Demoine courier., 1854-07-20
The African Slave Trade,

The New York Tribune of the 22d
INST, contains the Report of The Com
mi!tee on Foreign Relations. upon the
resolution of Mr.. Slidel for the abroga.
tlon Of the Sth article of the Treaty with
Grea, Britain, of the 9th of August,
la42, providing for maintaining naval
force on the coast OF Africa, &C., sub
mllted 10 the Senate in secret session.
BY the terms of the treaty il is declared
that the 9Th article shall be in force for
five years from the date of exchange of
the ratification, and afterwards I'LL one
or the other of the party shall signify a
wish 10 terminate it. The report as
sumes that trial OF twelve years has
demonstrated that the presence of ma
val force upon the coas, of Africa is to.
tally inadequate to the suppression OF the
African slave trade. Mr. HIATT, chairman
oi the select committee of The House OF
Commons, appo:ated TO Investigate this
| question, stalled on The 9th OF March,
1890, "that the number of slaves export.
ed from Africa had sunk down in ls42,
the very year of the negotiation of the
Asourlon treaty, 10 very nearly 10000.
In lSf3 it rose to $4,000; in 1916 il was
10000; in lSi7 il was $4,000, and was
then IN a state OF unusual activity. Dur.
Ing this period Great Britain maintained
upon the coast of Africa a force of 27
vessels 900 guns a. an annual cost of
/ $4,000, 900; France twelve vessels (l4O
guns al an annual expense of 81 600,
000; the United States four vessels $50
guns at an annual cos, of 500, 600. The
total annual expenditure of The three
governments being S7,4OO,00O. The
resul. OF the operation Of our squadron
during l2 years has been the capture of
IA vessels" The report concludes with
the following statements and declara-
lions.
The African slave trade has, il is be.
lieved, been entirely suppressed in Bra.
zil. and IN This hemisphere. the remain
lpg colonies OF Spain, Cuba and Porto
Rico, are lis only marls. Your com.
mit,ee think that, If the American flag
be still employed in this neiarious traffic
now prohibited by every christian ma
iior. and surreptiously tolerated by Spain
alone, the abuse can be more efficiently
corrected by the employment OF our
cruisers in the vicinity of those islands.
II would seem superiluous on the par,
oi your committee 10 say that, in com.
mendinS The adoption OF the resolution
under consideration. they repudiate The
most remote intention of relaxing in any
cegree the strngency of our legislation
on the srbject of the African slave trade
It's continuance, while il is so Justly
odious on moral grounds, is in every way
prejudicial TO our commercial and agri
cultural interests.
i The abrogation of the eighth article
OF the Ashburton Treaty does not neces
sarily imply The purpose of Withdrawing
our squadron from the coast of Africa
A portion of it, indeed, mus, necessarily
be retained there to protect our com,
merce. lis only effect will be to enable
the Executive 10 employ the force STA,
toned there at any other point where its
services may be more useful. We
should still be bound by the-ar,icle oil
the Treaty of Ghent, TO use, in the lam
guage OF the article, "our best endeavors
to promote the desirable objec. of the
entire abolition of the slave trade."-
And none can doubt that it will continue
to be faithfully observed. as i, has here.
tofore been in letter and spirit.
Your committee recommend the adop.
ton of the resolution.
This report was agreed TO by Nessrs.
Mason, Slidell. Clayton, Douglas, and
Weller.
9-The Established Church Of Eng.
i laVl hoe IL