The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1854-12-26
From tho New York Evangelist.
THE SLAVE TRADE IN NEW YORK.

was still carried on from New York, but as the
charge has been of a vague and general char
acter, il has attracted little attention. We arc
beginning to get light on the matter. There
is now lying in the Tom5s in this city, q man
who has been tried and found guilty OF being
engaged in the slave-trade This is sald 10 be
| tho first conviction ever made undor the law
by which it was piracy. The testimony in the
case was ample. And though he protests a
gainst his condemnation, on tho ground that
| he is a foreigner, and not amenable TO tho laws
of the United States, he does not deny tho fact
| of his share in tho business. He speaks OF II
| freely. and relates with unconcealed exaltation
| the particulars of his wild and desperate ca
reer. We have CHANGED TO see and talk with
| this noted captain in his prison. What he
| told us was not communicated in confidence,
| for he never saw us before, and did not know
who we were. He spoke 10 us entire stran-
ger. All our conversation was through tho
| grato door of his coll Wo made no attempt
| TO gain his confidence, or to draw out the So
cret history of his life He told his own story,
not like 4 criminal making confession, but
rather with tho freedom and pride of an old
soldier relating his battles. Nor did lie inti-
mato a wish that what he said should bo kept
| private. Indeed, he had boasted to others OF
| his deeds on the African coast. His disclos.
ures, therefore, are public property. Some OF
| these are so curious as to be worth making
known. Whether no tells the truth, the world
must Judge IL is not very probable that
man would make story which implicated him
| in capital crime. Besides, his account is
consistent with itself; it agrees with what was
proved on the trial. and with the descriptions
| in Capt. Canot's book. We believe, therefore,
that he has let ont the truth.
"New York." says Capt. Smith, "is the chief
| ,>o,t g, Al ,,.o.td f,a hn clayo.trnlen
poated two or threo times, IL is The greatest
place in Me ,corld for 10. Neither in Cuba ncr
| in Brazil is i: carried on so extensively. Ships
| that convey slaves TO the West Indies and
South America arc fitted ont from the United
States. Now and then one sails from Pha-
| delpha: moro from Baltimore: but most of all
from New York. This is our head quarters
| NV vessel was the brig Julia Mouiton. got
| her in Boston and brought her here, and sailed
from this port direct to the coast of Africa.
But do you mean to say that this business is
going OH now;" "Yes, all tho while. Not so
many vessels havo been sent out this year
| perhaps not over twenty. But last year there
were probably thirty-fivc."
"Are there largo shipping houses engaged
| in i,:' Yes, can 90 down 10 South street,
| and 90 into number of houses that help to
| fit out ships for the business. l don't know
how far they own the vessels or receive the
profits of tho cargoes; prefer Spaniards or
| Portuguese. But these houses know all about
it, They know me. They SEQ me sail out
with n ship. and como back passenger -
| They sometimes ask mo, Captain, whore is
your ship? with a shrug.l They know
what has become of her. When cargoes
of slaves is landed. tho vessel is often destroy
ed so as not TO be witness against her officers
| and crew.
4, n. -. l. ..O., ....,,oxo 90 ,ot ,vov vi, I. .
| out exciting suspicion Z" Why, you see, we
keep close, and get everything aboard, and do
not ask our papers until we are just ready to
sail. Then we go to the Custom House, and
take our papers for Rio Jancrio. ST. Helena,
Cape dc Verde Islands, or any port you please
1t don't matter where-and instantly clear
But if you we're seized at that moment,
could ho officers tell. by searching tho ship,
| that she was a savor:'
sob. yes, they couldn't help knowing. Be-
sides, they must suspect something from seeing
such an almighty crew. My little brig carried
but 200 tuns, and could be manned by four
men But had fourteen before tho mast
| The moment Of leaving port is tho one of dan
ger But we don't lose time. A steamer is
kept ready. and wc get under way Immediate
| ly. Wo steam down the bay, and over the bar,
and then the ocean is before us, and we set our
course for any quarter wo please"
But when you reach the African coast, are
you not in great danger from British ships-of-
war"
ooh. no, we don't care for the English
| squadron. Wo run up tho American flag and
if they come aboard all we have to do is to show
our American papers, and they have no right
to search us. So they growl and grumblo and
| go off again."
That may do very well when you are 60
-. p,,t inn,
out with a cargo of slaves on board!'
"Even then wo can get along well enough,
if the niggers will keep quiet. Wo put them
all below deck and nail down our matches, and
then present our papers. The officers have
no right to go below. The only danger in this
case is, that they will stay on board too long.
They often suspect the truth, and hang about
for an hour or two. By this time tho niggers
are stihcd. and begin to mako a noise. Then
| tho thing is out. and they seize the ship"
"Afior that suppose you arc punished?"
oh, no: we generally get off You see,
as we arc Americans, they must bring MS to
an American port to be tried. But if they run
| the ship into port along the coast, they get one
pound head for every rocaptured slave So
they generally prefer TO let us go, and get
| their prize money"
"H0w many slaves could you carry on your
vossel" "Wc took on board 66I. We might
have slowed away 500 If she had been going
to the Brazils wo should have taken that num-
ber She would carry $50 pih pleasure
The boys and women We kept on the upper
dock. But all tho strong men-those giant
Africans that might make us trouble-wo put
below on the slave deck.,. "Did YOU chain
| them, or put on handcuffs!" No, nover
they would die. We let them move about
"Are you very severe with thcmr ave have
to be pretty strict at frst-for week or So
to make them feel we are masters. Then we
| lightcn up for tho rest of the VOYAGE"
How do you pack thom at nightr "They
lilo down upon tho deck. on thcir sides body TO
body. There would not DO room enough for
all to lio on their backs.'
I" Did many die on the passagc:" "Yes: |
lost good many on the last cruiso-more than
over before. Sometimes wo find them dead
when we go below in tho morning. Then we
throw them overheard"
!" Are tho profits of the trudo very largei'--
My brig cost $4,000 to fit her out COM
pletcly. My last cargo TO Cuba was worth