Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-04-27
ArRTCAN salaRANTs AND TIE SLAVE

lhlGE lDCluhS
resolution Of that body, embracing correspondence
N the possession Of the Department. of State relating
:. the importation Of African e~inigraI.:s into The
West Indies aud the revival OF the slave Trade. we
nrerpnt our readers with the annexed summary, which
contains the NOR. important points "f i'i' r"rre'r'h
drnGe
Tho following il all extract of 4 letter from Hon.
John Y. Mason to Secretary Cas-. dated fatls'
February ~. lSs:
"In an Interview which | had the honor to have
with Count Walewski, Minister of Foreign Affairs, In
the last week of January, ! asked him it there were
any objections TO my being informed Of the precise
character of the measures adopted ny nls maJesly
the Emperor's government in regard to the lmporta-
ton 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 Indies, were languishing for want OF labor;
that negro labor alone was adapted to tropical pro.
auctions that the French government had devised
a system for the Introduction from Africa OF laborers
under guards which were intended TO protect them
az free emigrsn;s; that, to supply these laborers,
they looked mainly to prisoners taken by the tribes
10 their intestine wars, who would, if not 80 disposed
of, according to the barbarous customs Of the coun
,ry, be put TO death that the arrangements in Africr
prior to the embarkation, and for the disposition OF
the emigrants during the voyage and after their arri-
val 10 the colonies, we're entirely under the manage
ment of commissioners OF the French government;
that obligations were taken by them from the plant
ers, who received the emiRrants into service 10 DINO
them to provide for the negroes during their term OF
service, and secure to them the means OF returning TO
Africa, il they shall choose to do 30 after its e1pira.
ton.
81 asked if there was any truth in some statements
which had seen in the English newspapers, that
French vessels freighted with African emigrants
would be regarded by British cruisers as engaged in
ths African Slave trade. His excrllency said 90; that
there had been come communication between the two
govprnments, and the British government would not
object 10 the French scheme, while the wants OF the
British colonies were being supplied by the coolle
trade. The minister urged that the plan adopted SO.
cured African labor. which WAS Indispensable TO their
colonies, that the pmiprants were free. and were res.
cued generally from impending immolation; that, re.
lieved from ignorance and heathenism OF tbe moet oe,
grading character, they would be humanized and
Cbristianissd by being placed in contact with the
French oolonists. The conversation ended by the
minjster's assurance that be would send me a written
memorandum in reply to my inquiry. This promise
he redeemed BY sending 10 me the papers which |
herewith transmit There are some points on which
neither the conversation nor the written memorandum
give information which l desired. 1t does not appear
whether a consideration is paid to the chief of tribes
for their captives or people. / infer that there ls. II
does not explain the duration of the term Of service,
and it remains to be seen whether any of the emf
grants will survive the term or return TO their coun-
try
reasoning a priori. I feel quite confident that in fu-
ture we will see the %tanatical denunciations of Ameii.
can slavery greatly moderated if not silenced in
France. perhaps in England.
The French system is the subject OF much discus.
sion in the English and French iournals. In the
Revue de, DeuI Mondes, which lie the ors an of the
sboitionists or Les Amis ds Notrs, II Ia severely at.
tackled, and also In the Revue Contemporaries, Of
which I send a copy herewith. II l. quits evident
that a conviction is gaining strength both In England
and France, that in the compulsory emancipation Of
the slaves in their tropical colonies by authority Of
government a grave political error has been commit.
49, -, -
ted-an error unjust to the colonists whose rlghfs OF
property were destroyed and TO the colonies by the
annihilation Of the labor which made them produc
tive, without securing any compepsating benefit. 1t
WAS a tribute to an sbstr act idea, and now, to repair
the error in its .polilico economical sense. mea
sures are resorted TO which amount essential
" and necessarily 10 the restoration OF slave.
