The Sun.
London, England, 1839-12-23 00:00:00

E SUN, LONDON, MONDAY, DECEMBIAM 23, 1839.

PORTUGUESE SLAVE TRADE.

FIRING INTO AND SINKING TWO PORTU-
GUESE VESSELS.
By the arrival of the Royal Tar steamer at Fal-
mouth, from the Mediterranean, we have received
Lisbon papers of the 16th instant. The subjoined
intelligence from the Diario do Governo—the
official journal—of the 10th, with the comments
made upon it by the other Lisbon papers of the
11th, will be read with deep interest. In Portugal
the account of the sinking of two vessels, with the
national flag flying at the mast-head of one of them,
has created very painful sensation. But we can
form no opinion as to the real merits of this case
till the whole of the details are before us.. We
have here but the Portuguese version of the story,
and defective as it is in dates, we cannot for an in-
stant assume it as correct. Still the affair, however
it may have happened, will widen the breach be-
tween the Portuguese and English Governments,
and greatly add to the embarrassments of the newly
appointed Lisbon Cabinet
:
(From the Diario do Governo of the 10th inst.)
By advices received yesterday from Angola, the Go-
vernment have information of a transaction in which
insolence and rashness appear to have reached their
height, and committed by a British naval officer. By
virtue of a convention of the 29th of May, 1839,
entered into between Vice-Admiral Noronha and Cap-
tain Tucker, Captain Elliot, commanding the English
brig of war Columbine, entered the Zaire, and took
possession of some vessels lying there, perhaps in con-
travention of the decree of the 10th of December,
1836, but no reason or pretext could be found for
similar proceedings in regard to the Portuguese brig
Neptuno, of Lisbon, and the schooner Angerona, of
Angola, which were in the same port. After the lapse
of some days the brig Neptuno was boarded in the night
and taken possession of by the boats of the Columbine,
which shortly afterwards, having been fired upon by the
blacks, also took possession of te schooner Angerona.
The Columbine having committed other acts of vio-
lence, sailed with the captured vessels, and falling in
with the Leando packet, compelled her to come to, and
detained her 24 hours ; put the crews of the Neptuno
aad Angerona on board of her, and then, in sight of the
said racket, in order that she might witness the affront,
placing herself between the two vessels, one of which
bore the Portuguese flag, fired into them until they went
down.
This fact, although only the act of an individual, and
which only proves the brutal daring of the party who
committed it, is nevertheless so scandalous from the
cowardly injury offered to the Portuguese flag, that her
Majesty's Government, as a satisfaction to the national
character, cannot fail to require full redress from the
British Government. Her Majesty's Government trusts
that such satisfaction will be afforded, not only from
the confidence it has in the rectitude of its ancient
ally, but because the very dignity of the British
Government calls loudly against the'passing off wit?; tin-
punity of an excess of such magnitude, committed by
one of its subjects, who, in violation of every principle
of justice and the faith of conventions and treaties, con-
stituted himself at once judge and executioner in an
arbitrary and atrocious manner in lavers and interests
regulated by specific resolutions, and above all, ignobly
insultsd the flag of a friendly nation.
(From the Correio da Lisboa of the 11th inst.)
We are convinced that the infamous conduct of Cap-
tain Elliot will meet with exemplary punishment from
the English Government, if, as we take it, the immu-
table principles of reason and justice are worthy of
consideration. His conduct is of such a nature, and
accompanied by circumstances so atrocious, that there
are no words to express it. We are informed that the
transaction to which we allude immediately excited the
most expressed and general desire of revenge, and that
the Commander of the Portuguese naval forces sta-
tioned at Angola requested permission to proceed with-
out delay to wipe away the stain the Portuguese flag
had suffered from the cowardly injury just offered to iz.
We know not,however,what occurred afterwards, although
we believe that this noble and Portuguese-like pro-
posal was rejected in the quarter where it ought to have
been accepted without hesitation. It will be necessary
that the public be informed upon this subject, in order
that it may be known where the fault lies. We trust
