The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-12 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 12, Ib6o.

may-care style, drink plenty of liquor, are patro-
nised by cut-throat number one and his set, and are
often labelled " first-rate fellows." They are not
at all debarred from society here. Entirely unprin-
cipled they are, of course ; and some of them look
as though they would cut your throat fora trifle.
At home, after a successful voyage, they revel for a
season on the sweets of their labour, and in fast
society they are often guns of heavy calibre. I
have one case in my mind of one of these gentry
who has made a large number of successful voyages
as a captain, who, upon his return, flourishes as a
very prince of good fellows in New York society.
He spends his money freely, and, of course, classes
some high birds of the ton amongst his friends. I
have known persons assuming to be respectable,
class this man amongst their friends, and speak of
him as though they were honoured by his friend-
ship. All for a taste of the blessed influences of
money.
Class number three is the full-blown cut-throat.
The looks of this class would damn them. The
vilest of the vile, there is of course no occupation
too bad for them. Slaving has become their legiti-
mate business only because piracy is unsafe. On
all men-of-war there are some who go to fill the
ranks of this delectable class. They are generally
penitentiary and Australian convicts, and are form-
liarly known among respectable sailors as " beach-
combers." Desperadoes, they are the very men
sought for by slave captains, as being especially
fitted for their mission. Here, in this trade, they
have a full opportunity of gratifying their licen-
tiousness and giving full reign to their passions,
which make them a curse on God's fair earth. So-
ciety would be blessed if this foul scum was
skimmed off into our penitentiaries ; the miasma
arising from it would not then get beyond their
stone walls. Enough of the personnel of the
slaver.

If we cannot manage the fever with the success
with which the English and French do it would be
well to re-organise our naval medical corps, and
fill its ranks with materiel professionally compe-
tent to deal with a disease which is not at all ter-
rible. The real reason of this absence from the post
of duty has been kept in the background. It is to
allow a large class of self-styled " chivalrous gentle-
men" to luxuriate in idleness and pleasure at their
country's expense. Such a thing as returning an
equivalent for salary received, in shape of duty, has
not been thought of; two ideas on this score would
probably burst the head of many of our naval
magnates. " The Coast" station has been one
rather sought after than otherwise by our naval
officers. And why not ? Three months of each
year were set apart for a stay at Madeira, and
this time was often prolonged indefinitely. Three
months at that beauteous island would be an
era in any person's lifetime; it would be a bright
spot in life's desert. Who would not bear a
few months' exile to the dreary coast, for the privi-
lege of living a season in a clime of perpetual
spring, in a land where the air is always fragrant
with the scent of the ever-blooming flo vver, and the
luscious fruit of the tropics and temperate climes
are always to be had—a land of glorious scenery
and associations, whose very name, like its own
shining cascades, is most musical ? This, with the
charms of fine society, would do much towards
effecting a cure of the fever. Add to the yearly
episode at Madeira the frequent calls and long stop-
pageseien
aa,t
and it
vi.il
gill be Generics,
s e
eCn that the time spent byapc de Verdes, and St.
H
a vessel on the coast was very short indeed. Usually
not more than two or three vessels were there at a
time.
The loose and indeterminate nature of the instruc-
tions given to our naval officers goes for to render
the treaty inoperative. The evil of discretionary
power exerted in these men operates most injuri-
ously at times. It is oftentimes a mere matter of
will with a commanding officer as to whether the
effective force under his command shall or shall not
render efficient aid toward suppressing the traffic.
That will is too often exerted on the side of selfish
inefficiency. Again, on the other hand, a willing
officer is often kept in check by instructions from
head-quarters, which are of this nature—" Do so
and so," saith the magnate, " but if you do so and
so, look out for yourself." Unless positive convic-
tion follows the capture of a slaver, the officer cap-
turing that slaver lays himself liable to a civil suit
and damages ; he is consequently afraid to take a
vessel unless she has her cargo of flesh and blood
aboard.
Under the present very unsatisfactory laws (very
satisfactory to the slaver) for the suppression of
the slave trade, it is almost impossible to detect a
slaver, unless she has her cargo aboard. Disguise
is so easy that no difficulty is experienced in find-
ing avenues of escape. For instance, the palm oil
trade is the great. blind and favourite disguise of
the slaverafik ve c
s-
sixthltseocfetuchlensglahvies ships sail from that port),
he
papers, say at New York
(forn a large number of casks, for the osten-
sible purpose of having them filled with palm oil.
t i
These he fills at New York with water for ballast.
palm
t
The law requires only a certain number of water
casks in vessels trading to the coast. But the slaver
stands
. Now,l. ready with his excuse ; those casks are for
is
casks a
arewell-knownb
robrought
facthto
out
tn
itnh isst caovaesst,
put together, and whitewashed inside and out just
before receiving the oil. This is what is called the
palm
thatreal oil
" cask dodge."

