The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-17

shall be done. New debts or claims are trumped up
as often as necessary, which binds the laborer and
his next of kin Tor life. This process Is more pro6ts
BILE than abs lutte slavery for money thus invested is
never lost by the sickness death of the laborer
II is doubtful whether the British authorities at
their African settlements have ever seriously en-
deavored to put stop to the slave trade any farther
than il would give prize money to British cruisers
and supply African labor for the British West India
Islands Their crusade against the Spanish and
Portuguese vessels arriving the coast for slaves
has sometimes been attended with horrible results.
Some years since an American house in New York
formed a plan of conducting legitimate trade
with the African coast. 1t sent out vessels
with assorted articles of African goods, but
mainly composed of cheap jewery, music boxes,
beads, guns, fancy pistols, tobacco, snuff and
fancy furniture and generally reached the coast and
followed in the wake of Spanish and Portuguese
slave vessels and when they had laid in their car
goes of slaves, they left large sums Of Spanish dol
lars in the hands of Chiefs His vessels would enter
after they had sailed, and succeed in conducting
very profitable trade with the head men. On one
occasion his vessel with its supercargo reached the
Congo river in advance of the slave vessels, where
chief had brought down two hundred slaves fer SALE
The British cruisers, however, blockaded the mouth
of the river, and the slave vessels had to bear Oh
from the coast. In the meantime the chief became
impatient, and finding that his supplies of food for
his slaves was nearly exhausted and that if he
kept them they must starve he ordered all the
slaves to assemble in certain open place and then
had every man of them shot after which he left for
his own country The voyage of the American vessel
was destroyed, with heavy loss to the owners, who
were forced to abandon the trade.
TREATMENT OF THE AMERIC AN FLAG AND ANNOYANCE
TO LEGITIMATE AMERICAN COMMERCE ON THE COAST
OF AFRICA.
The treatment of the American flag on the Afri-
can coast has been most extraordinary, and we can
hardly imagine that if all the cases of insult and in
jury has sustained were duly shown to her Maestys
government but what it would acknowledge the same
and express regret for the past, with q promise
of preventing similar proceedings for the future
This annoyance, however, though most felt by
American merchants, has been also carried on with
regard to Spain, Portugal and the Dutch A Bra
lillian vessel it is said, is scarcely allowed to trade on
the coast of Africa at all. One was seized by
British cruisers and was, after being carried to Sierra
Leone or st. Helena condemned without any appar
ent cause or excuse beyond the pretence that she
u
ers to seize upon Spanish Portuguese and Brazilian
vessels often fraudulent; and the unfair means
sorted to for the purpose of securing their
condemnation are said to be disgraceful to the
British officials engaged in such transactions, and
who should have long since received punishment at
the hands of the home government One case in
point may be mentioned and it is likely others of
similar character may have occurred.
A Brazilian bark-the Ersalinda--left Pernam-
buco Brazil, for Africa; and, when near the coast
she was seized by British cruiser for apparent
cause. She was carried into Sierra Leone, where
she was defended by Mr.. Thorpe, lawyer, who
proved that the magistrate of that place had sent
slave irons on board, and that in open daylight and
which were accidentally seen by Mr.. Thorpe him
SELF After making this extraordinary disclosure, it
is said that he not allowed afterwards to prac-
tice in the Vice Admiralty Court in that
colony. The British cruisers practice every
sort of means for the purpose Of making
seizures. If the crew of an American vessel
do not agree, OF they find disafIected mate or sail
or who to crafty personal malice declares that the
vessel is bound for slaves, she is therefore, seized
and sent to Serre Leone or 10 st. Helena for trial
The we'll known case of the bark Jones was oil
|
gagged in lawful trade She was at anchor at st
Helena The mate operated on by some influence
or other falsely declared that the vessel was going
| TO the coast for slaves She was seized by the
British authorities and abandoned by the captain
| and crew who left her at ST. Helena. Her super
cargo became crazy, and her owners, at Salem, Mas
sachusets failed. 1t took twelve years negotiation
on the part of our government to obtain redress fol
this wanton wrong to our flag.
The American ship Thomas Watson was seized
while at anchor in the port of Quitta, with 10000
gallons of palm oil on board which, with other pro
duce, was valued at SEQ 900. She was seized aftei
dinner by Lieut.. Chas. r. Robson, commanding hel
Msjcstys steamship Bloodhound, who put prize
officer on board who il is said, was frequently in
toxicated. The following is copy of the document
under which the Watson was seized
The undersigned, Cbas. r. Robson, holding the
rank Of lieutenant in command other Majesty steam
vessel Bloodhound, hereby certides that the
18th day OF September 1851, being in the British
waters Of Quite, in the following bearings, 81
| Pauls (capc) bearing S.W. I, Quitta Nj H..
ships head SS.E. seized the American ship Thomas
| Watson. whereof VIM. Cozzens is master and that
| he had on board ut the time of capture one slave
viz. ono male free born Afric can and British sub
jet, belonging 70 Cape Coast Castle further Ger
tify that the papers have numbered from to 81
| inclusive, were the documents, letters and writ
! ings seized hercinunder specified and described
| List Of crew on board; 2--Regster OF ship; J.
| Custom House clearance, shipping articles. list IN
part Of crew, permission 90 change crew: from h
| II Certificate Of scamen. CHAS. r. ROBSON.
Lieut. Commanding II. NJ. steamship Bloodhound
SErTENByR Is, 1857.
This certificate displays the grossest inconsisten
cy. The black man on board hired by Capt
| Cozzens at Cape Coast Castle, "a a liboe
on board. but who wished 20 break hi
agreement by escape. Not being able 10 do this h,
represented himself as person whom the captain
had seized for the purpose Of enslavng. Where
upon the Thomas Watson was seized by Lieut.. Rob
son, who first declares that the fellow Is a slave
found on board, and afterwards states that he is
"frce born African British subject" II he was sucl
person the seizure was grossly illegal and out
rageous. The hope of prize-money, no doubt, il