Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-05-15
From the Philadelphia Peansylvanian.
THE BARQUE PONS, & THE SLAVE
TRADE,

tAN<AbG
The Slave trade has been so LONG under
the bans-so long considered by the laws of
most christian countries, and by all christian
men, as a crime of the blacklist dye, that it
sounds very strange to learn that it has any
npologist. much moro TO know that it is not
only vindicated as right but thu those who
are opposed to 1t are even charged as the
worst enemies Of the African race, both in
this country and in Africa. Yet have we re-
Gently heard Of one, who, in all the apparent
sincerity Of honest conviction, holds, express
es and acts upon such views. We allude to
the captain of the Barque "Pons," which,
at the time of her capture, had 900 slaves on
board. Instead of being a fefocious pirate,
as one would have a right to suppose, follow
ing such an occupation, he is represented to
DO a rather well educated, well disposed kind
man, speaking good English, beside two or
three continental tongues, inclined to take as
good care of the negroes he was bringing
from Africa, and to intlict as little suffering
upon them as the circumstances Of the case
would admit. This is mentioned 10 show
that the views expressed by him, on the sub
iect, may have been sincerely held.
Speaking on the subject of the slave trade
with him subsequently to his capture, he
sild to our informlnt, 81 have no doubt
you look upon this trade as the greatest Of
crimes, and we who pursue it az men of Ut
terly abandoned hearts. You think we know
1t is as bad as you believe il to be, and that
thus knowing it 10 be opposed to all that is
good and right, we yet pursue it for mere
gain. 1t is true" said he, Iii is for gain we
pursue it at the risk we do, but it is not tue
that we consider it so bad as you, or in any
way more wrong than violating the laws by
smuggling. And you would think it still
Stranger" he continued, /" if | were 10 assure
you that do not only not think it wrong,
but that il is for the best interest Of the Afri-
can race in general, and those carried away
In particular"
How" asked our informant, lean it be
right or beneficial to take a human being
away from his country and home, ami make
him a slave !"
"From home and country J" said the cap
tain with a sneer. "1he negro knows no.
thing of either-he is scarcely a remove
above the monkeys and apes-we take him
away from a place where his life is in hourly
jeopardy, and his station bat on a level with
the brutes, and take him where his manhood
Is acknowledged, his person protected and
cared for, and his mind enlightened by the
precepts of religion and even though it is in
slavery, his situation is a thousand times
higher, better. safer, and happier than it was
in his home in Africa. Why, my dear sir,'
continued he, with all the expression Of coun-
tenance of a man who had full belief Of the
truth OF what he asserted, 81 have been in
strumental in converting more heather to
christianity in a single voyage, than all the
missionaries in Africa have done in the last
ten years.
"Have you ever been in the interior Of
Africa, where the slaves are mostly taken
from -! " continued the captain. Ii you have
not, you know nothing Of their mis- rable and
degraded condition, AMI cannot Judge of the
good or evil that is done by their removal"
"But," said our informant, how can you
reconcile your idea Of beneitling them with
the fact of putting so many in one vessel, to
their great suffering, and even the risk of
their lives
THAT" was the reply, sis not our fault,
but yours. 1t is forced upon US by your
laws. II the trade were free and open, we
would not thus overload our vessels, nor take
any more than could be safely carried this
our interest and our feelings would dictate;
but now we are obliged to take all we can
crowd in, because of the risk. If wo make
one good run in three, we are the gamers;
and running SO much risk as we do, we are
compelled 10 resort to means that we do not
approve to remunerate us for the losses your
opposition to our trafic imposes. II the slave
trade was regulated and not prohibited, the
carrying of negroes from Africa would be no
worse for them than the carrying emigrauts
from Europe now is. But being illegal, and
requiring concealment, we are compelled to
take more than we otherwise would, and tfc-
suen,ly 10 make them suffer to secure our