Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-11-24
From the British Anti Slavery Reporter.
Slave Trade.

n series OF papers, most ably written, " on
the slave-trade and the African squadron"
are IN course of publication in the columns
of the Patriot newspaper. The object of
these papers is to Justify the continuance of
the squadron OH the African coast, not for
the !" suppression" of the slave-trade, for
that idea is wholly abandoned, but for its "re-
presslon," in conjuction with other schemes,
partaking of the double character of gov-
ernmental interference with commercial op-
e%rations, and philanthropic control to give
them a humane direction.
Though our mind has long been made
up on the various issues presented TO public
attention in these papers, we hail their ap-
pearance, because we are satisfied the more
the slave-trade and its remedies are discussed
tile nearer we shall approach TO the solution
of n moral problem, which is ffaught with
so much happiness to Africa, and is dear to
the heart of philanthropists in this country.
1t is not necessary, however, that those who
have honestly the same object in view, the
complete extinction of the slave-trade, should
treat each other as antagonists, or adopt a
language which may irritatc but can never
convince. The writer of the papers oflends
IN this particular. lie says:-"By acgrava-
ting the horrors of the middle passage, and
throwing the responsibility of them on the
vigilance of our cruisers, n successful appeal
is made to the humanity of eucry ShoJf-sightcd,
mttddte-hcGded Gb0ldionisis." Now our old
ally, for it is impossible to mistake the pen
TO which we are indebted for the these pa
pers, will permit us to say, that we have stu
died the evidence upon this subject as well
rs himself; and are satisfied that the slave
trade Committee fairly represented it when
it declared, in one of its resolutions" That
the suflerings and mortality of slaves in the
horropnnn= and in Tho p,iI1i, e,o ,o o-o 49,,
palling TO humanity, and The intensity Of the
sqfarings and the amount Of mortality are I'M
e~rampied IN the history Of the siGue-trade."-
That this dreadful fact results from the traffic
having been declared Illegal, and from the
efforts to suppress it by the cruisers, is obvi-
Gus to us, and d"emonstrable, we think, from
the evidence now accessible TO the public
Instead, therefore, of our old friend, whose
eminent services in promoting the abolition
of slavery in the British colonies entities him
to the highest consideration and respect
lowering himself TO the use of terms as of
fensive as they are inapt, let him show us the
error which has been committed, and prove
; that it is possible TO "aggravate the horror
A of the middle passage" and thus render
: less an object of loathing than it is at pre-
sent.
But our object is not so much to revie'
d these papers at the present moment, as
= correct some inaccuracies into which the
author has fallen. Advocates, as we arc, {
y what are commonly called "peace prime
pies" we have never placed the question {
: the withdrawal of the cruisers, and the sub
- %stitutiOn of more efficient measures for tn
suppression OF the slave-trnde, on that ground
We have been driven TO the conclusion b.
I the facts of the case. In this service tn
cruisers have been employed, at an enormou
cost, since the year 1919; they have beef
stationed off the coasts of Brazil and Cuba
2 as well as of Africa; they have been aug
i mented in number, and to facilitate commu
~nication with each other, and to render then
more efficient, they have been assisted b.
5 steamers; and what has been the result P
e The Report of the Slave-Trade Committe
e states it, in the following terms :-"Tha
c from the end of the year 1916, down to Tia
n present period, the strength and efficiency @
II the British preventive squadron have bee
k raised to a point never before attained, an
that squadron (twenty-siX vessels, includin
steamers has been supported by the squad
!. rons of France and the United State (abou
= thirty ships of war in addition,O according t
treaties . and that the total number Of M
groes liberated by British cruisers, in The yem
re 1876 and 1917, scarcely exceeded four per cen
il Of The slaues carried of from africa IN tho'
years. Snch we believe TO be the facts
id the case; nor do we conceive ourselves
lie be either "short-sighted" or "muddle-hc;
V. ded.n because we believe with Lord job
/ Russell, on a review of all the circumstance
ID of the case, that to repress the foreign slav
is trade" we beg our friend TO mark the word
n "by a marine guard could scarcely be pos.
bic, if the whole British navy could be ell
ployed for that purpose. 1t is an evil tn
can never he adequately encountered by al
system Of mere prohibition and penalties
We shall return TO this important subje
when the papers are completed.