Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-06-16
From the London Times
Aholitiou If the slave Tn de

A BLOCKADE OF CUBAN PORTS RECOMMENDED.
|, surely cannot be admitted that country
like England j. unable To suppress the African
Slave Trade. Z. Cubn Is now alme Il the on
" country which regularly imports large NUN
5crs Of negroes aud 10 supply thu plantations If
this island most 81 the slarers which now pursue
thr.r uuious trade. are fitted out. A. the Amer
ican- refuse 10 admit the right OF search. the
Slave trade. it il said. is now almost wholly car
rcd On und,, th,ir flag. Nay. unless statements
publ ~ aud repeatedly made be tal-e, III" great
81 part of the slave ehrfylgg eintts ARE owned by
American citizens. aud fitted out at American
ports.
As matters At prreent stand We blockade the
African coast, which stretches more ihnu 1000
miles along the Atlantic. What chance ih,te Is
81 suPptcs-ing the llaifo hy such means nlay he
well mag ned. Ihe squadron consists al YES
sells heavily armed aud munned. and able to
crush nny -lnver that they can cone near. But
the slavcdraler- know very well thut ia open sci.
they not likely To be caught. They build
their vessels for speed-they have no heavy
guns: and they can cram their cargo of human
hr,h into the smales, possible space, knowing
by experience that if they can bring into port
half the number of negroes they embarked they
will make "a handsome profit. Our only chance
is to surprise them Mt the mouths Of rivers or in
unfrequrntrd road,tr.ds OF the eeas' while they
are getting their cargaes on board, even III such
CuSps thev Will stund out Ia sen, hoist American
colnrs AID defy us. A. for treaties with chiefs
and SO called kings" IN the Benin. they are. of
course simply useless. Where Spanish Cap
tains General aud New York citizens mike for
tunes by the trade how can II be expected TINT
King Tom or King Jumbo should refrain 1t
seems, therefore, II most Ineffective policy to
stop the trade ut the point of embarcaiion. The
chief success that has yet been gained has been
owing to the determination OF the various Amer
lean Governments to exercise strict control over
their ports and the vigilance Of our squadrons
has thus served 10 aid these States in their good
intentions. But as long rs the Cuban authorities
wink at the landing OF slaves hy tho thousand.
while we are steaming TO and fro on the Afrioan
const, there is little prospect of Improvement. 1t
then, England wishes to make II great effort TO
put down the trade in its last stronghold. it will
do well to turns its attention to the Cuban coast
! itself. The Spanish Government is by treaty To
! do its best for the accomplishment of this great
! object. This assistance might accordingly be
| demanded and in default general blockade Of
the harbor. of Cuba established by an English
| squadron Iii we firmly b, lieve. in vain to trust
10 the Spanish Government for the immediate OF
even the eventual prohibition of the trade; bu,
under the pressure of the British Minister, il
might be induced 10 give orders for the seizure
of whatever negeoes were brought into port an,
for the rendering of due assistance TO the eff
forts of our commanders.