~. whether of the coolies or the free emigrauts,
or the rebelious sepoys Of British India, far more
Objectionable than the regulated system OF slave la
Dor which the present generation found established
and DESTROYED. Itis a subject Of 30 much interest to
the United States that l have thought Il not amiss to
make this communication. 1t appears to me that
when the condition Of the native. born slave Of the
United States, intelligent. well-cared for, Christian.
lied. and happy, Is conirasted with that Of the coolie
or the African emigrant, or the transported Indian
sepoy, The most %fastidious philanthropy will not hest
tate 10 declare the advantage TO be on our side; aod
when enlightened governments at the head of Euro
pean civilization are seen, in a moment Of fanaticlsm,
to interfere with the rights Of property and to destroy
the labor of whole communities on an abstract notion,
and are go soon compelled by political necessities Ito
resort to euch measures TO repair the wrong which
they have done, all righi.minded men with as will
conclude that sit is better to bear the evils that we
have, than Ay to others that we know not of"
The following is an extract of a letter from Score.
tary Cass to Lord Napier, dated April 10, 1858, in re-
r---.e 49, --rr------ " tho siase ,raue'
"E1perience has como to test the measures pro.
posed, and they have been found inadequate to the
extinction Of the evil, so much go that, in the opin.
ion of your government, its present activity demands
increased ~txertions on the part of the United States,
with a view to accomplish the object. Thope eIer
tons, il ia suggested, should be directed to the coast
Of Africa. in order to render tho blockade more eff
fpctual, and especially 10 examine and deal with yes.
sci. bearing The American flag, and suspected of be-
ing engaged in this trade. This system of a joint
blockade has been pursued for some years, and the
benef, il has produced bears no reasonable proper.
ton, I regret to cav. In the expenditure Of life and
treasure it has cost. Blu. this failure need not die
courage the anxious hopes Of Chrslendom. There il
another way Of proceeding without tbs dangers and
difficulties. and in.faciency which beset a blockade,
persevered To-, and that is to close the slave
mart of the world, or rather Of the island
of Cuba, which is now almost the only re-.
gion where the slave dealer can find a MARKET
II these unfortunate victims could not be sold, they
would not be brought. To shut the ports of Cubs 10
their entrance ia to shut the porte Of Africa to their
departure. And TO effect this nothing would seem to
hs wanting but the cordial co operation of the Spanish
Government. The example of the United States is
sufficient to show that. however extensive a country
may be. il can he rendered inacce ssible to this evil
by a sound etafe of puhlic opinion and by rigid lava,
rigidly executed. The Introduction of a slavs into
the country ia n faot which | believe the present gene
ration has not witnessed. And Brazil, slso, with her
I long line of maritime frontier. has succeeded. by her
legislation and by the faithful execution of il, in res
cuing herself from the reproaoh OF participating in
this great crime. az we'll national az individual. And
Il lie due to the honorable course of the imperial Go
| rorppoon RI atafa fhaf nm tho QnnInafi0n nj tho
United States, it has lent its aid towards procuring
evidence necessary for the conviction Of persons
prosecuted in this country for the offence Of slave
trading. The conventional arrangements which e1
let between Great Britain and France and Spain for
their mutual co operation in the suppression Of the
slave trade are very imperfectly known to me, but
{ il understood thar Spain has entered into engage.
ments with Great Britain. If not with France also,
that shs will use her bet eXerfions to prevent the i'm
portation OF slav-s into her doninions This pledge,
if given, has certainly not been redeemed, though II
is difficult TO believe that the Spanish Government
would resist or neglect the firm rPmonstrances of
those two great powsrs, or even, of Great Britain
alone, il she alone has the right by treaty stipulations
TO demand Of Spain the faithful performance Of du
ties which shs has voluntarily assumed. Upon the
course of the Spanish Government far more depends
than upon the most rigorous blockade Of the African
coast. The United States have no suggestions to
make respecting the most e%xpedient measures to
adopt in Africa with q view to aid In the operations
of the s~quadrons employed by our respective gov.
ernments, or instead OF them, should the conviction OF
their inadeqaacy to effect the desired object induce
The discontinuance Of their services. But other means
have been suggested by persons intimately acquaint.
ed with the slave coast, and who have watched the
slave trade operations. These suggestions relate 10
tue extension and Improvement Of the free colonial
establishments in that region, so ns to create barriers
at the most exposed points, and also TO the %construc.
lion Of small military posts or block houses, garrison.
I'd from the accirnated population, at or near the places
to which the course Of the trade hae been directed,
I and where the means Of interchange are to be found"
The Secretary then MAKES some remarks upon the
right of search, and declares that 1.-THE United States
deny the right of the cruiser, of any other power
| VII stever, for any purpose whatever, to enter their
vessels by force, in time OF peace.''
"In conclusion, 1 am instructed by the President