The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-25 00:00:00

These opinions were echoed by the Anti-Slavery Society, and '
by every benevolent man who took part in attemeting to put
down slavery. Such was the opinion also of the Marquis of
Lansdowne. Sueh, also, was the opinion of the rslasquis of
Nornianby, who had proved himself, as Secretary for the Colo-
nies, one of the most able and beneficent. Ministers to
whom the celonies had ever been entrusted. The Hon. Gen-
tleman then read an extract from a dispatch from the Noble
Marquis, expressing regret at the total failure of the measures
taken to put down the slave trade. (The reading of the ex-
tract was mush cheered.) The next witness he would refer to
was the Right Hon. Baronet opposite (Sir R. Peel) who, in a
speech at Exeter Hall (from which the Hon. Gentleman quoted
largely), declared that at the time when he was addressing the
meeting. the horrors of the slave trade were greater than at any
former period.—( Hear.) His next witness was Lord Aber-
deen, from whose dispatches he read similar extracts, in which
the Noble Lord complained bitterly of the bad faith of the
Spanish and Portuguese governments, in connivine at the ter•
rible,aggravation of the slave trade.—( Hear, hear.) He then
read extracts from a pamphlet published by Mr. Clarkson,
in which that venerable author stated that the attempt to
suppress the slave trade by force had completely failed,
and hid led to a tremendous sacrifice of lies. He would
not detain the House loneer than was absolutely necessary to
put tt in possession of the facts upon which his motion rested.
The fact sins that so'greatly hid the evil been increased, that
whereas at the end of the last century, the amount of Africans
oarried off to America as slaves was but 90,00 ), the number in
1843 was 200,000. From the Bight of B rim alone 150,000
were carried away. [The Hon Gentleman then went into ex-
tended numerical statements, but so rapidly read, that they
could not be made intelligible, as we caught them, without the
aid of the documents. J 192,000 slaves were now annually im-
ported into Cuba and Brazil. Could it be doubted then
that taking the whole of America into account, the
number imported from Africa was at least 20.),0 'O.
But it might be said that since these returns were received
the citizens of the United States had taken less part in
drtving the trade for the supply of other countries, that
greater precautions had been token, and that fresh treaties had
been entered into. But he would call the attention of the
House to the report of the Commissioners of Sierra Leone,
who stated that there had been a great increase in the trade
and a great aggravation of its horrors. He wished to bring
these facts before the common sense of the House. If they
were to be decided by argumentative d sputatien he well knew
his incapacity to meet the Hon. Gentleman opposite. He
thought that he had stated to the House sufficient facts to cause
an agreement to that part of the resolution which he referred
to. He had another charge to make against the means which
were adopted to suppress tie slave-trade : the system pursued
in order to put it down caused a great many evils. He be-
lieved that the intelligent people of Cuba and Brazil looked at
the large disproportion that now existed between the
numbers of blacks and whites with the utmost alarm. That was
the prevailing feeling amongst the intelligent people of those
countries. The Hon. Gentleman then proceeded to read part
of a dispatch sent to Lord Aberdeen, stating the consternation
that existed. It contained the most vehement denunciations
of the means adopted to suppress the slave trade. He was not
astonished at the hostility which was exhibited to that system
when it was enough to enlist vast prejudices against it. It was
not surprising that we excited a disposition to oppose us. He
should like to know what would be the feeling of the population
of this country if they were in the habit of hearing that any
vessel from any port in this island was chased by a foreign ship
of war, either Dutch or American, and had been destroyed be-
cause it was engaged in smuggling, because the American or
Dutch Government wished to put smuggling down. He be-
lieved that every person acquainted with the subject was con-
vinced that the means resorted to to put down the slave trade
were totally inoperative. Though they heard of the number of
Africans taken away by the slave ships, though their consuls
and agents were able to furnish them with those accounts, yet
they had no account of the number that were massacred in the
course of the proceedings, and no account of those who perished
in the barracoons while waiting for exportation. There
were no accounts of those who perstmed in the slave ships, of
those who died when they had a storm at sea, or of
those who were thrown overboard when a British cruiser was
nearing one of their vessels. They had no one to tell them of
the suffering and misery of those who escaped death and the
horrors of the voyage. They knew nothing more than that it
was going on for many years, and that it was, above all the
