Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-06-22
TIE CUR SQUADRON Arp THE SLAVE
TclHE


recently landed Within. short distance Of
Havana the Chicago Press, and we pre-
same truthfuliy, says: New York is really
the head quarters OF the African Save
trade, and it IS there that most OF the YES
sells engaged IN i are fitted ont"
II also appears T. Us that the Uaited
States squadron which is cruis,ng in those
seas canno, keep vary sharp laok cut, or
else the Officers commanding it are wiifully
blind. The above cargo was landed in
broad dar and within less than three leagues
Of Hsvana. We are willing to give tbs Ad.
ministration credit Cor the fac, that the
West India squadron was judiciously pia-
ced, and that it prevented pirates snd alli-
busters from this country from inEaaing tbs
territory Of nas.an with whom We are at
peace. Bat the slave iga6s is piracy by
the laws Of The United States and the laws
OF most other ciyiliz ed nations. Would il
then be undesirable in Us 10 suppose, that
the officers of IN Administration which is
notorious Cor its pracllvities towards the in
teres,s Of slavery. are no very anNiously on
the alert to detect crimes Which By even
4 remote analogy might untayorahly reflect
upon the peculiar instiiatioa' 1t would
doubtless hart the feelings OF high-Eind-
ed Shareholder. that q man engaged in the
slave trade Should be punished as a pirate =
We confess to be nnabls 10 see much dr.
ference between the slave trade carried OH,
on land, and that which is prosecuted on
the ocean. THIS being the case, We are
not surprised that those engaged in the for
mer branch Ct the business, should be some-
what sensitive about the treatment award.
ed to their commercial relatives
"a feliOs feeling uakss Is wead.ous kiad,n
ana the sensitiyeness thus existing, would
be sufficient ID de.er an Administration
born OF slave iailenees from doing any
thing TO oFsnl slave p-eialices, or oppose
slave acquisitions. Considerations ike
these sufficiently account, 10 our minis, for
the blindness. Us far as slave ships are con-
ceraed, with which the officers Of the Gull
Squadron appear TO have been affected. Il
were unPardouable thst Spanish ship
should search suspicious vessel. though
carrying the American flag, when il was
known that's perfected conspiracy existed
in this country, aad only waited favorable
opportunity for transporiingi It's me mbers to
Cuba; ba. il was venial oversight to let a
slave ship unload its cargo, at noon day and
almost in sight Of Havana, because Is have
interfered with il, would have been TO inter-
fere with that slavery which Professor
Dewey and Mr.. Calhoun have called the
''corner stone Of republican Institutions
We 10 not think We are Gar wrong in max
ing such differences or 10 using such ex-
pressioas. IL is known that some of the
most prominent slave holders hare declared
themselves il favor Of re-esta5lishing tae
African slave trade. Mr. Toombs has said
that be would call his slave roll on Bunker
Hill. Jefferson Davis tie most active mem-
Der Of tae Cabinet, gees all length with the
nos. alra slave holders. Mr. Pierce was
made President by the iadaence Of tbs
slave States. These facts are more than
sufficient to justify the suspicion that when
the interests Of slavery are concerned, they
would not Be ieopardized b. anv action Of
the General Government. Wewouid much
prefer being able to make different conclu-
sion, but facts are stubborn things, and
force conviction alike on the willing and
the unwilling.