The independent. (Harrisonburg, La.) 1853-18??, 1857-12-23
From the London Daily Nears.
THE NEW SLAVE TRADE.

to obtain supplies of labor from the West
coast Of Africa, commenced in the early
part of the present year; not, however, in
Che mischievous form which they subsequent
lly assumed. The earlier intentions of that
government were to obtain, if it were posi-.
Bic, emig, ants in a state as nearly approach
ing to freedom as is ever enjoyed by labor on
that coast. For that purpose screw steam
er, called the Phoenix, was chartered and de-
spatched, not by any contractors or under
any commercial arrangement with mercan-
tile houses, but by the French government
itself. This vessel hoisted the pennant Of
France, and all her proceedings were direct
ed by responsible government agents. She
did not make for the old slave-trading ports
and rivers of the coast, where legitimate COM
merce was gradually extirpating and roofing
out the detestable traffic in human beings,
but visited in European settlements and fac
tories scattered so usefully along it, as also
the American Republic of Liberia and the
Kroo country, where native labor, though
not absolutely free, is at all events freer than
at any other part where European authority
| is not established.
Objectional as even such an enterprise
was, from the impossibility of making the
Africans comprehend the full nature of the
engagements into which it offered them
temptations to enter, and from the perfectly
illusory and really deceptive character Of the
benefits which it affected to confer, at some
distant date, on Africa, by the return of the
emigrants, lit did not directly, and openly,
and uublushingly assume the form of pur-
chasing, either Immediately by the govern
ment agents, or through the agency of the
old slave dealers, Africans for exportation.-
It proffered high rates of bounty to such
negroes as could be ignorantly induced to
come on board the Phoenix; but the sum
paid, which was as much (the correspondence
in our possession states) as $50 man, was
given not to chiefs who sold their subjects,
or to European merchants who trafficked in
African flesh and blood, but to emigrants
themselves.
Proceeding slowly along the coast, the Pha-
nix, large vessel intended to convey 500
negroes to the French Antilles, in this way
procured some 800 Africans, principally at
Sierra Leone, Monroyia, and on the Kroo
coast. With this cargo, 200 short Of the
number the Phoenix could have comfortably
carried across the Atlantic, she called, in the
prosecution of her voyage anc enterprise, at
Fernando Po. There the Africans appear
to have become doubtful and uneasy as to
their destination and the nature of the en-
gagement into which they had been seduced
and during the course of the night after the
Phoenix dropped another in that Spanish is
land, many Of the Kroomen slipped over
board, swan ashore, and took to the bush to
escape from the boasted advantages of a six
years compulsory service on the sugar plan
tations of Martinique and Guadaloupe.-
The captain of the ship fearing that a pro-
longed stay at Fernando Po would largely
augment the number of these escapes, and
render his opinions still more unsatisfactory
) to the French government, next morning got
up his steam, and the Phoenix made the best
of her way to the West Indies.
The attempt to procure, in the least often
sive and hurtful manner that the circumstan-
ces of the case admit, African laborers for
the West Indies, was in every respect fail
ure. 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 was not
likely to be again deluded, and the English
government was little likely to bear the re-
petition of an experiment in the English Set
, Element of Sierra Leone which the French
government never for moment thought Of
trying at their own settlements on the Sene-
gal The government agent on board the
Phoenix had doubtless reported, some months
previously to this escapade at Fernando Po,
| the difficulty, or rather the imposslbility of
obtaining any number of emigrant laborers
lin this shape from the coast of africa, not
withstanding the high bounty offered them,
the advantages pictured for their enjoyment
in the West Indies, and the romise of free
return passage after six years work there.
Il The scheme was consequently abandoned,
and contract was entered into by the impe-
rial government with NJ. Regis, of MarseiIles,
for the transference by him of 10000 Afri-
cans to Martinique and Guadalupe in con-
sideration of f2O head for each African
OF the selection Of NJ. Regis for the execu-
ton of such contract, even had it been of
a guarded and cautious and protective kind,
we will say no more than that, in the opin-
ion of the welI-informed writer of the letters
before US, it was, not withstanding that gen.
tleman's experience of African commerce, in
all respects most unfortunate one. 1t was,
however, especially unfortunate in bis that
NJ. Regis had mercantile establishment at
Whydao the port whence the slave trade was
carried on by the King Of Dahomey and
those connected with him and whence the
dreadful commerce had extended itself to the
other ports in the Blight Of Benin.
At Whydah, it was at once described this
French enterprise Of buying slaves for ex-
portation to the West Indies should be chief
iy carried on. No sooner did news OF this