THE PALM OIL DODGI.
A word as to this palm oil trade,for it bears strongly
on our subject. The greatest ignorance prevails on
this subject in common with other African affairs.
This is supposed to be in a most flourishing condi-
tion, and to employ a large amount of tonnage in
its export. Such is not the case, and such reports
onlyoriginate with the slave-trading interest, whose
wish it is to mislead the public mind. A few large
trading vessels
per year could carry off all of the oil
produced on the whole coast; and I may add, in this
connection, that the English naval officers attached
to this station know of but three legal traders in
this business. Contrary to supposition, there is no
competition between the English and Americans in
this trade, for there are few or no English vessels
engaged in it. If palm oil be the principal article of
export, and there are but three legal traders on the
coast engaged in that trade, and those traders are
American, what on earth do the great number of
vessels which crowd those seas, all flying the Ame-
rican flag? All of them are assumed traders in palm
oil. Vessels supposed to be engaged in this trade,
upon examination are generally found to have clear-
ance papers from New York for eight or nine
months, when any one outside of the New York
Custom-house ought to know that under the most
favourable circumstances it would require front 15
to 18 months to get together a sufficiency. of to
freight an ordinary sized vessel. The oil is obtained
very slowly, and at the date of my writing is not
to be had. Let Government instruct its able officials
at tine New York Custom-house to distinguish be-
tween oil cask staves and water casks, and it will
have done one commendable thing.

reception of her cargo. With this evidence against
her, the flag officer took her in charge, investigated
her case, and released her. The sequel I have made
known : shortly after she received her cargo, and
had nearly made her escape. A sharp-eyed Eng-
lishman, however, knew the " nature of the beast,"
and was on his track, gave chase, and 200 miles at
sea (an unusual distance to make a capture) over-
hauled and took her, making for the -Englishman a
nice pile of prize money. Multiply 888 by 23, the
amount received per head for captured slaves, and
you have the nice little pile which slipped through
the hands of the Americans. It need not for a

moment be supposed that the Americans got the
laugh on them, for perhaps they did not. I omitted
to mention that the sweet-scented captain of the
Orion—a man, Morgan by name, the same indivi-
dual who was mate of her at the time of her cap-
ture on her former cruise—said to the boarding
British officer at the time of his capture, " It is like
a game at cards—we have played high, but you
(the English) have beaten us:at our own game." I
am most happy to state for the benefit of his New

York friends that the gentleman Morgan and his
equally gentlemanly associates, the first and second
mates, are now in iron and provided with quarters
on board of an American man-of-war. They will
soon be on their way to New York, when an oppor-
tunity will offer to give them a public reception as
martyrs to the principle of right of search. I be-
lieve it is claimed that there was a violation of that
principle upon the occasion of the capture of the
Orion. The nasty Britishers ought to be made to
mind their own business.

AFTER CAPTURE,
we make the best disposition of the slaves captured,
sending them to Liberia, and delivering them up to
that republic, which converts them into passable
colonists, who in time aid the work of civilising and
redeeming West Africa. The English send their
captures to the West Indies as "apprentices," and
it is a discussed point as to -whether their condition
as such is any better than in actual slavery. The
English say, " Yes, it is infinitely better ;" their
haters say, "Nay, it is no better." But we have to
do with the trade, and not with its afterclaps. The
West Indies is near home, and people in the United
States ought to be able to judge of the merits of the
apprentice system.

TUE REMEDY
is one easily applied if we were only in earnest.
Are we so ? I believe not. Political chicanery
fears to soil its pure hands with aught that smells
of " nigger." Southern influence raises its potent
voice and says, " Peace, be still !" The political
deep is quiet, and its angry voice is sunk to a low
unquiet moaning murmur ; it may be like unto a
sound heard on the " middle passage." . • •
Moneyed interest raises its note of alarm, and who
dares to gainsay its influence ? Who pities Logan ?
Not one.

