Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1850-11-05
The African Slave Trade.

We see II stated that intelligence has Oeen
received in England, to The effect that The
Chamber OF Deputies, al Rio Janeiro. had
come 10 the determination to regard and de-
clare the slave thaje as piracy, and that,
conseq nently, ahe Brazilian Governmen,
would Immediately take the most stringent
,.steps 20 put an end to this inhuman trafc.
IL this berrue then the greatest obstacle
in the way Of the complete aud immediate
suspension of the African Slave trade, ~ at
once removed. The Government OF the Uni
ted States was the first To declare this trade
upon the high seas as piracy. Great BRIAN
aud other States Of the north of Earope fol-
lowed her example; bat so long as the vast
Empire Of Brazil kept open her ports for the
reception of slaves and The protection Of slave
vessels, comparatively liIlle could be effected
towrads the abolition of so profitable trade.
Although il is well knswn that there has
been a large traffic 10 The Spanish West ln-
dies, where though nominslly illegal. il has
been connived at by the authorities, yet the
great market. and the only open one, has
beeI Brazil.
We believe. although upon this point we
cannot be positive, that the foreign traffic ia
slaves has been also 10 Brazil. nominally llle-
gal, Tor The last twenty years. For we know
that by the terms of a convention entered 10
TO between Great BriIain aud Brazil, the ian
port alton of slaves was 10 cease after the
year 1880. But, however this my be, the
convention in its prsctcs. operation has been
virtually void. There has been of late years
slow but steady Increase.
We presume that very few Of those who
casually read or speak OF this Empire, real
iZe the immensely OF its territory, or the vast
extent OF its long line Of sea coast, with It's
innumerable ports and harbors. We shall
perhaps surprise some with the facts, that
the territorial area of Brazil is greater Than
that of the United States and her territories
before the annexation OF Texas, and ;hat
Brazil has line OF continuous sea coast on
the Atlantic OF more than our thousand miles
A line longer than that OF the United States,
with all its variations, from Passamaquoddy
Bay in name. to the mouth Of the Sabine
liver in Louisiana.
When we take into consideration the short
and easy lun from the African coast, before
;he Tide winds and with the equatorial cur
rent, and this almost interminable coast win
ITS lunumerable bays and rivers, which affOrds
facilities Tor The coOceslmeBt OF vessels and
the Decentralization of slaves; when We regard
the midness of the climate, the richness OF
the SOIL the great production with hat little
labor and the hundreds pf thousands ol acres
still unbIoken-when we regard all these,
we begin to comprehend something ot the
facilities for the prosecution OF this uahc.
and the inducements 10 its c0ntlnuance.-
We begin TO see the utter inetflciency oi all
the measures which have thus lar been ad-
opted 10 restrain or even 10 limirihs neiarl-
Gus occupation.
We begin to see that the small force Of
American and British armed cruizers en-
pIoyed To intercept the slaves, Is but bull
rush oppused To the mighty wind. Ii scarce
ly operates as check. For 10 spite of the
numerous captures which these fleets have
made, the number of slaves Imported has, II
is asserted, annually increased, since the es-
;ablishment OF this measure of prevention.
We are thus brought To the conclusion
that no measure whatever. save the rec0gnl-
ton of thls trade as piracy and the capdi
punishment of the offenders, by the Brazil
ian Government itself, could be permanently
effectua And it Is only by reflection upon
these circumstances, OF which we have gwen
a skeleton that the magnitude aud lmpoT-
tance of this alleged aclion on the part ot the
Brazilian Government can be properly esll-
mated. We trust, therefore. that tins most
gratifying Intelligence will receive positive
c0ntirmalIon.-l Cincinnati Gaz.