Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-12-12
French Slave Tradc.

We learn by late accounts from Europe, somey
thing of the progress Of the French governmental
plan of sending negro slaves from the coast of
Africa, under the dcnomina ton of ''emigrant Ia
horers," to the French colonies of the West In
dies
The first experiment was made by the French
Government directly. stesmer called the Pho.
nix, chartered by the government, and under the
command of government agents. was sent TO the
African settlements along the coast with instruc-
tons to avoid the slave grounds and slave dealers
ana engage individual negroes-by bountes, the
offer OF wages, and the undertaking to bring them
nome after lapse of years--to emigrate to eau
ualoupe and Martinique. 1t made slow progress
Af"r collecting about three hundred negroes, which
was two hundred less than the plan cont mplated,
these "emigrants" bo came uneasy and suspicious,
and when the slavPrs stopped at Fernando Pc,
considerable number swan ashore and escaped.
The steamer finally rea he'd the West Indies,
with diminished numbers obtained at such a cost
that the experiment a complete failure. The
plant could not p such prices. We are told
nothing of the other side of the question, what
became OF the egrOes, and what is to be their fu
ture To-; how they to live and be fed in the
West Indies, or how they to get hack to Afr-
ca It part of the philar thropy of the scheme
that these blacks to be improved in condition
by being made free ldbOrers, and to he returned TO
Africa afterwards missionaries of civilization.
We hear nothing OF tn" result except to the dis
astrous Issue Of the experiment
So the French Government changed it's plan Il
no longer undertook to engage in this masked
slave dealing, directly, with the negroes; but sub
sntuted therefore the contract, of which mention
has been so often made, with Mr. Regis, of
Marseilles, for the transfer Of 10, 900 negroes to
the French Antilles, at a consideration OF about
500 head for each one. We are now hearing
OF the progress of this scheme which, instead of
seeking aborers along the coast and among the free
settlements, was Immediately concentrated at the
Old slave markets in the Blight of Benin.
French steamer called the Stella appeared off
there with orders to purchase and embark 1900
negroes for the French colonies These were TO
be obtained by contract with the African kings and
chlefs, and indirectly with the slave dealers
ana the hrst effect gnized has been to open a
negro market to competition of the regular traf-
hckers IN slaves for Cuba, with the French con
tractors for emgrant 'faborers' for Martinique
purchased of kidnappers md chiefs by Wholesale
In gangs We hear that the internal slave trade
Is revived with the greatest activity and that there
Is rush OF slave vessels to the to profit by
the stimulus to slave hunting which the
French contract has given.
Another effect is, that the regular slave dealers
who are not restrained the French are by in
structions, or limited in their offers by the condi-
tons imposed the servitude Of the blacks, have
the advantage of this traffic and carry off all the
desirable negroes. The French get only the re-
fuse, which the native master or purchaser cam
not sell with advantage for the Cuba trade
W lille, therefore, ship after ship has obtained full
cargoes under the presumed countpnance of the
French Government to the negro traffic, the French
steamer has not yet obtained her complement,
but is coastng along tc find better place of sup
ply.
Commercially, this experiment is likely to prove
as costly and as unsatisfactory as the former. In
point OF humanity it is but a degree or two remov-
ed from that OF the dire ct slave trade and i GER
tanIy not a particle better than the direct slave
trade would be If it were put under Ike legal res
possibilities for the personal treatment of slaves
In morals It is the slave trade CLOSED over with
very thin veil OF hypocrisy. Practically it is an
acknowledgment extOrted from the experience of
mar KIND, and the wants and necessities of civiza-
unn, that the enforced labor of blacks in Southern
lautudes is the law of labor whcG cannot be dis
pehsed with without GisCarding all the economics of
production and checking the comforts and the pro-
gross OF both races. The urgency with which sup.
Pes OF new labor are sought for, for the West H.
Hes and the articles with which the real character
OF slavery under a form is sought 20 be intro
uuced as substitute for the slavery that was stu
PHIY abolished, are cautions against emancipation
Ism, which are making themselves comprehended
abroad, and cannot fail to have a sensible effect
upon The r,hrcting portion of the antisaVory PEG.
pie at hOme-that portion with whom aboltionism
Is theory OF duty to be studied, not sentiment
TO he INDUCED as SLOGAN OF party to be used for
purposes OF faction.-N o. PicIyune.