Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-02-12

III concert with effect. Spain and poriu-
gal may both be influenced by our repre-
sen'atiouS, and induced 10 co cooperate
from the desire and the interest they have
IN concilialing the Oniled States. At
least we o,ghi,o ash ior ihcirconcurrencc
New governments and republics seemed
To be forming or aie ioraied, ina tifS South
| their concurrence in putting an ent! 10 The
trade is indispensable, if ii is eyer TO be
abolished. They have The strongest mo-
tives for desiring good understanding
with tins country, and would not b. deaf
TO our representations. Should all chris
tan nations, or II great majority Of them,
agree upon tins p0lni, II would soon be
| considered Il traffic against tile law of ma
| tons, and this international law must
| prove more eifeciual than the municipal
| laws of separate governments, acting
without concert.
| Unless, lie SAID, further steps should he
taken, oil that had been done would be
| useless, and worse than useless The
! trade being forbidden by some nations,
and interrupted by force by Great Bri
| tain, the risks of it had increased; many
men, wliomght Otherwise la, had no scr,i-
| pies ut conscience, wonld not, however,
violate the laws ot then country, and the
| consequence was, than the price OF the
unhappy beings whs were the objects of
| ,i!s traffic, had fallen very low OH Tie
coast OF Africa; unprincipled alventur-
| ers, restrained by no moral obligation,
| had engrpssed the trade. They crowded
.Ec wreicties they bad purchased for
| tribe, mic the holds az Sniall fast sailing
vessels, and the suAerings and mortality
of the passage bad Increased 10 fright
ial degree. II had been lately stated TO
his government by British officer of
~ len
human beings had been stored aboard IA
vessel of o.ly one hundred and twenty
IONS, thirty OF whom died III sailing 80
leagues, and enormiiies Of this sort were
carried on In sight almos. OF our shores,
and by some he feared, who had the pri
vlltgeS and the boast of American citi-
zcu>hip.
He would only add, that one cause of
our complaint against the late establish
neni OF a pretended republic i'm Florida,
WAS, that the government had conmived
| at, and gave facilities To, the carrying on
of This trade. The slaves which, under
Pretexf of capture or otherwise, were
brought lnto these places, were struggled
INTO Tie United States, in violation af the
laws OF the United States, and of all the
particular states. There was proof among
he documents communicated by Tie Pre-
Sldent, that prIvateer, commanded and
manned by Americans, under the patri-
otto flag, as they called ii, had taken a
slave vessel, also commanded and man
ued by Americans, and that these slaves
had been smuggied into Louisiana, in de-
france Of all law
With these views of the subject, lie
! hoped the Senate would see the necessity
OF taking further measures TO repress the
trade, and at length put an end to it.
| Mr.. BARBOUR said that while lie
WAS decidedly in favor OF the main OBJ
lect the resolution, that Of revising the
laws and remedying every defect for The
prevention of the wicked trade in ques-
| ton; there was part ofthe resolution of
| winch he did not approve, and, if retain
| ed, lie should yoteagainst it. And hence,
lest his views might be misunderstood. lac
| felt himself compelled 10 intrude OH The
attention Of the Senate, while he briefly
| disclosed his reasons. Before he did this,
| however, he would make few general
remarks. lie felt himself obliged 10 the
gentleman from Rhode Island, tor doing
justice TO Virginia, III admitting she had
been Tie first 10 prOtestagalnsi this trade
But it was no more tlIanan act of Justice;
for such certainly was the fact. Her zeal
in this good cause has undergone 10 di-
minution. The u. States followed her
example : America stands in relation TO
the rest Of the world, that Virginia does
10 America. She took the lead III the hui
name effort TO externinaie this horrlble
''aihc. He rejoiced TO see that Tie great
NATIONS of Europe had adopted her pre-
cepis, and we're initiating her culgllen
ed and pbi'Anthropic example. Spain ~
| Portugal constitute The ouly exception
Tie former, il is said, with what truth he
| knew not has received DPcfuIarV Co m
ensaiion to abandon The traffic Should
II: be true. as he cordially hoped 1t
might be, Portugal will then stand alone
! II is reasonably 80 be antici ,Iaied that she
viii not be able 10 resist lie incumbent
| load of the civilized world, when their re-
mOnStrauces are enforced by the united
influence OF Justice, humanity and phi
| aDthrOpy. Africa, then freed from those
| disastrous effects which this tradc has
| produced, may, under the benign Infiu
ence OF peace, reason and religion, indulge
! q hope, that ~ the fulness OF line, she
may participate in the blessings OF civlli-
| 2atiOn, With all its beneticent effects. Nor
was he averse 10 adopting measures in
! concert With any nation, whicl, he beIiev-
| ed would be calculate, 10 hasten the de-
structi0n OF This trade. For lis part, lie
| feared nothing from an aliaNce wii any
! nation, whose Only object was humanity
| No man could more highly appreciate
Than he did, the sOandneSs OF tie pOllti-
cal maxim ncucaied by the father Of lis
country, IN his legacy TO the American
| PeOple-iat Of avoiding eulanglIRg ALI
/ auCes with other nations vet, wlih all
hs reverence for This wise preccpf. and
| his determination TO pursue its suggcsti-
ons, he felt no appreAensionirom The con