New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-12-28
THE AFRICAN SQUADRON

To D. Ed.t, # Tn ". & Tri5une.
SIR: IIavng spent about t3ree yesrs and ha'f on
tie Wes'ern Coast Of Africa, being about 20 sal
again for tie came fed, ie lat could not do JUS
tee to my own feelings aud 10 my duty TO my coun-
tIy eDd her commerce without asking you 70 permit
NE to sey few words through The TRIBUNE TO my
country neil and our National Legislature before ny
return. | think my positon-ihat OF a Mssionary-
while abroad he's been such tia; and have
looked OF matters from such n standpoint rs 10 be
ALE to speak adyisediy, without teiag blinded by
personal interest. The matefto sbch wish, through
your Courtcsy, 30 call the minds Of ny countryme
ard National legislature is relative 10 the recalling
of our squadron from the coss! OF Africa and some
tfirgs pertaining TO the movements Of the squadron
while On ibo coast.
You sro seare that the question has been seriously
moote5, for one or two Year,, whether the African
COST should not be entirely abandoned b. our Gov
einmontto :, tender meTces Of the cruelty selfish
tl4ve dealer If the only business OF our cruisers on
the wet coast Of Africa were the srppTe sion Of tao
slave trade tber TO my Mid, the ques''o of cpnto-
usuce or CiscOL trUaIce would be V-ry -uch mOii-
fed, 70 say TIE least. But Sir this /. ouly single
item in tie account. 1t is not only TO determine
whether the foo d-faes Of the sweeping tide of the
slave Il ode sba be left wide oper, out whether the
commerce of that mighty continent shall be fosterei
and developed srd not only whether il shall be de-
velopod, but also whether II shall come to US, to
whom according to the Nil1s, ocean currents, and
locality it naturally belongs.
ON this lost IOiI :. permit ne 10 shy that / have
often covered with some OF the most intelligent
English nerchnnts the rest coast of Africa, and
they have ever, uIhesitatIDgy, said TO me, " The
trade Vi Africa is better adapted TO an American
Chen to q European market. 10 you II legumateiy
"belonqs, snd You Will have il just as soon rs you
wake up Ia It's vast importance, and claim 1t by
"your fostering care and protection
First | would say that II shoud be efficiently MAN.
taued for the supp and extinction OF the slave
trade know thati s SAID that our squadron is almost
entirely Inefficient in accomplishing t1is good work.
Grant thai il has done but little, which il mi. ht nave
done vet the vfry fact that cruisers have been
II G Cost however lax in thor measures has had
good il fueI &C. from the feet that they could not al
WAYS be disiI gusbed By the SLAYER from tho English
cruisers. Take them away, and the SLAYER would have
lss tOguard against therefore, would be more daring,
and bring of more of hs poor victims would hsye
it rendered far mOre Efficient by having the same
number Of m,n and guns sent out aboard OF two or
three times o. msuy ard smaller vessels. This, as
yen may resdly see would add very much to the eff
cioIcy Of squadron, without increasing It's cost 10
our treasury but little. Again. 70 make it what il
saoud be for that coast boIh for the suppression Of
tie slave trade and to foster and protect commercial
Interests there Ought to be at leas wOsmal steamers
connected with that squadron VIII y could run up
the lorger rivers ] was informed by Commodore
Mayo that be could do not iDg T. protect he citizens
property Of the United States up the rivers only by
stIoing his boats These the natives could, il
thew wis prevent frOm 6ecerd IL any river five
miles. Now ak ought our citizens to be leit by
then mother country, While abroad to promote her 10
teIests the good of their fellows thus unguarded
Secondly: l3reely increas pg commerce demands
The maintenance II Gu ecitnt squtGrCD, which shall
be aways available to our supercaTgoes and mer-
cht mt cap .sis oil parts Of tha extended coast;
o'Ltrw sc we may as WELL first rs last give np send
jig our vessels ard Africa II Is we'll known
TO ali seaeoiDg en- that discipline cannot be main
tbiued away from our shores without some court OF
api cal to which they may apply IN tunes OF necessity
II il were necessary, might cite many eases which
fell under my Observation during the tons was
on the coast to illustrate this last point. To render
Out squadIon more available 10 our merchant ship
ping they shouli be instructed to call more fequent
~ at Gambia and Sierra Leone where much Of our
trade is carried ON. Duri9g las year the crews OF a
number of vessels refused 20 do duty AZ thoe ports.
| was at FreetOwD, 5. L., during two or three Of
these scenes and told by Capt. John L. IsJ lor,
our Consul al that port, that be could Go nothing 20
oblige them TO return to duty, for want of manOf
10 enforce lis 0rders In consequence OF this our
interests suffer l. and the lives OF some of our
men were sacrificed by deserving aut remaining
bore in spite Of the eXertons OF Consul Taylor Let
few statistics illustrate the necessity of our fostering
and protecting commerce on the Western Coast oil
Africa FfOm two OF our rivers and their Tributaries,
during the year 1852, were sent abfosd, palm
oil palm.nuts rice. camWOOd benne see and ivory,
10 the value OF lot less than $50 900. From Sierra
Leone and vicinity, in lei9. were shipped, ac-
coIdr 10 statistics sken from Oldfel1s Almanac Tor
1854 . coo lbs. arroWo)t, from eOOOVO - lOOOU
bushels ground-nuts, 3J3 tuns cdmIOod, 81 200 lbs.
beeswax 100000 lbs. gngerroot 5000 lbs. gum
copal, $50 600 dry hides, 2OeoO lbs. ivory, 900
lbs. Cayenne pepper, and 200 600 gallons Palm'oi.
This sou see does not include the gold which Is not
q email item Also, from 5j 600 70 200 bushels OF
palm-nuis kernels and some Thousands of bushels OF
benne see. ! need not multiply WORDS or arguments;
think that all must see, from the foregoing, that 70
say the least 10 withdraw the West-Airican squadron
would he suicidal TO the best Interests oi ou COIL
MERGE and the cause Of humanity.
AN. siT. yours yeIy respectfully $3.50 -
S-rcfscr S,r,uo, Dee. II