The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1849-07-26
ThP Slave Trade.

The following extract, from a letter of
WIN. Bryant, of the \. Y. Evening Post,
written from Havana, shows a state of things
III regard to the slave trade which but few
ina glued to exist in the middle of the 10Th
century 1t has been generally supposed,
that the efforts made by the United States,
Great Britain and France, TO suppress the
African Slave trade were in a great measure
successful. 1t would seem from the follow
ing, that it now fiourishes as extensively as
il did in the early part Of the eighteenth
century:
'The slave trade is again hourishing il.
full yigor in this island, to the satisfaction
of the cold Spaniards,' and the great dis
content.of the CreCles or Cubans. Under
the influence of the vigorous demands of
England for the execution Of the treaties on
this subject, there was, for about couple
Of years, including the close of O'Donneit's
term of government, a decided dimInutIon
of the importation of slaves: and in the
first months of the administration of the
present Captain General Roncali, many
were deceived into The belief that the era
ia" would find no friend in him. But the
truth is, [ repeat, that IL as again flourish
ing IN .flN Uigor. The English treaties
are so much waste paper. 1t is notorious
that the Queen Mother Christian, through
her known agents, is the largest operator in
this inhuman traffic. In a former letter, |
mentioned that a number of cargoes were
expected, and that her money was under
stood to be at the bottom of the principal
enterprises. A well informed gentleman
tells me that about ten cargOeS have been
landed within the past two months, which
he supposes TO have averaged , at least 400
! Ella popH knntbnr inf thot iuht
cargOes more are expected within few
weeks. The whole machinery of African
squadrons, treaties and Mixed Commissions,
is worthless il not worse. SO long as the
market demands, and Spanish despotism
rules in Cuba, they aviW come. The SLAVE
trade, so far as regards this branch OF it.
will never rease till Cuba becomes one of
the United States.
General RoncaI's fee for the introduction
of slaves, is three ounces ($51) a head
another ounce ($lO TO be paid to the Cap
tain Of the Partldo, or district, in which the
landing is effected. 4 purchaser of lot of
a hundred, recently applied to the Captain
General for a remission of part of the fee,
on account Of the sickness and miserable
condition of a portion of his lot. He APP
piled in vain. This comes to me through a
reliable channel, from a relative of the per-
son referred to- The number recently i'm
ported is so much larger than the market
can easily absorb. that the slave brokers are
urging them on The planters in any quaint
ties, at reduced prices, and on long credits.
When sold, they are always described, not
"a slaves, but as "buitos" or packages
The farce is occasionally enacted by the au-
thorities of making n seizure of a trtlIn9
number, (seecting the sick and least valua-
ble for that purrose) by way Of throwing
a little, very little dust in the eyes of the
English, and of pretending to be in earnes,
in the ostensihe public prohibition of the
trade. Fifteen poor wretches were in thi,
way brought up to Havana a few days ago
This is simply adding an additional touch
Of hypocrisy to the other revolving features
Iof the business as it was carried on under
Roncali's predecessors