, and asserting that they could, by the
help of immigrants, compete with slavery, but not
with the slave trade. From the papers now laid
before Parliament, we learn that slaves are so valu-
able, that on one occasion the owners of a slave ship
paid £12,000 as hush money to Spanish officials for
a cargo of 490. It is also said that, owing to the
plan of landing the slaves on the small rocky islets
which fringe the Cuban coasts, and smuggling
them in small detachments up the country, it is
impossible to calculate exactly the number landed.
If this be the case, we have less cause to be satisfied
with the apparent diminution in the number of
slaves, and must certainly try some other method
than that of watching the African coasts. The
Spanish Government, according to Lord PALMER•
STON'S own admission, throw every obstacle in the
way of really useful measures; and, however great
the earnestness and sincerity of the noble lord's
endeavours, it is manifest that they have little
chance of success as affairs are at present. It is
useless to rely on the professions or promises of
Spain ; it is better to regard her as an open enemy
in this matter, far a long course of years has proved
her to be that most dangerous of foes—a pretended
'riend.