Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-06-12
THE BRITISH SLAVE TRADE,

When SIR RopERr PEEL, with much pomp and
circumstances Of manner and phraseology, denied
In Parliament the intimations Of President ry-
LER's Message relative to the apprenticeship eys-
tenn In the British West Indies, he had reference
most probably to the system which formed part
OF the emancipation scheme in those islands,
AS an intermediate state between slavery and
freedom the negroes on the plantations were to
remain In service some years as apprentices I'M
der certain conditions. This was soon after
wards abolished, and unqualified emancipation
was made general.
But that sort OF apprenticeship was not what
MIR. TYLER referred to. There is an apprentice
ship system now in force, or it may be called by
any other name, by means of which negroes are
brought from Africa and distributed amongst the
west India planters. 1t is pretended that none
are SO transported except such are found by
British cruisers on board of slavers, and that it
is entirely optional with these whether they 90
to the West Indies or not This preteBsion in
the first place is contradicted by facts; and in
The second place if none but recaptured negroes
were thus transported the practice would operate
TO encourage the shipment of slaves on board of
slavers in order that her Majeslys cruisers might
capture them and thus secure cargo Of sap
Prentices" for her Majesty's colonies.
|. we published some time ago a paragraph
from Demarara paper in which the arrival of a
vessel with cargo of negroes was announced,
and it was added that the importation was on
,
II would not only be thus enabled TO supply their
plantations with laborers, but that they would
also receive the government bounty on the i'm
portation. 1t appears that the payment of the
bounty was contested, and the case coming be-
lore the legal tribunals it was shown that Of the
number brought there were Gfy who were
not captured Africans, reclaimed by British cruz.
sers, but were natives taken from the coast, and
who had, as was pretended, been induced volun-
arlly to embark for the British colonies. The
bounty was finally granted; and thus half dozen
persons pocketed a net profit of some $500, for
stocking their own plantations with laborers.
There is now i'm force an ordinance of the Bril-
fish Government "for promoting African imm-
grafton" by which British agents are allowed to
visit any part of the coast of Africa and induce
the voluntary emigration of the natives to British
Colonies. The native chiefs, who have been
long accustomed to regard their subjects simply
as chattels to be sold, will have the control of all
negotiations for this purpose. tits only through
these men," says the New York Courier, speak
Ing on this subject, "ihat British agents can hold
any communication with the natives. If they
WISH the Coast TO procure free laborers, they must
call upon these native chiefs and slave brokers,
for the very means Of opening any negotiation
concerning them. If they give them to under
stand that they do not come 10 purchase slaves,
but TO solicit voluntary laborers, they will simply
be asking these persons to giue Mem without
price, what they can sell TO others for large re-,
turn. III rs absurd to suppose that they can OBJ
tain emigrants in this way. On the other hand,
if any thing is offered in exchange for them, they
are simply bought. and this is nothing more nor
less than the SLAVE trade, carried on under the au-
/ thority, and by the warrant, Of the British Co.
vernmeBt"
| 1t is pretty clear case that the British Co
vernInent, finding its emancipation scheme
failure, is now seeking to avail itself by indirect
means OF all The advantages of slavery, as a sys-
TEN Of labor in the tropics, without mourning the
odIuD which none have been eager to throw
upon the system as the British Government and
people tbemselves.-Bah american.