The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-04-16
THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE.

Livery oouy Knows, that dcspite lcSaI pen
alties and tho moral rcprobaton of Chris
tendon, the Slavo-Trade continues to flour
isl iii unimpaired prosperity. Indeed, it is
the general opinion that the traffic increases
from year to year but the public have only
vngue idea about the matter, and their
conclusion rests upon no basis Of asccrtaincd
fact.
In the New York Herald of yesterday,
we find an exceedingly interesting and in
structive article in which the history Of the
slave trade is recitcd with the laws and
treaties intended for its suppression, and ex-
planation Of the manner in which the traffic
is conducted, description Of the persons
and capital engaged in its prosecution, and
statement of its results. The paper will
hereafter appear in our columns. At pres
ent, wo propose to direct attention to few
! of its more prominent points-rcscrving a
more thorough discussion of the subject to
some future day.
1t is generally known that slavery was
introduced into this country by Dutch
ship, which brought a cargo of negroes to
Virginia in 1920. during our colonial cx-
istence tho slavc-trade was regarded as a
legal commerce by all nations, and its profits
were eagerly coveted by all the maritime
Powers. England was particularly success
full i'll prosecuting it, and in n memorable
instance she had her rights to tho monopo-
ly of the traffic recognized in treaty for
the settlement of Europe. This interesting
fact is overlooked by the writer in tho Her
aid; but he fixes the chief responsibility of
the slave-trade upon English enterprise and
cupdlty. lie says, "at first, the trade was
prosecuted almost exclusively by tho Sban-
iarls and Portuguese, who brought over q
few negroes to tho Antilles, the newly set
tied districts in Brazil 1t shortly after
passed into the hands of the English, whose
superior skill and energy as sailors gave
them advantages over the Cavaliers OF
Spain. Bristol, in England, was for long
time the principal scat of tho slave-trade,
and Liverpool owed greater part of her
early growth to the same profitable occupa-
ton. The English, up to the present ccntu-
ry, were the great slave-traders of the
world"
1t was Providcntial thing, that first
cargo Of slaves in 1850. The condition of
slavery was so obviously suited to the negro,
and tho negro SO well adapted to the SER
vice, that the trade tlrovc apacc. Instant
ly an impulse was impaired to the colonies
that had long languishcd i'll want and weak
ness. The production of tobacco was null
tiplied IN infinite fold A.; the culture of cotton
was introduced. but for the supply Of
slave labor, the earliest efforts in the pro-
duction of cotton might have miscarried,
the enterprise might have been abandoned,
and civilization have wanted one of its most
efficient instruments.
In 1853, five hundred and eleven slaves
were imported into Charleston; in 1765 'GG,
fifteen hundred were carried into Georgia
Up to 1908, tho importation of slaves sinto
this country did not exceed 350,OOO. The
aggregate number that had been carried
into the British West Indies in 1917, was
not less than 100000, of which, by the
way, only 100000 survive at the present
day.
Passing over the interval from the period
when the slave trade was declared to be pi-
racy to tho year 1910, we find that the
number into Brazil from that year to 1851,
inclusive, WAS $4,000, or little more than
10000 year. During the same period
tho number imported into Cuba, amounted
to an average of about 5000 a year. The
following tables show tho importations into
Brazil and Cuba rom 1851 to 1854:
iSlaUcS.
Imported into Brasil in the year 1851 -. a. 900