The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-10-15

aud all, may unite their hearts and hands in this
glorious and noble 'consummation? n And shall
We not ask upon our united labors, His bless
ing, without which all exertions would be vain;
and that in his all-wise Providence, from the
government Of our once again constitutions"
Union, there should be reflected the mild add l.
peaceful radiance of His righteousness aud His I
Justice, upon the prosperous and happy citizens.
OF free and sovereign Siaies!
slave Trade In Brazil Over. action Of Bfit.
A Ha ISM Cruisers. &sgN fG ss.a
a correspondent Of thp 10 adon Daily Ne,0s
writes AZ follows, under l-.te Of ,s.., A,,., u,
Rio DE JArEIRo. Aug. 81, 1851.
In former letter, after having detailed to
you the vigorous and effeclise measures taken
by the brazilian government for the SUI preston
Of the slave trade, expressed fear that some
act OF violence or injustice, on the part of our n
cruisers, would change the favorable course 4
which things were ticking. am sorry to state
that my prediction has been fulfilled, and will
now state to you some of those proceedings, q.
which are grestly to be lamented inasml,clr as I,
they tend to illustrate the object in view, but ,
doubly so in that they disgracs our English
flag, and reflect deep discredit upon our naval =
officers. The first case which 4 have to report ?,
is the capture and destruction Of the brigoa
Piratlnin'' and the facts Of the case will state
IN as few words as possible, leaving you to form
your own opinion Of the legality Of the capture. X
The Pratinim sailed from Bahia. with 4 cargo =
OF 1000 alqueires of SALT 81 packages of saffi-r
enware and china, and few barrels of Sherry. :,
and Madeira wines. Her passengers were the :
Senior Leitao, the owner of large sugar estate
near Cawpos, and 81 slaves belonging to the
same gentleman. 1t Is unnecessary q, re 70; re- g
mark that about one-third of the numbsr wens.s
mulattoes, and that all the others were creoles,
and speaking the Portuguese language) Each /,
slave was furnished with passport from the ~
police authorities of Bahia, had been duly desad
spatched from that port and had embarked u
publicly, and during the day time; in short, the
cargo of the Piratnim was in all respects legal
one. and she pursued her voyage with all the
confidence snd fancied security Of an honest
trader. A few days after leaving port, che wss !
encountered by the Sharpshooter steamer,
whose signal to lie TO was immediately re-
sponded to; her dispatches, &C., were produced,
but undeniable as wss the evidence offered Of d
her innocence, the Piratiuim was adjudQed toro
be lawful prize, the slaves were transferred 70 /,
the Sharpshooter, and to crown all, "a general
division (says the 10, nal do Commercially or the
wines, china, and other spoil was made amongst
the oticers and crew Of the Sharpshootes; To,
Piratinm was then set FIRE TO and sunk /"
The excitement and indignation caused in Rio
by the disgracefnl proceeding was intense, and
scarcely bad the popular feeling In some degree
subsidized, when q new ostrage was reported.
even less justifable IL possible than the preced-
ing. The Barz'lian brig Moro llelio left this
port for Santa Catharina on the Goth OF July,,9
with cargo Of merchandise OF the value Of
about f2,O00 sterling; on the 2slh she was de-
tanned by the steamer Locust, and although
absolutely nothing was found on board to
criminate her, vet she was made prize or and
sent TO st. Helena. Her passengers (amonpst
whom was Brazilian clergyman returning 10
this parish In Santa Catharina) were landed in n
boat Of the Locust iaTheir domestic slaves
says the journal do Commercio, were allowed
TO accompany them only upon the payment of q,
sum equal to fIo per head, the receipts for which
payment are still 10 the hands the passengers
Other cases, OF similar mature 10 those above,
are reported, one of them in particular of n
peculiarly piraticsl character; but ~ have not
the means OF sssertaining the truth of those
statements, abstain from giving You the par
tic,lars. Part Of tho cargo Of the Nopoi Melioa
consisted Of 80 barrels Of -four. shipped for
Santa Catharina by the eminent American firm
Of Maxwell, Wright, and CO. You are perhaps
aware that this firm stands at the very head Of
ths foreign commercial houses Of this city; and
this fact alone conceive 10 be sufficient 70 con-
II
tunate is II for the cause Of justice that this has
occurred, ss the position Of Messrs. Maxwell,
Wright and Co, Is such ne cannot fail 10 pforore
for them the Naturalization which, us TRAIL.
ians, they would probably have bsen denied.
In word, 50 unjust are the Nceedings of
our cruisers, that the British re,i, in Rio de
Janeiro are placed IN the iful - most nnu-e
sual position Of being sslnosi ashamed 10 Sc
knowledge themselves 10 be Englshmen; and
passive as the Brazilians have been under To-
peaied insults and injuries, yet IL this system d
persevered in, an outbreak Of popular fceIihy
viii most assurediy take place, and Engiish. life
and property be seriously jeopMdised. The
foregoing facts | communicate ~ you, ia the
hope that you will give them all possible pub
licity, that Englishmsn at home may lesrnhow
their Gag Is bei1g Disgrace. upon the cosst Of
Brazil, BY being made 10 cover such scts Of in
justice snd oppression; that the opponents Of
the slave trade may Judge Tor themselves whether
the present system is calculated 10 bring about
the long. desired result; that British merchants
may consider how il will effect their extensive
commercial relations with the empire; and that
public opinion at home may declare agsisst this
abuse Of ous superior power, in thus employing
It TO trample upon end oppress weak and I'M
offending nation. All That she can do, Brazil
has done and IL still doing for the suppressionof
the traffic; bot, u unjostice Is thus allowed ~
be prsctieed it'll impuuity, and lswless outrage
on the part Of our officers 10 10 be followed by
the promotion and reward OF its perpetrators,
then the means employed v III most sssuredly
defeat their end /: the Brazilian government will
be thrown into difficulties which win obliQe ito
withdraw its present energetic Opposition 10 thc
trade II has proved thai our cruisers Of them
selves arc entirely inefficient 70 repress T. and,
after having had the end 90 earnestly sought for
almost in our grasp, we shall find Ourselves fsrS
Al - a.. cv.< fxcv,, A..