Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-06-24
THE AFRICAN SQUADRON AND SLAVE TRADE.


posa to terminate that provision of the Ashburton
Treaty by which the United States stipulated to
maintain squadron on the coast of Africa to aid
Great Britain in the suppression Of the slave trade
We can only suppose the Report to be genuine from
the fact that several confidential papers of the Sc
nate have recently reached US through the same
channel The Committee, it will be perceived, re-
commend the abrogation Of the Treaty referred to,
on the ground of the responsiveness and ineficency
of the means adopted but disclam in the strongest
terms any purpose of encouraging the slave trade
or of relaxing any agency which shall promise any
thing efectual towards its abolition.
CONFIDENTIAL
Report Of the Committee on Foreign Relations OF
tie Senate resolution relative 10 the abrogaon Of the
sM Article Of tho Treaty Gih Great Britain Of the 9th
august, 1872 propidag for maintaining Naval force on
the coast Of africa, &C.
The Committee on Foreign Relations to whom was re-
ferred the resolution submitted by Mr. sLDELL, the
29h May, 1854 that in the opinion of the Senate it is
expedient and in conformity with the interests and sound
policy of the United States that the 9Th article of the
treaty between this Government and Great Britain Of the
9Th of August 1872 should be abrogated; and that
should the President Of the United STATES concur in this
opinion, he be requested signify the Government of
Great Britain in conformity with the llh article of that
treaty the wish of this to terminate the said
Sh article have had the under consideration and
now respectfully report
That by the Sh article of the treaty with Great Bril-
tain, made at Washington on the 9th Of August, 1872,
commonly known the Ashburton treaty, the parties
mutually stpuate that each shall prepare, equip and
maintain in service, the coast OF Africa, sufficient
and adequate squadron naval force Of vessels of suit
able numbers and descriptions, to carry in all not less
than 80 guns enforce separately and respectively the
laws rights and obligations of each of the two countries
for the suppression Of the sayerade the said squad
be independent Of each other but the two Gov
prn u1afp IN riya
to the officers commanding their respective forces
shall enable them most efectualy to in and
cooperation upon mutual consultation, exigencies
arise, for the attainment of the true of this
article copies of all such orders to be communicated by
each Government to the other, respectively"
BY the 18th article of the treaty it is declared
that the Sh article shall be in force for FIVE years from
the date of the exchange Of the ratification and after
wards until one or the other party shall signify wish
| terminate it. lt NJ
The policy of stpuations Of this kind with any foreign
Power may well be questioned general grounds; but
your committee do think it necessary enter upon
large and debatable field Of discussion and will
fine themselves to examination of the question whether
admitting the proprety and expediency of the measure
at the time of its adoption, with the imperfect
information then possessed it may be proper
and expedent now to abrogate it. 1t then supposed
that the most efficient mode of suppressing the slave
trade to employ numerous cruiZers the Of
Africa and the very caption Of the treaty indicates the
results that expected to be obtained by it, 1t is
entitled treaty to settle and define the boundaries
sessions of her Britannia Majesty North America for
the final suppression of the African slave trade &c. 1t
believed that the best point for the employment of
naval force for the attainment of object which the
people and Government Of the United States desired
quite earnestly her Britannia Majesty and her sub
ects the coast of Africa An experience of twelve
years has demonstrated the fallacy Of that opinion.
Large squadrons have been kept up during that period
by the two Powers, at expense in money,
with lamentabe loss of life and destruction of the
health Of the officers and men employed in that noxous
climate And what has been the results Let the record
show The British squadron comprises several steamers
counting in all = vessels carrying about 800 guns and
5000 men, The annual expense of the squadron is
s706 450, about e. 100000 This is the expense pro-
the coast connected with this service and which
otherwise be dispensed with is estimated $500 900
$780, 900 Take the lowest figure and you have 81 $780,
OU0 to add to the direct cost of the squadron making
total annual expenditure of So 00O 000 In 1915 alone
the number ofdeaths of officers and men was 259 and
Of officers and men nvalided 271.
The United States have four vessels and eighty guns
the coast of Africa being about eeghth of whole
naval force afoa; and as the estimated expense of the
navy after deducting special objects such the
poraton of the mail in steamships improvement Of navy
yards, &C., is the annual cost of this squad
ron may be fairly calculated at $S00000 900 600
per year This, it will be observed is considerably less
than the cost gun of the British squadron which is
| about Sl1,100.
1t is subject Of congratulations however that for the
last four years the mortality of officers and
poyed in this service bears favorable comparison with
tnat OF other stations Ihs the Navy Department atr
to the extraordinary sanitary adopted by
| the officers of the squadron.
France at time obligated herself to keep up an
equal force with Great Britain the Of Africa gay
twentysx vessels but finding the engagement too
ous she applied the British Government for modif-
cation of the treaty, which conceded and she
has only twelve vessels employed There pre-
else data which the expenditure of France be esab
shed, but, estimating it by the proportion of vessels
employed, say twelve to twentysx, it would be about
81, 000 The annual joint expenditure of England
France and the United States thus appears to be
$4,000 900. n.
Mr. HUT the chairman of the Select Committee of the
House of Commons appointed investigate this ques-
ton, stated the 10Th of March, 1885, that the num-
Der Of slaves exported from Africa had sunk down
1872 the very year Of the negotiation of the Ashburton
treaty, to very nearly 100000 In lS43 it rose to 600
in 1876 it 10000; in 1S47 il was 81 000 and was
then in state of unusual activity" Sir CHARLES HoL
THAM who commanded for several years the of
Africa, and VINO is Of the most distinguished officers
of the British Navy his examination before the select
committee thus replied to the queries propounded him
"Wa the force under your command in high state of
discipline, generally speaking ~ thought So"
"Were your vws carried by the officers under your
command to your entire satisfaction 2" entirely So"
What the result of your operaons did you succeed
| in stopping the slave. trade 2" "No."
Dd you cripple it to such is in your opinion
calculated to give the slave-trade permanent check ?"
"No"
"Do you consider that the save-trade been generally
regulated by the strength and efficiency the British
the coast 10y the commercial demand for ~
that it entirely dependant upon the commercial
demand for slaves, and has little connexon with the
squadron"
iou think that the present system open many grave
objections other accounts and that it will not succeed "
Experience has proven the present system to be fuep