The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-08-06

N0xtnefn
II is rather singular that, while so many
merchants and business men have been induced
to sign protests against the possible extension
Of the area of slavery, the slave trade should
be mainly kept alive by the same class in New
York, Philadelphia and Boston. One after
another, the slavers which are captured turn
ont to be from one Of these ports; fitted out
manned, and cleared by some one or other Of
the highly phiIanthropic firms whose name
may figure at the foot of cali for free soil
meeting, or an anti-slavery demonstration. The
Gray Eagle is one instance in point. In her
case. the real promoters and authors Of the ne.
farious enterprise on which she sailed were
Northern merchants, men Of high character,
religious antecedents, and beautifully philan.
tbropic tendencies. The case Of the H. N
Gambril, the SLAYER that was taken by the
United States vessel Constitution, was precisely
similar. She cleared from New York, and was
vouched for by an eminent firm whose mem.
bers busted themselves actively in seducing
young sailors to ship for the cruise. No rea-
sonable man, possessing ordinary experience
could have entertained the smallest doubt Of
the object for which che wa sent to sea- had he
examined her at the time of her clearance. In
fact, the circumstantial evidence in her case
was so strong and so varied as to furnish q
comparative certainty that her agents here fitted
her out and engaged her crew for the direct
and sole purpose Of prosecuting the slave
trade. These ore only two out of scores Of
similar cases. -Four out Of every FIVE slavers
that are captured may be regarded as working
on account or for the interest Of Northern ship
owners or merchants and to those who have
paid attention to the subject it ia clear that the
only substantial promoters and participators in
the slave trade to-day are men Of capital in
Boston, Philadelphia and New York. We make
the assertion broadly, on the strength Of no or
care to trace to the bottom the recent cases Of
captured slavers will find reason to corroborate
our statement.
Couple with this the fact that, since the sup
preston of the slave trade, not single vesse |
engaged in that traffic has ever been known to
clear under the auspices of Southern merchants,
or even we believe to sail from Southern
port, and very instructive moral will be
evolved. In Boston the merchants head riot
to prevent the surrender of the slave Burns to
his master, and strive hard toEolate the consttu-
tion so as to interfere with slavery in the South
In New, York and Philadelphia the same class
protest Justify against the Nebraska bill, and
threaten the Union with dissolution if the area
Of slavery be extended. Butwith these treason
able doctrines and foolish threats on their lips
these very same men, it seems, secretly advance
the money to fit out slavers, and seduce young
sailors on board Of them, in the hopes of making
money by kidnapping negroes on the African
coast and selling them into slavery. Here is
practical philanthropy with vengeance! Ga
Monday the solid men Of Boston, the pillars Of
Wall street, OF the Quakers of Philadelphia
move resolutions rating the South soundly for
its liberation Of slavery, and characterize that
institution as the sum Of all iniquity." On Tues
day individuals Of the same cities draw cheques
on their bankers to pay for the equipment of q
SLAYER to sail from New York or Philadelphia
or use all their powers Of persuasion to obtain
an unsuspecting crew to ship for the infamous
voyage. Matters are 80 managed that the capt.
talist escapes legal responsibility; moral Ger
tainty Of his completely is all that can be OBJ
tanned, and the press and public opinion the
only tribunals to which he is amenable. Even
these can generally be deceived or silenced.
Who would suspect that the eloquent assail-
ant Of the Nebraska bill had invested couple
ofthousands in ship to be sent to Africa to
kidnap slaves? or that the eminent Christian
whose piety shines with such effulgence In the
church Of which he is member, has spent his
Saturday in engaging . crew to goson a slav-
ing cruise, beguiling them into the trap by
lies, misrepresentation, and brides? To men,
ton name, with or without legal or moral
evidence of the truth of the crime charged, is
libellous; and the law screens the Northern
SLAYER from public execration.
Thus ways Our philanthropy. Dealing in the
slave trade in the morning, and denouncing
slavery and the South at night-such is the
occupation Of many Of the pillars of the North
There is yet character for the novelist to
sketch that will make name for whomsoever
win paint it to the life. That character IL the
Northern SLAYER and abolitionist.
THE SENATE HOMESTEAD BILL AND THE SOUTH
ERN DExocRAcY,-Our readers have been ad-
Vic I'd &c fba yroy;,;o,,c oc A. a.9y