horrors and scenes of crimes, misery, blood, and death, with
which the records of the world made them acquainted, the
most awfully horrible. While the slave trade was unprohibited
they heard little or nothing of this. When the slave trader had
an interest in the slaves he took care of them. He would say
that when the African chiefs brought down their slaves to
a convenient point on the coast, when they leisurely embarked,
they were provided for with some concern for their physical
being, and new, since that first interest had been taken away,
the consequence had been such a complication of horrors as
he had stated. The greater part of those evils arose from their
system of suppression, and every man in the Legislature was a
participator in the crime of the Minister who refused to change
it. He was not going to bring before the House any of those
dreadful scenes which he was compelled to go through ; if he
did, he would awaken a strong feeling of compassion. The
African chiefs bring their slaves to the barracoons in thousands,
a great part of whom die by starvation or by pestilence, while
waiting for exportation. At length the slaver came ; the
victims were chosen ; those who were rejected were delibe-
rately murdered, and the parties elected were put on board the
:slave ship. There were many Hon. Gentlemen who, pertnss,
had never seen a slave ship. He had the opportunity of seeing
some at Natchez. What was called the hold of the vessel was the
receptacle for human beings. In that dark and miserable hole
beings were crammed in hundreds. The papers laid before
the House stated that these vessels were 22 inches between
decks. In that hole, under a tropical sun, they were conveyed
in hundreds across the Atlantic Ocean. Of course they suffered,
and many perished, and those who did not die were taken out
of the hold with their limbs dislocated and distorted, and mul-
titudes of them never recovered their former position. What
must be their miseries at sea, when storms at.eea added to this
combination of horrors. Mr. Hill's statements of these horrors
were borne out by the papers on the table of the House of
Commons. Were these cruelties to continue for ever ? They
had entered into a treaty with France to continue it for ten years.
No object could be a good object which was to he propitiated by
human suffering. He showed the House that the system which
they were pursuing had added to those horrors which many
years ago had excited public attention. They were aggravated
by the immediate effects of their Government. The expense
of this attempt to suppress the slave trade was unquestionably
very large. Sir F. Buxton had calculated that the expense
from the year 181.4 to the year 1839 amounted to 15,000,0001.,
and since '1839 they had-added 2,000,600/., which made it
17,000,000/. They had also expended 1,300,000/. to bribe Spain
and Portugal. The annual expense had been generally taken at
half a million; the other expenses varied according to the num-
ber of ships voted. He thought that he had shown the cruelties,
evenses, inconveniences, and iaoperation of this system, and
he wished to lay those facts before the House. He may he
asked whether he was prepared with any other system. He
scarcely thought that it was his part to suggest any system.
He thought it sufficient to prove to the House that the pre.
sent was one which they could not continue consistently with
the ordinary dictates of humanity. He had another point to
lay before then , namely, that they should, as much as possible,
throw open their ports and harbours of the West Indies to the
produce of free labour. He believed that such a course could
not be productive of anything but beneficial result. It would put
down the slave-trade by underselling its productions.
It would render the African, in his own country, in a position
to avail himself of the wealth and advantages of a civilised
country, and then they would be able to point to the West
Indies as an example of the success of their generous policy. He
believed that if they gave fair play to the corn-laws they would
find the people of Cuba and Brazil more anxious than them-
selves to suppress the slave-trade. Texas anti the United
States must see in that country some evidence of their own
dangers. What must be the consequence of their persevering
in that trade? The republicans of America must see a most
powerful confederacy with the slaves of America. The Hon.
Gentlemen then moved the resolution.
• Sir G. COCKBURN thought that the withdrawal of our
forces from the coast of Africa was not the most effectual plan
to put down the slave trade. Since the increase of our forces
there the commodore on that station made a report to the Ad-
iniralty, enclosing a list of forty-five slave shi, s which had
been captured during a period of some months, only one of
Which was subsequently released. And he stated at the same
time that he hoped their Lordships would receive that as a
proof of the efficiency of those under his command. The slave
traele, he added, had received a great check, and would yet re-
ceive a more decisive b'ow if it was not whohy put an end to.
