Washington sentinel., 1854-01-10
THE SLAVE TRADE.

s~~<N
About week or ten days ago the Albany
Atlas affirmed that we had advocated renewal
Of the African slave trade. Two or three days
ago we were charged, by n western paper, with
being freesoilers. Five days ago we received
a noti6cati that q journal, which advocated
Mr.. Chase's election TO the Senate, abused US,
because Mr.. Chase voted for the publisher Of
the Sentinel MS printer to the Senate. We do
not wish to be considered profane, and we trust
that we will not be so considered when we
quote the long established formula of the law
by saying that none of these men had the
fear Of God before their eyes, but were moved
and instigated by the devil "s.
If there be anything on earth which We scorn
most, thar thing is freesoilism; for we have
even more contempt for freesoiler than we
have for an abolitionist, because the freesoiler
is always dangerous and never honest; whilst
the abolitiouist is sometimes dangerous, and
occasionally, though rarely, conscientious.
We cannot understand what the Albany atlas
means when it says that we wish to renew the
African slave trade. We rather think that its
words were dictated BY that reckless and un.
scrupulous disregard of truth which has long
characterized it, and its frecsoil and abolition
co-laborers.
But it may be that certain expressions which
one of the editors of the Sentinel has frequently
used in conversation touching the treaty OF
Washington, may have been communicated to
y6a 1hony I'D II
do we condescend to notice the charge of the
New York abolition journal.
The treaty Of Washington was concluded and
ati6ed in l842. By that treaty the govern.
, .asnt of the United States stipulated to keep a
ieet ofeighty guns on the coast of Africa for the
space Of ten years, in order to aid Great Britain
in suppressing the slave trade on that coast :;
bnt the privilege was reserved of Withdrawing
that force after the expiration of ten years-six
months notice of the intention to do so, having
been first given to the British government. The
ten years mentioned in the treaty of Washing.
ton expired in 1852, and we believe that our
government should give the six months notice
provided for By tho treaty, and withdraw our
squadron from the African coast
Our chief and leading purpose in wishing to
see our squadron withdrawn from the coast Of
Africa is that it is actively engaged in protect
ing the British slare trade. Some people who
have not considered the subject suppose that
the great object Of the English government is
to put an end to the slave trade. But they are
mistaken. The English nation is one of the
greatest slave trading nations on the globe, and
our eighty guns on the coast of Africa are all
used to aid, and assist, and encourage, and
protect the slave traders of the British navy,
who are in effect, fully commissioned and au-
thorized slave traders by the British govern.
ment.
If we have not been most egregious!y duped
and deceived, the manner of operating amounts
TO this: ..-
When an American man.ofwar captures a
slaver-the slave vessel must be sent home to
be condemned, and sold as a prize; but the
slaves found aboard Of hef cannot be sold for
the benefit of the captors. On the contrary.
they must be carried back not ito old yir-
ginia's Shore" but to the coast of Africa, and
then they must Of necessity go Immediately into
the barracoon, where they are held in readi.
ness for the next SLAYER that makes its appear.
ance. But, if British vessel captures slave
ship, the case is very different; because the
british government pays for the capture OF
slaves as 1t would for the capture of prize,
besides promoting her officers for such service.
But that is not all
The British government does not return the
recaptured slaves to the coast of Africa and
give them their liberty. Oh, mol She claims
a lien on them for the expenses Of their reco,.
fure; and kindly, and humanely, and pb;la,.
thropieally, she sends them to Cuba or Brazil
and sells them for term Of years that necer
terminates, to reimburse the prize money. The
poor wretches having no master to protect them
and care for them--no names TO be known by
no language to make themselves understood.
and in fact no features by which they can be
identified are sold by the British government
into irretrieyable slavery.
We believe that the negro needs n master:
but we cannot see that the government of the
United States or the people ofthe States of this
Union should consent to continue to be the
protectors Of the British slave trade monopolv
Every man who has given ordinary attention
30 the occurrences on the coast of Africa for the
last ten years, must have been puzzled by the
fact that the American cruizer captures empty
ressels, whilst the British cruizer avoids the
empty vessel but sends up the rivers to cut out
the SLAYER wih The slapes on board The facts
which we have mentioned explain this pheno-
menon, and we have gathered them from reli.
able men, who have been on the coast of Az
ri,a.
Tths Albany 1Ras and It's abolition asso- |