There is a need for the revision of the laws regu-
lating the suppression of the slave trade. The
convention of 1842, which drew up the treaty
called the Ashburton treaty, made the trade piracy,
which of course affixes the death penalty to any-
one convicted as a slaver. Such a thing as capital
punishment being inflicted upon any slaver was
never and never will be heard of in our country. A
lesser penalty would go far to ensure conviction,
and men would be guarded about engaging in a
business which would consign to labour in a state
workshop for a term of years or a lifetime. It is
now death or nothing, or, rather, it is nothing.
I should even advocate the allowance of the right
of search within a specified distance of the coast,
say 200 miles. Of two evils let us choose the least.
The exemption from search is the virtual safeguard
of the slaver; under the cover of a flag which does
not tolerate the right of search, he may pursue his
traffic with impunity. For instance, a slaver be-
comes familiarised, after a short stay in African
waters, with the different men-of-war in those
waters ; he gets to know them and their nationality.
Pursued at sea he knows his pursuer by sight, and
hoists a flag which exempts him from search, and
he is safe. An American vessel, with cargo aboard,
having the American colours flying, might pass
under the very guns of a British man-of-war un-
molested. The latest instructions to the British
cruisers on this coast from the commanding officer
on this station run about as follows :—" Not to
capture, visit, or in any way to interfere with United
States vessels, whether those vessels have slaves
aboard or not." I do not say that these instruc-
tions have not been violated ; I believe they have.
I would extend the provisions of the law, and
make those having capital invested, and those in-
directly interested in the traffic, equally amenable
with those navigating the vessels carrying the live
cargo.
Let the number of casks, buckets, amount of food
in the shape of rice, salt fish, farina, &c., be limited
as well as the cooking apparatus, lumber, planking,
&c. ; materials so handy for a slave deck. A viola-
tion of law relating to these things should make a
prize of a vessel beyond the waters of the United
Staten, where a mock trial and monetary interests
secure a guilty triumph of the slaver.
And finally, in the name of all that is sensible
and reasonable, if we are going to be in earnest in
wiping out this stain so foul upon us, let us signify
our earnestness by sending to the West Coast a
proper and adequate force. The idea of sending
there, as chasing craft, a lot of old by-gone sailing
vessels, is simply ridiculous, and an insult to the
common sense of the age in which we live. Ten
years after England and France, we begin to dis-
giver that an efficient arm of the naval service is
small, light draught, swift screw steamers, and it is
to be hoped that in imitation of those powers, in
the course of time we will havethere the only really
effective vessels on the African station. Let us
do something or nothing; take away a squadron
which is costing us millions of money, or else ren-
der it really efficient. This we can do. Let us
throw down the gates and say to the negro, " G-
you beyond the waters and be the white man's
slave ;" or let us say, " Arise and shine, for thy
light has come; a new glory, even that of the star
of the west, has risen upon thee."

PRESENTATION TO LADY RATCLIFF, OF

BIRMINGHAM.

It will be remembered that when Sir John Rat-
cliff retired from the office of chief magistrate of
Birmingham, to which he was thrice elected, the
members of the council, in addition to eloquent
expressions of high appreciation of the useful and
dignified manner in which he had discharged the
duties of his responsible position, determined in
the month of November last to mark their sense of
Sir John's many excellencies by a more enduring
and tangible evidence. It was therefore decided
that the testimonial should take the form of a por-
trait of Sir John, and that Lady Ratcliff should be
presented with the same, as the most graceful mode
of expressing the feelings of the council towards
their late respected mayor. Accordingly Mr. W. T.
Roden, a local artist of great eminence, w as entrusted
with the production of this work of art, which was
privately exhibited in his studio a few day ago, prior
to its removal to the Royal Academy. The portrait
is a full length, the canvas measuring about 9ft.
by 6ft. As a likeness it is remarkable for fidelity,
whilst as a work of art it sheds new lustre on the
genius orour local artist. The portrait represents
Sir John in his Court dress, in which he received
her Majesty the Queen when she visited Bir-
mingham, and knighted him in the Town-hall.
The artist has made those colours in drapery sub-
ordinate to his purpose, which would, to mediocre
talent, have proved the chief difficulty in produc-
ing a work of this kind, and has so preserved the
tone of the picture as to secure a life-like portrait
perfectly natural and easy, and a painting which
must challenge the admiration of all true critics.
The presentation of the portrait, richly framed and
bearing the arms of Sir John Ratcliff, was pre-
sented to Lady Ratcliff on Saturday morning last,
at the Wydrington, Edgbaston, by the testimonitl
committee, accompanied by Mr, Stanbridge, the
town clerk. The deputation were received by Lady
Ratcliff with marked consideration, and Mr. Palmer
then read'an address which referred to the principal
events of Sir John's municipal career, eulogised his
conduct as chief magistrate, the duties of which
office ho had discharged in a manner which re-
flected the brightest honour upon himself and the
corporation. On behalf of the committee Mr.
Palmer then presented the portrait, the frame c..f
which bears the following inscription :—"Borough.
of Birmingham. This portrait of Sir John Rat-
cliff, Knt., F.S.A., thrice mayor of this borough,
was presented to Lady Ratcliff, by subscription of
members of the Council, 1860. Painted by W. T.
Roden, Esq." Lady Ratcliff read the following re-
ply :
Gentlemen,—l beg you will accept my grateful acknow-
ledgments for your valuable gift, and for the expressions of
kind feeling and respect towards Sir John Ratcliff by which
it is accompanied. I shall esteem it very highly on account
of its intrinsic merits and the motives which have led to its
presentation. I assure you it is most gratifying to me to
receive so marked a testimony of approval of my husband's
conduct, during the time he filled the civic chair of Bir-
mingham, from gentlemen so well qualified to appreciate
his endeavours to promote the welfare of his native town.
It is not within my province to advert to municipal affairs,
and I shall therefore not allude to them further than to re-
mark that this, as well as every other department of public
life, is necessarily accompanied by much toil and anxiety.
This anxiety, however, is amply compensated by the testi-
monial with which I have been so highly favoured to-day.
In iced, gentlemen, any words of mine would fail to convey.
to you my feelings on this occasion. I will only add that
from my heart I thank you.
The deputation were then entertained atluncheon,
after which several complimentary speeches
were delivered.