Even such a result was not beyond :his hopes. This was the
language of one who was entitled to some credit,- and it afforded
a strong proof that the slave trade was not now in the flourish-
ing condition it was some time since. With regard to the loss
of life of our own people, he thought the Hon. Member
had very much overstated it, for with the exception of the
Ni or exp-edition three, or at most four, per cent. was the
greatest amount of death from all causes. He thought
therefore that any interference now would be extremely un-
wise. While France was sending out 25 or 30 ships to assist
the large force we ourselves had there, he thought he might
venture to say that it was scarcely possible that a single slaver
could escape. Those who were engaged in that infamous
traffic were beginning to think that the risk they ran in car-
ryine out slaves was scarcely compensated by the gain which
would accrue to them. He hoped, therefore, that what he
said would induce the Hon. Gentleman to allow the present
operations to go on without interference, for he had no hesita-
tion in saying that, with the additional force from France, an
end would be put to the trade altogether. Any change in the
present proceedings would have another had effect. It would
destroy all treaties with the native chiefs, who when they no
onger saw any difficulties in the way would, if our ships were
withdrawn, send down loads of slaves immediately. Under
all these circumstances, and believing that the most serious mis-
chief would be produced if our forces were withdrawn, he
Mould certainly oppose any attempt at interference with our
present proceedings.
Lord HOWICK could not allow this debate to be closed
without expressing his concurrence in most of the opinions of
the Hon,urable Member for Gateshead. He confessed that he
for one did not think that the mischiefs foreboded by the Hon.
and Gallant Member who had just sat down, were at all likely
to follow oar interference with the course of proceedings which
the Government at present pursued with regard to the slave
trade. He did not know but it would be a more wise and more
et:eta:ll policy to withdraw our cruisers altogether. He came
to Out conclusion, because during a period of twenty years
every new plan that was proposed, every fresh instruc-
tion that was sent out, every new expedient that was devised,
was unsuccessful in puttirg an end to this trade. He was con-
, yinced, therefore, that so long as the profits attending it were
so ennrralms all the project; adopted to put it down by force
would continue to be unsuccessful. The Commissary Judge
at.Havannah, in writing to Lord Aberdeen, said that whatever
might be the effect of the s'eps taken by her Majesty's
o
vernment,''the self-interest of those engaged in the traffic
would continue to baffle all their efforts unless other Govern-
ments gave their assistance for itsl suppression. Other officers
s
said the same thing—that the slave trade
of the
tradew as still increasing.
The planters in Cuba, in consequence increase of newly
state imported negroes, were in a constant of apptrhetahhte:itssrliaoandnde.
The appointment, however, of our cruisers along
allayed that alarm, but one of two things must ha
would either go on increasing, and thus inereapiP,setah—ose alarms,
or it must be put an end to altogether, from a dread of the
consequences that would be likely to follow if all protection
was withdrawn. What really kept up the trade in Cuba was
the connivance of the Government officers. The groat gains
which attended the trade enabled those who were engaged in
it to purchase their opposition, but if the motives to bribe them
-were removed, and the apprehensions which he referred to
were to continue, he did not hesitate to say that any
having such an effect would he more likely
course
to suppress; the trade than the proceedings which the
Government were at present adopting. lie also agreed
with the Hon. Gentleman, the Member for Gateshead, that
our interference in this subject had excited in foreign govern-
ments a feeling that we were interfering
business. lle would like to know how we oa -
wsirses should adf
enea
rsel
if persons in the employ and acting
cruelties, and holding
as. scents under fereign
powers, were continually reporting.out cru
up our officers to the odium of their Goverrments,
_l-I_e
con-
fessed he was not surprised to see the reluctance of foreign
Governments to co-operate with them. The Gallant Officer
had said that this was a bad time to.' bring forward such a
_
mo-
tion. He owned he did not see that. Ile entirely approved of
the course pursued by the Hon. Gentleman. lie thought
that the system of an English and French squadron co-operating
:along the coast of Africa, would not be productive of much
:good. He was equally afraid of the respective officers agreeing, or
differing too much. He thought that the emulation which
would be excited in the breasts of the officers of both nations
might lead to yery questionable proceedings. Again, if the