The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-03-02
The Reported ReopcninE Of the Slave Trade
at the South.

The Reported Reopcning Of the Slave Trade
at the South.
According to telegraphic despatch from
New Orleans, published in the HERALD Of Satur-
day last, an editorial had appeared in the New
Orleans Della Of the came date, stating that the
slave trade in the South had been reopened,
and that o regular depot has been established
on Pearl river, in Mississippi, where cargoes
have been received and the negroes sold and
put to work. 1t is further stated that the YES
sells engaged in the trade generally use the
French flag, for the reason that the British
cruisers on the African coast will not trouble
them.
The announcement of this fact may strike
those who are not conversant with the subject
as something new and will, no doubt, create
considerable alarm among those who are op-
posed to the revival of the slave trade. Whether
there is or is not any truth in the statement of
the Delta, it will furnish . text for innumerable
articles from the abolition press, and for
ferocious diatribes from the abolition and
black republican orators and preachers of all
denominations. In view of the statement, and
of what may be expected to follow from its pub
LEGATION, it is as well to look at the facts in the
case In the first place, then it is notorious to all
who are at all informed upon the subject that the
slave trade has existed in this country for years
past; that it was and is carried chiefly by North
ern citizens of the United States; that Northern
capitalists have invested more extensively in it
than the citizens of any other portion of the
Union, and consequently are more deeply inter-
ested in its maintenance and success The YES
sells which have been employed in the transpor-
tation of slaves have been fitted out mainly in
New York Boston, Portland and Bristol but of
these New York is the favorite point for the
operations of the dealers. Within the last
twenty years over fifty slavers were cap
tured and brought into this port, near
ly all of which were equipped and fitted
out with Northern capital. The number
of vessels captured and condemned. however,
bears but very small proportion to the number
fitted out from the ports we have named. The
slave feet which leaves New York, Boston and
other Eastern seaports in the course of o single
year consists of about forty vessels of various
sizes, ranging from one hundred to five hun
dred tons, and capable of carrying from four
hundred to six hundred slaves each Every
SLAYER is manned by crews of from fifteen to
twenty-five men, including the captain and Of
fcers, making a total for the whole feet of
about o thousand men. The whole of the CAPT.
tai invested does not probably exceed four mil
lions Of dollars, upon which profit of some
thing like eleven millions is realized.
Here, then, in this array Of facts we have
abundant proof that the slave trade has existed,
does at present exist, and is maintained chiefly
by Northern men and Northern capital. The
reports of the Mixed Commission at Havana
there is no want of proof while the records of
the United States Courts in this city can be pre-
sented. There is another fact which may be
stated in this connection. The landing of slaves
along our Southern coast can be effected with
little or no difficulty, and without danger Of
detection, as there is no Mixed Commission, like
that of Cuba in the South, and no one suffi-
GENTLY interested in the matter to furnish the
Information to the proper authorities. The laws
of the United States have declared the slave
trade to be piracy, and punishable as such; but
for the reasons stated, slaves may be landed
with impunity on the Southern coast until some
action is taken to put stop to it.
In conclusion, we may state, as announced in
our telegraphic report from Washington yester-
day, that the English Minister has addressed
letter to Secretary Cas- in relation to the rapid
increase of the African slave trade, and suggest
ing the propriety of adopting more de-
cisive measures for its suppression. The
English plan is stated to be the in
crease of the African squadron; but expe-
rienoe has proved that the employment of
naval force is entirely inadequate, and mat for
all practical purposes it might as well be with
drawn. The annexation of Cuba to the United
States would do more for the suppression of the
trade than anything else that could be sug-
gested. The policy of our government how
ever, will, we presume, be fully set forth in the
reply of General Cass to the letter of the British
Minister