The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-11-02
THE TRENCH sL4YE TRADE TIE TROUBLE
Wf7H PORTUGAL.

Whatever be the result OF The difference which has
arisen between France and Portugal, there arc in ii many
things which the mind OF well wisher 10 the general
peace OF Europe and 10 the great interests OF humanity
al large, must rest with little satisfaction. The crcum
stances appear very simple and, indeed, the facts
there is very little dispute A French vessel the
Charles ct Georges is found by the Portuguese autho
ties OF Mozambique part OF the coast intericed to
the approach OF Foreigners because an approach it in
that particular point regarded by the Portuguese gov
eInment almost conclusive evidence OF attempt
to carry the slave trade, On board the ship
one hundred and ten negroes, ana delegate OF the
French government. The delegate and captain stated
TO tho Portuguese authorities that the there
by their free consent, having engaged themselves
20 go laborers to the island of Reunion that the
negroes had regular passports from the authorities at
Mozambique and that the vessel lying of the in-
terdcted portion of the coast for the purpose of obtain
ing surgeon. To this it answered by the Portu-
guese that a surgeon TO be found at Mozambique,
and be found that part of the coast The
negroes examined, and declared and all that
they carried off against their WILL and not in virtue
of any agreement and the passports spoken of turned
out to be documents furnished by native chief who
probably the person from whom the negroes
obtained. Under these circumstances, the vessel
seized SLAYER and sent to Lisbon for adjudication.
On hearing of this the French have sent two
men-ot-war to the Igus to wake with the thunder of
their guns the echoes OF the Rock of Lisbon have per-
emptorily demanded the surrender of the Charles ct
Georges within fory-eght hours, have given orders to
the fleet at Touon hold itself in readiness TO SAIL and
twice verbally refused the offer of the Portuguese gov
ernmfnt to submit the matter 70 the arbitration Of third
power The latest accounts hold out a hope, indeed,
that friendly arrangement may be expected, but mat
tiers are still in uncertain state The ground which
the French government Is understood to rely is that the
presence French delegate board the ship necess
y Implied such absolute innocence of any design of slave
trading that the Portuguese government bound to he
satisfied with it at once and TO inquire further and
that compared with this conclusive proof all matters
of suspicion rregulary become absolutely insignif
cant, and ought to be thrown aside as Of account
whatever
To the mere merits of this controversy assuming
the facts to be correctly stated above appear present
no difficulty whatever We know not what proof be
required of offence OF this kind il the which we
have just alleged be held sufficient The vessel
was found iii fragrant delct with the negroes actually
board her. and they stated when examined that they
there, not by their free will but under the compu
sion OF superior force IL it be said that the captain and
delegate deceived in the matter and believed these
people to have gone board voluntarily in pursuance
of agreement TO labor in the colony of Reunion which
they fully understood, may ask why the ship was
taken 70 unusual and nterdcted station why utter
ly absurd reason given for her going there and
why false statements made with regard to pass
ports from the Portuguese authorities at Mozambique
These things showed not only that the French cap
tain and delegate doing wrong, but that they
knew it, and coupled with the fact that they had a
hundred and ten negroes board, made out COM
plete the nature of the transaction could pos
sbly admit To all this the French had nothing to oppose
except conclusive presumption invented by themselves
that it is absolutely impossible for delegate of the French
government to lend himself to slave trading transaction
and that therefore, such transaction must be assumed
to be impossible whatever evidence there be TO the
uary We not that the law of nations recog
misses of its principles the absolute mpeccability
and nconuptiby Of the agent Of foreign government
or considers that government to be entitled by placing
delegate board ship bearing its flag, to give that
ship license to violate with IMMUNITY the obligations of
treaties and the police regulations of friendly State
We, therefore, feel difficulty in concluding that on
the merits of the question the great power is entirely in
the wrong, and the little is entirely in the right
This, however, is but very small part of the matter Let
France to have been clearly right she was
maniiesy wrong: surely in order TO enforce that right
she should have uttered and employed no
measures which she would not have used to Russia to
England to the United States of America If France
believed herself to be in the right in what respect could
her dignity suffer- il, instead of the ntolerabe preten
sion to be Judge in her cause she had shown herself
ready to abide by the impartial decision Of neutral
powerf If she knew she wrong, doubt the course
adopted is applicable enough bat it is not the less an in
vason of that equality which the public law of modern
Europe attributes to all sovereign States and am inrac
ton OF that declaration OF the Parts congress which binds
the great to have to the intervention of
an impartial arbitrator before appealing to arms
No doubt it is exceedingly convenient for nations as
well individuals, to decide their causes in their
own favor but the time will often when the mex
pediency of this one-sided method of adjudication is
made manifest to those who most inclined to
have to it, The doctrine that justice only for
equals but that between superior and inferior relations
TO be regulated by their relative powers alone finds
that succeeds in introducing it will have shaken to
their foundations those doctrines upon which alone gen
eral peace can be permanently maintained We cannot
but regard it unfortunate that nractons real sup
posed of the international law of Europe with regard to
the slave trade, should frequently form the occasion of
differences to which France is party. We might have
hoped that nation which claims not unreasonable a
foremost place in directing the march of civilization
would if she had been subjected to slight amount
Of unnerted annoyance and yexation by the honest eff
forts of other countries h, put complete end TO the
slave trade have considered the excellent end in view
complete for any irregulary in the taken
to attain it, and would have always been satisfied with
proof that the dispute from endeavors made good
faith to put down this abominablc traffic. Unhappy the
exact contrary to be the case and nothing excites
the Indignation of the department over which Count
Walewsi presides much honest and unsellsh at
tempt to avert the most bideous cruelty that even the
thirst of gain itself ever prompted or defended.
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