The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-06-17

attained il is confidently believed that the act
i've exertions of even a few nations would be
sufficient entirely to suppress the slave trade
Such was the judgment and such the spirit of
the peoples Representatives, at that period, upon
this important subject. They felt in the Ian
guage of Mr.. Calhoun at later period, that
" something should be done" Again, in 1922, a
committee of the House, raised upon the same
subject; made an able and convincing report, in
which, among other things, they said an
But the conclusion to which your committee
has arrived, after consulting all the evidence
within their reach, is, that the African slave
trade now prevails to great extent, and that
Its total suppression can never be effected by
the separate and disunited efforts Of one or
more States; and, as the resolution to which
this report refers requires the suggestion OF
some remedy for. the defects, if any exist in the
system OF laws for the suppression of this traf-
nc, your committee beg leave TO call the atten-
ton OF the House to the report aud accompany
ing documents, submitted to the last Congress
by the Committee on the Slave Trade, and to
make the same part of this report That re-
port proposes, as remedy for the existing evils
OF the system, the concurrence of the United
States with one or all the maritime Powers of
Europe in modified and reciprocal right of
search on the African coast, with view to the
total suppression of the slave trade.
1t is with great delicacy that the committee
have approached this subject because they
are aware that the remedy which they have
presumed to recommend to the consideration
of the House requires the exercise of power
of another department of this Government and
that objections to the exercise of this power, in
the mode here proposed, have hitherto existed
in that department.
Your committee are confident however. that
these, objections apply rather to particular
proposition for the exchange of the right of
search, than to that modification of it which
presents itself to your committee They con-
template the trial and condemnation of such
American citizens as may be found engaged in
this forbidden trade, not by mixed tribunals
sitting in foreign country, but by existing
courts of competent jurisdiction in the United
States; they propose, the same disposition of
the captured Africans now authorized by law !;
and, least of ALL their detention in America.
"They contemplate an exchange OF this right
which shall be in all respects reciprocal an
exchange which, deriving its sole authority
from treaty, would exclude the pretension-
: which no nation, however, has presumed to set
up-that this right can be derived from the
. law of nations and, further, they have limited
it, in their conception of its application not only
to certain ATTITUDES, and TO certain distance
from the coast of Africa, nut to small number
of vessels to be employed by each Power and
to be previously designated. The visit and
search, thus restricted, is is believed, would
insure the cooperation of one great maritime
Power in the proposed exchange, and guard it
from the danger of abuse
Your committee cannot doubt that the peo-
pie of America have the intelligence to dis
tinguish between the right of searching a neu-
trail on the high seas in time of war, claimed
by some belligerents, and that mutual, restrict
led, and peaceful concession by treaty, suggested
by your committee, and which is demanded in
the name of suffering humanity" i.
The proposition was earnestly and ably second
ed by Mr.. Monroe. Negotiations were entered
upon for the purpose of securing the object, and
in March, 1924, q convention between the Uni
ted States and the Government of Great Britain
was actually signed, in which, among other things
stipulated for, was I" the right of visiting cap
turing, and delivering over for trial, the merchant
vessels of the other engaged in the traffic OF
slaves" This right to be administered and ex-
ecuted I" by such commissioned officers of their
respective navies as shall be furnished with in
structions for executing the laws of their re-
spective countries against the slave trade"
The Senate amended the convention so as to
exclude from its operation the coasts Of Amer
lea" BY reason of this amendment it failed to
receive the ratification of the English Govern
ment, and so the negotiation failed of its object
The whole subject has been a fruitful source of
protracted controversy between the two Gov
ernments.
The controversy should be terminated, and
terminated in way not only compatible with
the honor of both countries but in the cordial
adoption of such mutual and remedial measures
as shall sweep from the seas a system of piracy
the most guilty and stupendous in the annals
of human crime.
The world looks in confident expectation for
the accomplishment of great purpose, and, in
this attitude of profound anxiety, awaits the
vindication of our sincerity and the faithful re-
demption of our pledges. #.