The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1858-03-25
REPORT ON AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE.
WAsu,xcroS, March Is.


report is expected from the State Department.,
in answer to II call by the Senate, Of informa-
ton relative to the African slave trade, rs it is
now carried on. The Government hnS probably
received many facts in relation to tho subject
IRON, foreign governments, from officers OF our
African squadron, and from tho United States
agent who is employed Oh the African coast
der The net for tcspprcssinn of the slave trade.
ihe report will no doubt embrace informal lion
in RECORD to the sham efforts of England To SUP
press the trade. and the entire inct!iciency IF
tho Ashburt"n treaty provisions for the subject.
Facts may be produced which will show shat
our regular trade with Africa is prejudiccl, and
will tie destroyed by means Of the use made by
The British cruisers of this treaty to seize upon
and conscaic, under various pretcXts, American
vessels found upon the African coast. They
have no right, under the treaty to overhaul and
search our vessels but they continually exercise it,
II is desirable that some case of this sort should
be property investigated, aud American rights
properly asserted. II is said that our Govern
incnt entertained doubts as to the right of the
british cruisers I" capture the bRrquc Panchita,
even admitting that she II slaver. But the
vessel was discharged by the United States Dis.
trIct Court IN New York, and, rs far us is known,
the question is ,iruplcd.
The owners Of the vessel had sued the Brit
ish officers who brought her in; and if this
SUIT Is I" lie tried, the question of their right tu
tax" the vessel will hc tested, and the British
ti"vcrnmrnt must pay tn. damages to which
their officers will l.: hcld liable But there have
been many stronger eases than this. in xI,cl,
regular commercial voyages have hccm i,rnk en- up
l'y the improper caiure and detention ,i our yes
sclS by British cruisers
England supplies her West India colonies with
Africa" labor, by srp'ling to them captured
slaves as apprentices. The French colonies ar.
supplied through the Immigration scheme, which
$ the slave trade revived aud disguised Cuba
IL ti,nr :.i.
lhy the Spanish Portuguese and American sl:,vcrs
L" sch an extent is tho trade carried on that IT
has taken the place, 10 Il great extent, Of other
commerce with Africa.
IT. is All umdiSputcd fact, that African labor is
essential to the production of cotton, sugar pf.
lee aud Iice-articlcs which are indispcnsap,e to
the purposes Of civilizatio
The world appears to have assumed, as n fact.
that it Is I" he supplied, in increasing quaniSics,
with these pio,lucts and that they are To i,e zero.
duccd by the labor of Africans, whether actually
or noniinallv slaves, whether ;s voluntary or in
voluntary lah"rers. Hence it rs thai, Of late
Years. African slavery and the slave trade have
r"'nr I" hr tolerated in quarters where it was
l"rmrtly prohibited and cherished where it was
formerly denounced.
The question for the United States Government
I" c"nsldcr Is whether the slave trads shall lie
awaited Of by all European nations for the suprly
Of their c""nrS with Labor, while W.. are ~Xcluti.
c'i from the same Resource for extending the cul
ture al cotton, sugar, de-, not only within our
present hut future limits Another question is,
whether this exclusion shall he voluntary and
self imposed. or whether it shall be forced upon
us hy mSc"nsruc'l treaty obligaiionsi
Agnia il il br the p"iicv of those European
powers which possess dependencies in tropical
regions To put a stop I" the African slave trade
IN all lis forms, aud compete no lungcr with each
other III tile acquisition nf African labor, let it he
5" understand, and let The policy he rnlnrcct.
1t w"ml'i bc very easy for England, France,
Spain, Portugal Brazil and the United States, to
adopt efficient treasures for the total suppression
ct The slave traffic, and Er preventing the irnpor-
tation "r migration rf A leans, under any pre-
text. int" any of their possessions or Dependent
cics.- Washington Stntrs.