Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-03-05


$sSlessase. II was on The subject of the
z Save trade OH the coast of Brazil.
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
|s the Senate aad
House of Representatives orthe U. S.
"a transmit, herewith, for the informa-
ion of Congress, copies of certain des-
Y patches recently received from Mr.. Wise,
our Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipo,entiary at The Court Of Brazil.
upon the sui; ;ect of the Slave Trade, de.
veoping th> means used and the devices
resorted 10. in order 10 evade existing en-
actmcnls upon that subject.
Anxiously desiroas as are The United
States 10 suppress traffic so revolving TO
humanity, in the efforts TO accomplish
which they have been the pioneers Of civi'
lized States, il cannot hut be d subject Of
the mos, profound regret that any portion
of our citizens should be acting in co'ope
ration with the subjects of other powers, in
opposition to the policy Of their own gov
ernmen,: thereby suhjccling 10 suspicion
and TO the hazard of disgrace the flag ol
their own country. II is true this traffic
is carried on altogether in foreign ports,
and that our own coasts are Tree from It's
pollution. But the crime remains the
same wherever perpelraled; and there are
many circumstances 10 warrant the bcllel
that some of our citizens are deeply invol-
we'd in its guilt. The mode and manner
of carrying on this trade are clearly and
fearlesslv set forth in The accompanying
documents; and it would seem shn,.a reg
uar system has been adopted for The pur-
pose Of thwar,ins the policy and eradIne
the penalties of our laws. American yes.
sells, with the knowledge, as there are good
reasons to believe, of the owners and mas
tiers are chartered or rather purchased by
notorious slave dealers in Brazil, aided by
English brokers and capitalists, with1hIs
intent. The vessel is only nomnally
chartered al so much per month, while, III
ssul,, il is actually sold, TO be delivered on
the coast Of Africa, the charter party bind
ing the owners, in the mean time, 10 take
on board, us passengers; new crew in
Brazil, who when delivered Oh the coast
are to navigate her back to the ports OF
Brazil, with her cargo ofslaves. Under
this agreement, the vessel clears from the
United States for some port in Great Bri-
tain, where cargo of merchandise, known
as "coast goods are designed especially
for the African trade, is purchased, ship.
ped, aud consigned, together with the yes
sci either to The slave dealer himself or 10
his agents or accomplices in Brazil. On
her arrival crew is put on board rs pas.
scngers, and The vessel and cargo couslgn,
cd 10 an equally guilty factor or agent on
the coast of Africa, where :she unlawful
purpose. originally designed is finally con
sunImalcd. The merchandise is eXchan
,ged for sIaves--the VESSELS delivered up
her Iame obliterated, her papers destroyed
her American crew discharged, to be pro-
vidcd by the charerers. aud the new or
passenger crew put in command to carry
hack its miserable freight 10 the frs, con-
!trivcts Of the voyage, or their employers in
Brazil.
During the whole progress Of this Tor
tuous enterprise ii is pnssihle that neither
the American crew originally enlisted,
nor The passenger crew pun Oh the Brazil
liam ports, are aware of the nature Of The
voyage, zad yei its on these principally.
ignorant, il ,,oi innoccul. that the penalties
of !he law are inflicted; while The guilty
conIrivercrs, ekar2erers, brokers', owners
and uasters-in short all who are deeply
concerned in the crime and ils rewards,
for the most part escape 1!nrur,hed.
|, will be seen from the examinations
which have recently taken place al Rio,
that the subjects OF her Brilanic Majesty
as veil as Jur own citizens. are deeply
implicated in this inhuman traffic. Bri-
tish factors and agents, while they supply
Africa with British fabrics in exchange for
slaves, are chiefly instrumental in the
abuse of the American flag; aud the sue
geslious contained in The letter of Mr..
Wise, lwhose judicious and Jealous efforts
in the matter, caunot be TOO highly con
meuded,) addressed TO Mr.. Hamilton, the
British Envoy, as 10 The best mode of sup
pressing the evil; deserve your most de-
llberate consideration, as they will receive
doubt not. that Of the British Govern
neDt.
II is also worthy Of consideration whelh
or any other measures than those now en-
!sting, are necessary to. give greater eli;
iicacy to the just and humane policy of
our laws, which already provide for the
restoration to Africa Of slaves captured at
sea by American cruisers. From time
to time provision has been made by this
Government for their comfortable support
and maintenance during limited period
after their restoration aud il is much 10 be
regretted that this liberal policy has been
adopted by Great Britain. As il seems
TO me, that the policy i, has adopted is cal
culaled rather to perpetuate than to sup.
press the trade, by enlistiug. very large in
terests in its favor. Merchants and cap.
ilalists furnish.lhe means for carving our
manufactures for which the are exchanged
gre The products of her workshops, The
slaves captured instead of.being returned
back 10 their homes, are transferred to
her colonial possessions in the West Indies
and made The means oc swelling the a.
mount Of their products, by system of
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