The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-08-21
TRANSATLANTIC AFFAIRS.

TRANSATLANTIC AfFhlhD'
-, p.,,,.r.,on claims that the African slave trade
4, e.tinguished north of the equinOctial line-The
,o-oneration Of Portugal and France In that work
The Imaum of MuscaI against the trade-LOrd
paImerSton credits Liberia with much Of the praise
dine for Fngland's success in this mstter-BTazil
working against the slave trSde-France on the re-
vision of her COnstitution-TheF remarkable change
in the temper Of the various political parttes-The
false position Of Cavaignac and the Republican
IavSS Of the monaFchist Berryer-The legal and act
uaI emOluments Of the Biftfsn energy.
{ %-S T~asRt debate ass s%TT"4'y hill. Lord Pal
msrstOn made statement in the Englisn House
Of Commons, Of particular interest to the readers
Of the Era, bearing, as it does, on the African
slave trade Mr. Hume questioned the propriety
of voting the sum of 100000 for its extinction /;
when Lord Palmerston, being thus called upon to
defend this item in the bill under consideration,
said that the trade was well nigh wholly extin-
guished north of the line" with the exception
Of two pOints-POrtO NOvo and Lagos. The dis
position to prosecute it, he declares, continues to
exist only among the chiefs, the people being bet
ter pleased to prosecute lawful trade with the
Europeans) in the country's products. They are
beginning to raise cotton Of a good quality, and
promise large supply of that article in the fu-
ture. Portugal has heartily cOooperated with
Englands measures for the extinction of the slave
trade, having psralyzed it at Loando and other
Of her chief stations on the coast. Many of the
Portuguese heretofore engaged in the business
have been thus forced to suspend operations alto
geher, transferring their ships, capital and ener
gies to trade of legitimate character On the
East African coast, the imaum of Muscat has re-
Gently granted to England facilities for the de-
sruction Of the slave trade never before conceded
in consequence of which the bsrrsooOns On the
rivers in the southern portions of his dominions,
for the supply of the Portuguese and Brazilian ira
dsrs which we're capable Of holding several thou
sands. have been broken up. Lord Palmerston
ssurYoutsa much Of the success Of these British
operations TO his Governments treaties with the
native chiefs, to the progress of Liberia, within
whose extensive territories the trade has been
fully and finally destroyed, and to the hearty CO.
operation of the American and French navies
Heretofore Brazil was the chief market to
which the slaves went but within the past year
the concentration Of British squadron on the
coast Of Brazil, and Lord Palmerston's earnest
remOnstrances with that Government, have re-
suited in the enactment, in September last, of a
Brazilian ordinance, making the slave trade pira-
cy. Subsequently Brazil has gone to work vigor.
Ously to do her share Of the requisite work In
the last eight months she has thus broken up
many establishments for landing and selling
slaves. Already, according to this orator, there
are but hundreds Of slave-trading establishments
there where two years ago there were thousands.
He also declares that England has been lsboring
under a strange mistake, in believing that Brazil
as a nation, is opposed to the extinction OF the
trade, and is inclined to cling to it. The navy OF
Brazil is now cruising in conjunction with the
British squadron for its suppression, and cheer
fully co6perates in destroying the barracocns on
the coast, releasing the slaves found in them,
and otherwise putting stop to the business.
Many Of the dealers have been banished, and one
hundred and forty of them have quietly trans
ferred their capital to legitimate trade One slave.
dealer, a member Of the FOnseca family, has lost,
in consequence Of the late operations no less than
eighty-one vessels, worth nearly two millions Of
dollars Floating capital in Brazil, TO the extent
OF Six millions of dollars, previously engaged in
the slave trade, has been recently withdrawn from
that pursuit, and invested in bank in Lisbon
This trade with Cuba, Lord Pslmerston added,
has been reduced to very low amount, when
compared even with that remaining 10 Brazil
He emphatically cOntradicted the popular i'm
preston, that II had increased in the Cuban quar-
ter. Some Of the liberal English papers, the
Spectator, for instance, intimate that there Is no
little Cannon In his lordship's statements and
Mr. Hume, assuming them to be true, plumply
denies the propriety Of voting eco, 900 for the
next years work in breaking up business thus
voluntarily abandoned by the greater part Of
those heretofore engaged in it. However. the
money, and as much more for the same purpose
Ior the next ten years, will probably be voted
FROM the signs Of the times, 1t is fair to Judge
'nSt the United States will be the first Govern.
ment belonging TO the snti-African slave trade
0Ohcordat which is to refuse to make further ap-
preparations to carry out its ends and aims.
IN France, the discussion of the project for the
VI" CONSTITUTION continues 70 absorb
PuoLc attention, occupying most of the time OF
'He chamber, OF course. The speeches from the
,'auefs OF the four parties-Legitimists, Orlsan-
H meas, ana Moderate Republicans on this
question, have BEEN one and all, distinguished by
aegree Of calmness never before manifested in
french legislature Thus, all have treated the
uen'ous subject-matter properly - discsrdipg
,ns 'nonght and feeling, as it were, bat plain,
'An'lal patriotism and reason Legitimists
49, rev months since we're up to their eyes Ia
against the Government and Reds, who at
a. 'ne were as busy with counter plots against
"a possible restoration Of Legitimacy, nov CON-
we question Of the future Of France phi
p"'cally, each urging the views Of his party,
~oash his nind was made up to peaceably
L.. ,A''hiuily abide the popular decision, while
.do".s 70 convince the country that In the
., pN'n OF his views there Is alone safety for the
future Of France.
q. "gnae has played the part Of chief advocate
party In whom France must place her
uo.., n~nce, II she would continue Constitu-
,S INA Republic In fact as we'll az in name Yet
u,,.'I om on which he bases the creed Of his DO.
~ 'rends-that Government should An No
a p.r"i' the principles on which Il Is founded
- discussed, is directly In the teeth Of sAs
:" true eivii libsrty-ths right Of free dIs.