The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-12-12
Louis N.polsen,s rsgro spss.l.sssn.

assumed The earlier Intentions oil tnat
government were to obtain If it were possible, emf
grants in state as nearly approaching toYreedom IS
is ever enjoyed by labor on that coast. For that pW
pose screw steamer called the Phoenix, was char
tered and despatched, not by any contractors or IN
der any commercial arrangement with mercantile
houses, but by the French government ITSELF This
vessel hoisted the pennant of France, and all her
were directed by responsible government
agents. She did not make for the old
slave trading ports and rivers of the
coast where legitimate commerce was gradually ex
tirpating and roofing out the detestable traffic in
human beings, but visited the European settlements
and factories scattered usefully along it, also
the american republic Of Liberia and the Kroo coan-
at all events eer than at amy other part ,chere Euro
pean authority is not established.
Objectionable as even such an enterprise was,
from the impossibility of making the Africans com
which it offered them temptations to enter, and from
the perfectly usory and really deceptive character
Of the benefits which it affected to confer, at some
distant date Africa by the return of the emgants
it did not directly, and openly, and unblus hngly
assume the form Of purchasing, either Immediately
by the government agents or through the agency of
the old slave dealers, Africans for expectation. 1t
profcred high rates Of bounty to such negroes AS
could be ignorantly induced to come on boari the
Phoenix; but the sum paid, which was as much
(he correspondence in our possession states) As $50
man, was given. not to chiefs who sold ther sub
ects, or to European merchants who trafficled IN
African flesh and blood, but to the emigrantsthem'
selves
Proceeding slowly along the coast, the Phonix
large vessel intended to. CONVEX 500 negroes 20 the
French Antilles in this way procured some 500
Africans, principally at Sierra Leone, Monrova, and
on the Kroo coast. With this cargo. zoe short
carried across the Atlantic she called, in the pro.
secution Of her voyage and enterprise at Fernando
Pc. There the Africans appear to have become
DOUBTFUL and uneasy as to their destination and t
l,nht hnvv bad hlA
seduced and during the course of the night, after
the Phoenix dropped anchor in that Spanish island,
many of the Kroo men slipped overheard, swan
ashore, and took to the bush, to escape from the
boosted advantages Of sir years COMPULSORY serr,ce
on the sugar plantations of Martinique and Guaia-
loupe The captain of the ship, fearing that pro
longed stay at Fernando Pc would largely augment
the number Of these escapes and render his opera
ton still more unsatisfactory to the French govern
ment, next morning got up his steam and the Ph9-
nix made the best of her way to the Vest Indies.
This attempt to procure in the least offensive and
hurtfu manner that the circumstances OF the case
admit, African laborers for the West Indies was in
every respect failure. The number obtained was
small, the time occupied in procuring them was
great the cost of the operation was far larger than
the French sugar colonies would consent to pay the
kroomen once deceived were not likely to be again
deuded, and the English government was little
likely to bear the repetition of an experiment IN the
English settlement of Sierra Leone which the
French government never for moment thought
of trying at their own settlements on the
Senegal The government agents on board
the Phoenix had doubtless reported, some months
previously to this escapade at Fernando Pc, the
difficulty or rather the impossibility of obtaining
any number of emigrant laborers in this shape from
the coast of Africa Notwithstanding the high
bounty offered them, the advantages pictured for
their enjoyment in the West Indies, and the promise
of free return passage after six years woik there.
The scheme was consequently abandoned, and
contract was entered into BY the Imperial govern
4. tl.a
ence by him of 10000 Africans to Martinique and
Guadaloupe in consideration OF f20 head for each
African. OF the selection of NJ. Regis for the exc
cution OF such contract, even had 1t been oil
guarded and cautious and protective kind, we
will say no more than that, IN the opinion OF the
welinformed writer Of the letters before US 1t was,
Notwithstanding that gentlemans experience OF
African commerce. in all respects most unfortunate
one II was, however, especially unfortunate IN this,
that nj. Regis had mercantile establishment at
Whydah, the port whence the slave trade was car
ried on by the King of Dahomey and those connect
ed with him, and whence the dreadful commerce had
extended itself to the other ports in the Blight OF
Benin.
At Whydah IL, cas at once decided, this French en-
trpriss of buying siares for erportdfOn 10 the Hest
indies should be chiefly carried on. No sooner
did news Of this resolution TO carry on there slave
trade under the French flag, and protected by all the
authority of the French empire, transpire at
Whydah, than as we have said, the old European
slave dealers at once abandoned lawful commerce,
and. encouraged by this determination, revived on
their own account the slave trade with Cuba where
he price of slaves, owing TO the enormously in
creasing value Of sugar, had greatly risen. Their
operations, and the expectation OF French demand,
brought down on the Blight whole host to use
Consul Campbells expressive language, oil bearded,
unwashed Spaniards, Portuguese aud Americans;
reused as we have seen, the Chiefs of Abeokua and
the interior 70 slave hunting and kidnapping aud
at the correspondence before Us repeats over
and over again, seriously diminished the quantity OF
vtafa.s IL
Ship after American slave ship appeared in the
Blight, and II announced that Nj. Regis had
chartered four large steamers for his share in the
traffic This announcement reused the attention of
Consul Campbell yet in ignorance OF the contract
but his suspicious were lued by that the
vessels so chartered were intended for the postal
service OF the French government. The statement
proved utterly untrue, for In few weeks after
II was made large steamer called the Stella, appear.
ed of Whydah with orders TO purchase and embark
! 200 negroes for the French West Indian Colonies.
The effect Of this demand for single ship, with
the prospect Of three other similar arrivals, con.
vulsed the whole Blight OF Benin The chiefs and all
their subjects deserted legitimate trade and English
merchants, entangled with large amount ofproperty
unpaid for in the interior were only too happy TO be
able TO contract their operations and ship their pro-
perty fast possible But II soon appeared that
NJ Regis, despite his large African experience, had
entered into very rash and hazardous speculation
For the 400 head, which he was TO receive, afforded
him inadequate means Ia compete with the slave
dealers. who had the open and unrestricted market
OF Cuba to supply, In the prices they respectively
offered for prime frst class Africans. The French
contractors proposed ten pounds head their Spanish
competitors instantly 10 eighteen and t,cerfy
pounds; and. oufbidding the agents Of The French
government they got the first class negroes for Cuba.
,rh,ie nothing but The old the freak, The ,nrm and The
diopidated africans ,cos left for Martinique and
Guadaioupe
Most fortunately foathe imperial government the
limitation Of the price to be paid the French con.
tractor In this most d.credtabe and very deploahle
enterprise has. we harm, prevented the stella OBJ
tanning her ful complement 81 ! 200 Africans IN
the Blight Of Benin: aud that ship had ~ the latest
dates sailed with several hundreds on board FOR the
river Gaboon, there. II l. greatly t. be feared 10
complete the number she can convey u the West
Indies This failure at Whydah will we say, be
most fortunate occurrence for the French govern
ment, IL IL only teaches them the low commercial
lesson that in trade wicked and lawless, a nd
abominaOle a. this traffic In Africans. govern.
ment government contractors can compete with
the remorseless and established slave dealers who
buy in Africa 20 sell again In Cuba. And ~, since
the contract was formed, sugar has fallen eco ton