The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-30 00:00:00

THE SLAVE TRADE.

(From the Cincinnati Philanthropist.)
During the last session of Congresr, a elll was made
upon the President of the United States for information
in relation to correspondence with the British Govern-
meet on the subject of the seizure of American vessels
on the African coast, on account of being engage in
the slave-trade. We are not aware that the call was
responded to. At all events, no papers of the kind
have been published. The subject ought not to he per-
mitted to rest. Certain prints are now assiduous in pre-

occupying the public mind with stories about the viola-
tion of our flag by British cruisers. We feel as sensitive
as any one can feel on this point, and would be willing
to go to the uttermost in resisting all impertinent inter-
ference with the naval rights of our country. But, the
conviction is forced upon us, that it is not the British
Government, but American citizens, on whom is
chargeable tha violation of the American flat. That
this fl ig is prostituted to shield an infernal traffic in the
bodies and souls of men ; that such prostitution is fa-

cilitated by accredited agents of the American Govern-
ment, and almost connived at by the Gov_Tnmerit itself',
there is but too much reason to believe. Years ago,
in reply to overtures of the British Cabinet for a Con-
vention against the slave-trade, Mr. Forsyth, after a de-
cided rejection of the proposition, complacently an-
nounced that America possessed within inself unassisted
by the co-operation of any other Power, the means of de-
tecting and punishing those American citizens who
might violate its laws with respect to the slave-trade.
What hal America done to verify this assumption ?
Just nothing at all, and the world knows it. And this
is not all—we do not believe that the Government,
when the announcement was made, intended to do any-

thing—it did not intend to keep its faith thus virtually
pledged to suppress the traffic so far as our citizens
were concerned. What slavers have been captured by
American cruisers, how many stolen men redeemed,
how many slave-factories destroyed ? So far from the
American traffic in African slaves having been arresteJ,
it has frightfully increased, and our flag now is the
favourite flag of the slave-trader. Aud what are
our two or three cruisers stationed on the coast, doing
to save the country from this horrible degradation ?
We will tell you :—They are watching the British
cruisers, lest they should interfere with the colony of
Liberia, and in various ways, subserving the purposes
of the Colonization Society. " The Government of
the United States continues to extend its power and

protection to the colony, through its operations to sup-
press the slave•trade." So says the Report of the
Baird of Managers of the Colonization Society. Here
is tektimony from those who know best, to the fact,
that American cruisers are subserving the
_purposes

- _
of this Society ; but where is the evidence of
their efficiency in suppressing the slave-trade ?
Can any one tell ? Do you see in our newspapers, ac-
counts of the capture of slave-ships by American•ves-
sels ? No—it is all sham—the Government has not
been in earnest—it has been lying to the good people
of this country, and to the world.*For, will any one
tell us, 'that American cruisers cannot show as much
skill, and activity, and vigilance, as the British? There
was no lack of these qualities on the part of our sea-
men in the last war. But now, our commanders are
narcotized—they have no eyes—their cannon has lost
its voice. Eternal infamy be the heritage of a Govern-
ment, which has caused the name of this nation to stink
in the nostrils of even the priest•ridden, king-crushed
nations of the old world.
But why has the Government acted thus ? Is not
this a Christian people? Are we, who make the Go-
vernment, not men, republican men ? Have we no
humanity, no honour, no sensibility to shame ? Why
then has the Government dared to make us an object.
of loathing to all honest men every where ? Hear the
reason, and would that it could be spoken in thunder
to the ear and heart of every citizen of the free States!
it is because slaveholders rule the Government—con-
stitute its exponents and administrators.
Our Secretary of State was a slaveholder—our Se-
cretary of the Navy was a tool of the slaveholder— our
President was a northern man with slaveholding prin-
ciples. Had anti-slavery men been at ti.e head of Go-
vernment, should we have been plunged into this bot-
tomless pit of infamy ? Never. 'lle glorious flag of
the republic, instead of waving over the floating hells of
the slave-trader, would, wherever unfurled, have mode
the iron heart of the fiend melt away within him with
fear of coming vengeance.
Will the present Administration do better ? Let us
see :•—Daniel Webster, who offered up his northern
faith on the altar at Alexandria to propitiate the Mo-
loch of slavery, is Secretary of S:ate. A slaveholder
is Secretary of the Navy. The head of the Govern-
ment is a southern man with pro-slavery principles.
Flimsy foundation for hope, but still we will hope. Let
the people take the matter in hand—let hundreds of
thousands of remonstrances go up to the National
Legiskture demanding the redemption of the eational
flag from dishonour, and the effectual suppression of
the slave trade as carried on by American citizens. Let
us see whether the new Administration has more soul
than the old one.