Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-03-02
[ooRREsPoNDEScE OF THE FREE PREss.l
The Slave Trade in New York.

New YORK, Feb, 1855.
1t sounds odd to hear such q phrase as the slave
trade in New York. We have been so long accus-
toned to think of the slave trade as a relic of bar
barous times, which no people that claim to bc
Christians would have anything to do with, and to
think of New York, as the center almost of our
civilization, that one would almost as soon expedite
hear Of the Inquisition being established here, as
Of New York being the principal post of the slave
trade. And yet there is little doubt that for years
it ha. been such that the majority Of the slaves
that have been purchased on the coast of Africa for
rum and mu.kets, &c, have undergone the horror,
Of "thc middle passage" in vessels fitted out in this
port Of New York by New York merchants, if not
owned by them, manned in this port, and sent di-
rectly from this port "blackbirding - as it i. called.
Since the trial of Capt. Smith last November for
being engaged in the trade, we have had our atten.
ton called to the fact constantly. Capt. Smith, as
you will remember, was the Captain Of the brig
Jaha .Mouhon, which sailed from this port and car
ried q cargo Of slaves to Cuba, worth s225 900, as
the Captain himself told the editor of the Epanse-
list, She had no difficulty in starting On her voy-
age, and Capt. Smith would never have been called
in question for his share Of it, but for his quarrel
ing with his first mate, and refusing to pay him
some two or three hundred dollars. 1t seems in
credible that a man who was engaged in such bust
ness, should have quarrelled with an accomplicc for
such a paltry sum, but it shows to what a pitch Of
security the dealers had arrived. have no doubt
that even after the charge was made, the witness
could have been bought off at a slight expense. But
Smith was confident that he should escape,
and stood his trial, and found himself with a sem
tence of death impending over his head. instead of
going free.
The evidence given on that trial, and the
subsequent statement which Capt. Smith made
to the editor Of the New York Eraur,ist, VINO visI-
ted him in his cell, excited the attention of the pub.
lie, and quickened the perceptions Of the United
states Authorities in the City, Mr.. Valentine, a
merchant in South Street, was brought up for ex-
animation on the charge of being interested in the
JUtid M0uhon. That examination has dragged
along until this time, before Mr.. Commissioner
Morton, and every few weeks since then, the Dis
triet Attorney has startled the public by some new
discovery respecting the slave trade. Hitherto,
however, but little has come of il. One vessel which
was seized on tho charge of shaving, turned out to
he Il vessel bound on a regular trading voyage to
Sierra Leone, whittier she had been going to carry
out a party of missionaries, if she had had a lislo
more room. Slavery, however, being a missionary
institution" the mistake was not perhaps to DO won.
dered at. Another merchant was hauled up, and is
still under eaumiuatien, because some sailors came
here with drafts on him pur porting TO be connected
WIN another slave vessel on the coast, but whichho
refused to pay, saying, he knew nothing about the
analr' Another captain has been uader eNamina-
uon' charged with having been captain Of a SLAYER,
but he seems to have proved an "alleyby" pretty
eouolusiVcly' aud the probability is that the wit
nesses are mistaken in the man. Nor do | think
that the other cases will turn out very dill rently,