that the Portuguese Government will give this matter
that serious consideration which it demands, requiring a
full and complete satisfaction from the British Govern-
ment, and punishing Vice-Admiral Noronha, if he ac-
tually showed a weakness on an occasion which de-
manded the development of great courage and de-
cision.
(From the Paquele do Ultrantar, of Dec. 11.)
We have already announced a Convention effected
between Senhor Noronha and Lieutenant Tucker of the
British Navy, which was not approved of by the British
Government, notwithstanding it granted to the. English
cruisers nearly the whole of the powers of Lord Palmer-
ston's infamous Bill. We have now to announce that
the same Vice-Admiral Noronha entered band lifhithd
with the English into an unheard of transaction,
not sanctioned by any law, and only equally
worthy of the evil-minded who proposed it,
and the madman who consented to it. It appears
then, and know it, ye fellow-countrymen, that the Eng-
lish cruisers have received orders from the British Go-
vernment to burn ships bearing the Portuguese fiag,-or
that of any other nation they may fall in with
.in the
African seas ; and that those orders have already been
. executed in the case of two vessels, one of which the
brig (schooner) Angerona, which were met with in the
waters of Molembo and Ajuda, and which in. Angola
had created the most decided feelings of horror against
those who have the effrontery to call themselves our
allies, being at the same time our most vile and cowardly
enemies, inasmuch as they had not even the candour to
make a formal declaration of war against us, being fear-
ful of the other Powers had they previously announced
their intention of setting fire to our ships ; they there-
fore prepared to forward their determinations in a mys-
terious manner immediately the Bill was sanctioned.
(From the Nacional of the 11th inst.)
By the schooner Tentative, which entered this port
the day before yesterday, we have adviccs from An-
gola up to the end of September, which set forth as po-
sitive the incapacity of Vice-Admiral Noranha to govern
that possession in consequence of his violent and pas-
sionate temper, and also the visionary schemes he has
attempted to forward (witness the Elliot affair). We
imagine it would be difficult to find a similar case in the
annals of perfidy, infamy, robbery, and violence of the
English Government, and that such an act, so long as
we are without hope of obtaining the full satisfaction
demanded by our Government, is calculated to lead
our commercial classes to arm cruisers, for the purpose of
making just reprisals against certain pirates,who, abusing,
the force they have ae their command, have the shame-
lessness to sink two Portuguese vessels still bearing their
national colours. The blood boils in our veins, our
heart beats with indignation, and with difficulty we
trace these lines, for grief arrests our pen ; we shed
tears of rage, because we have it not in our power to
take summary vengeance upon the perfidious and
treacherous Lord Palmerston for an injury of such
magnitude, and give a lesson to those haughty islanders,
who, forgetting what they were, and how much they
are indebted to Portugal, insult and scoff at us on
every side. The sensible part of the English nation
will blush with us at this event, and cannot fail to con-
sign to execration the officer who so conducted himself.
We shall see how our present Ministry will act.
If our present Government should not take any
measures of retaliation against the pirates, who have sworn
to ruin us—if they shrink from assuming the attitude
which becomes them in such a case—we entreat our
countrymen, who reside in Portugal, in Brazil, or on the
coast of Africa, to set about arming vessels, to run
down upon all English ships, and sink them with the
flags flying, wherever they find them. We ourselves
are ready to dispose of apart of our property—nay, the
whole if necessary, to join in the holy enterprise of burn-
ing and slaking British vessels. Let all Portuguese
concur towards so noble an undertaking, and we shall
enjoy the satisfaction of witnessing the sufferings of those
insolent buccaneers, &c. We understand that some
Portuguese, moved by a spirit of patriotism, are about
to form an association similar to that established by Mr.
Bracklami, for the purpose of excluding from consump-
tion all articles whatsoever of English manufacture or
production. We deem this a very praiseworthy thought,
and we hope the plan will succeed this time, so that we
may, in some degree, be enabled to begin to injure our
enemies at once.