Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-05-18

~ obSOh Nao lUlNilfIlY lTDIl NEW IIuVHn
and at pres,Itt the editor Of the Day Book,
daily paper in this city. lie wished TO say
once for all, that the facts he was about /,
read were published in the Day Book during
the late visit of President Roberts and suite
while in this city, and they remain uncontra
dlcted 10 the present time, notwithstanding.
the challenge Of the editor 10 d~isprove them
The facts are these:
"Joseph J. Roberts, the President Of tn,
colony Containing by their own statements
5000 lnhabitants) and John n. Lewis, Thu
Secretary OF the colony, were, in 1887, tn,
agents, employers and factors Of Pedro Blan
CO, the greatest slave-tradcr on The coast
Roberts was employed 10 purchase vessel
Tor him in Sierra Leone TO he used as SLAYER,
after having been captured and condemne,
under the Portuguese l,g. Lewis was EN-
ployed to store goods and merchandise des
tined for the Slave Trade and was for year,
in close connection with Blanco and his a
gents. The brother of Payne, now a mis-
sionary, was regularly employed as a work.
man at the slave factory at New Sesters.-
The writer saw him there in 1889. The CO.
lony in 1886 1873 and 80 was one of the
greatest auxiliaries Of the Slave Trade, and
the slave-traders in return were the chief sup
port and defence of the colony. Without
their aid, the colony would have nearly per-
ished in 1888. The whole colony favored
ihe Slave Trade, and rejoiced in every OPP
poTtunity TO enter the service of the Slavers.
The slave vessels were the most frequent vi
sitants Of Liberia. There were sometimes
six of them anchored at Monrovia for a week
together, active in business connected with
Slave Trade. (Day Book, July 3, 1852
John N. Lewis in 1887 was in the employ Of
Pedro Blanco, the great Spanish trader at
Galinhas, about 60 miles from Monrovia, and
within the territory of the Colony of Liberia.
He was Blanco's store-keeper at Monrovia,
and received a large amount Of money for
services in conneXion with the Slave Trade,
and for rent of store hired of him by lilan-
co.
"While the brig Tvanhoe was discharg-
ing a large cargo of tobacco belonging 10
Blanco at Monrovia (Which was then a de-
pot of the Slave-Traders, and quite indispen-
sable TO their traffic on account Of the bad
ness Of the surf at Galinhas in that year,
John n. Lewis had at his house for several
weeks an agent or factor Of Bldnco, named
Thomas Rodriguez Buron. John n. Lewis
brought this grntlemanly slave trader to Dr..
Bacon's house and introduced him Of his
own accord" (Day Book, July l2.)
"The pastor Of The Baptist Church at that
time, the Rev. Colin Teage (uncle of Mr..
Payne) was employed at the same time with
John N. Lewis TO store cargoes for Pedro
Banco. His store-house was also a depot
for the slave-traders, and he received plenty
of money from Blanco without hesitation.-
Here were dozens and scores of Liberian
Christians actively and %joyfully engaged in
the Slave Trade without any more compunc-
ton than they would have !ell about the palm
oil trade.
at is a notorious fact in Africa that the
colony of Liberia was for years an important
auxiliary to the Slave Trade, and thai the
facilities and convenience of the slavers
were vastly increased by it. The Spanish
and Portuguese traders were always heartily
welcomed and were the most popular men
that ever visited Liberia.
"The Liberia colonisrs themselves freely
bought and owned slaves at that time. The
editor of the Day Book was advised and
strongly urged by a prominent and most res
pectable and religious Liberian, high in office,
TO purchase two slaves for his household, on
account Of the difficulty Of retaining free
natives for any considerable time in any
steady employment" (Day Book, July I5.)
At a subsequent meeting the same speak.
ers remarked.
Last evening | presented some facts
which | considered necessary TO add TO
the interest and influence of the meeting,
and am now about to present some adj.
ditional facts showing the connection
of the Liberia colony with the Slave
Trade. | learn further in presenting
this series of facts, hat during The wear
1887, a Portuguese vessel, a SLAYER, was
taken by a British cruiser, carried into
Sierra Leone, and by the. Judgment Of
the Commission Court, according TO Brit.
ish law, was condemned and sold. J. J..
Roberts, alias governor Roberts, alias,
President ROBBERS, went up from Monro-
via TO Sierra Leone and purchased this
vessel. AT that lime it was supposed
that Mr.. Roberts was not q wealthy man;
indeed it vas pretty we'll known that he
was not so. However, the vessel was
purchased by him. 1t was then sailed
down and laid off the harbor at Monrovia
and christened 1.-THE M~onrovia," in
honor of the colony. 1t lay there at
anchor apparently useless; indeed nobody
probably knew what Roberts could want
Of u vessel of that sort-I think. a vessel
of twenty ions. 1t appears, however,
that after a few days a young Spanish
gentleman, Roderiguese Buron, an agent
of The slave dealer, Pedro Blanco, came
down from Galinhas, a station between
Monrovia and Sierra Leone. He was
taken sick in the colony, and was attend
cd by DR.. Bacon. When he became
convalescent he desired one day, while
going down the coast in the small boat.
TO be taken out TO This vessel. lie was
in company with the Doctor al the tire.
and he remarked, 'ihat craft is mine"
1t was well known that Buron was Il per-
son Of no means Of his own, but simply
the agent, acting under the commands Of