Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-08-15
THE ALLEGED REVIVAL OF THE SLAVE
TRADE.

In tho House of Lords, on the 18th, the subiec
OF tie intended transportation of negroes from AT
rica to the French colonies by the imperial gov
ernment was taken up, when the following proceed
ings took place:
"lord Brougham described the circumstances
under which 10000 free negroes had recently been
transported from Africa to the French colonies.
and said he apprehended very serious copsequen-
ces from this measure and the revival of the slave
| trade. AT the same time, be had no intention
whatever of insinuating anything against the Jus.
tice or honor of the French Emperor, and he was
sure 1t was only necessary to call the attention of
the French Government to the subject, to induce
them to abandon the policy which appeared to
have been adopted"
Having appealed in powerful language to the
House to do all in their power to discountenance
the Save trade in every shape, Lord Brougham
concluded by moving an address to her Majesty,
which stated that, even if the system adopted by
the French Government were not Illegal it had a
direct tendency to promote the slave trade; and
that her Majesty had, therefore, been requested
to use her endeavors to discountenance eli meas
ures which tended, directly or indirectly. to pro-
mote revival of the slave trade in any shape.
The Earl of Clarendon said that the noble and
learned lord had correctly stated the opinion of
Government upon this subject; and he had but
done justice to the Emperor of the French and
the French Government when be said that they
were incapable Of giving any encouragement, di
reety or indirectly, to the slave trade.
Lord llarrowby said TO show the light in
which this system was likely to lie viewed by the
native chiefs in Africa he would take the liberty
OF reading the copy of a very curious letter seut
by the King of Calabar in answer to British
merchant who had written to His Majesty to know
whether any of his people would engage them
selves as free laborers. The letter was as fol-
lows:
'OLD CALABAR, June s. 1850
DEAR SIR 81 received your kind letter bv the
! ma Oist STRAIT thrnu
wish,l now write to say, We be glad for supply
you With slaves have spoken with King Archi.
bur- and all Calabar gentlemen be very glad to
do the same. Regard to free emigration we man
will no go tor himself. We shall buy them alsam
we do that time slave trade bin. We lie very
glad for them man to come back again to Gala
bar; but fear that time they go for West Indies
he no will come back here. We have all agreed to
charge four boxes brass and copper rod for man,
woman, and children, but shall not be able to
supply the quantity you mention.
think we shall be able to get 400 or 500 for one
vessel, and to load hor in three or four months,
for we cannot get them all ready to wait for the
ship, She will have to come and take them on
board as they coma. We have no place on shore to
keep them. The ship will have to pay convey to
me and Archibury, but no other gentlemen-say,
10000 coppers for each town in cloth or any 9TH
cr article of trade shal be very glad if the
term mention will suit you, for we shall not be
able to do it at a less price, and man TO be paid
for with rods | shall be very glad when you
write me again to mark arrangements with your
captain what time the ship must come, hoping you
are quite well, believe me to be-
My dear sir, your humble servant,
"EYo HONESTY KING"
This letter showed that the system would be but
another form of the slave trade and that the So
called free laborers would be bought and Sold
No doubt the horrors Of the middle passage could
BET prevented by the proper regulation of the yes
sells employed in conveying the negroes and after
the laborer arrived in a colony in which slavery
had been abolished would no longer be the vic.
tim of oppression. Yet, on the coast of Africa
the effect of the plan would be to revive the gamb-
ling spirit engendered by the slave trade togeth-
er with all the atrocities connected with the cap
ture of slaves in the interior, while the course of
peaceful commerce and agriculture now extend
ing rapidly over the shores of Africa, would be
entirely arrested.
Lord BrOughton briefly replied, quoting The fa-
vorite organ of the slave party in the CarOlinas,
to show that the slave holders in America regar-
ded the example proposed to be set by England
and France in the matter of the expectation of
free" negroes from Africa, rs an encourage
ment and justification for them to procure as
many slaves as they choose for the Southern
States. The enforcement of any contract for
wages would be entirely within the jurisdiction
of the Slave State in which the negro loca
ted and it was easy to see what would become
of the freedom" of the African emgrant in the
event of any legal dispute arising.
ha nd hon tn