Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-05-14
TON, N. c., FRIDAY MORNING, NAY A. 1853.
Suppression of the Slave Trade.

Suppression Of the Slave Trade.
The following dispatch from Mr. Mason, our Minister
at Paris has been published among the documents re-
Gently transmitted to the Senate relative to the African
slave trade, the Coole trade, &C. Mr.. Masons views
are perfectly correct that the opinion gaining groupd
in both England and France that grave political error
had been committed by the emancipation of the slaves
in their tropical colonies
MASON TO MR.. CAss.
PARIS, February 19, 1858.
In an interview which had the honor to have with
Count Walewsk, Minister of Foreign affairs, in the
last week of January, asked him if there were any
objections to my being informed of the precise character
OF the measures adopted by his Majesty the Emperors
Government, in regard to the Importation into the
French colonies of negroes from Africa He replied
that there was not and proceeded to state very frankly
that the French colonies particularly in the West In
dies were anguishng for want of labor that negro Ia
Dor alone was adapted to tropical productions that the
French Government had devised system for the intro
duction from Africa of laborers under guards which
were intended to protect them free emgrants that
to supply these abores they looked mainly to prisoners
taken by the tribes in their intestine wars who would
not so disposed Of according to the barbarous customs
OF the country be put to death that the arrangements
in Africa prior to the embarkation and for the DISPOSE
ton of the emgrants during the voyage and after their
arrival in the colonies, were entirely under the manage
ment of the commissioners of the French Government
that obligations taken by them from the planters
who received the emgrants into service to bind them to
teTm OF SERVICE ana
secure to them the of returning to Africa if they
shall choose to do so after its expiration.
| asked if there any truth in some statements
which had seen in the English newspapers that French
vessels freghted with African emigrants would be
garded by British cruisers engaged in the African
slave trade. His EXcellency said no that there had
been communication between the two Governments
and the British Government would not object to the
French scheme, while the wants Of the British colonies
were being supplied by the cooie trade The Minister
urged that the plan adopted secured African labor which
was indispensable to their colonies Thus the emgrants
were Free and were rescued generally from impending
mmolaton that, relieved from ignorance and heathen
ism, of the most degrading character, they would be h
manized and christanzed by being placed in contact
with French colonists.
The conversation ended by the Minister'S assurance
that he would send me written memorandum in reply
to my inquiry His promise he redeemed by sending to
me the papers which [ herewith transmit. There are
some points which neither the conversation the
written memorandum give information which desired
1t does not appear whether consideration is paid to
the chiefs of the tribes for their captves people.
infer that there is. It does not explain the duration of
the term of service and it remains to be whether
any of the emgrants will survive the term return to
their country
Judging from the tone of the public PRESS and reason
ing prlOr1, feel quite confident that IN future we will
see the fanatical denunciaton of American slavery
greatly moderated if not sienced in France perhaps in
England.
The French system is a sub ect of much discussion in
the English and French journals. In the Revue des
Deu1 Mondes, which is the organ Of the Aboitioniss,
DeS Ams des Norris it is severely attacked and
also in the Revue Contemporaries" of which send
copy herewith 1t is quite evident that conviction is
gaining strength both in England and France that in
the compulsory of the slaves in their trop
ical colonies by authority Of government grave poit
cal has been committed-an unjust to the
coloniss whose rights Of property destroyed and
to iiaaooses by the annihation of the labor which
made them productive without securing any compen-
and now, to repair the in its poticoeconomical
sense measures esorted to which amount essentially
and necessarily to the restoration of slavery whether of
the coolies the free emgrants the rebeous Sepoys
of British lnda far Objectionable than the regua
ted system of slave labor which the present generation
found established and destroyed. It is bect of so
much interest to the United States that have thought
it not amis to make this communication. It appears
to that when the condition of the nativebom slave
of the United States intelligent we'll cared for chris
anzed and happy is contrasted with that of the cooe
or the African emgrant, the transported Indian Sc
poy, the most fastidous philanthropy will not hesitate
to declare the advantage to be on side and when
enlightened governments, at the head Of European civil
izaton are seen in moment of fanaticsm, to interfere
with the rights of property and to destroy the labor Of
whole communities an abstract notion, and
compelled by political necessities to resort to such
ures to repair the wrong which they have DONE all right
minded men with will conclude that it is better to
bear the ills have than fly to others that we know
net Of" J. Y. MASON.