The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-07-25


prices Oese WAS STEADY With small sales Of Rio and OF
b. Domingo, with small lot Of MAracaiSo 1t sustaining
prices, especially for st. Domioeo, which WAS hrmer
Freishn were firm, while engagements wero moderate
The Pesation OF Spain and England In Rel.-
tien to the Slave Trade-EIow to Stop the
Tramc.
The journals of Madrid are filed with taunts
against England because of Lord Malmesbury's
recent threat in relation to the slave trade. The
articles are characterized with the usual amount
of Spanish bravado mixed with no little truth
but the position taken by some of the official
journals, chat not a single fact can be proved
which shall show that Spain is careless or luke
warm in the fulflment Of her existing treaties"
though true in the abstract Is deceptive in its
character. Great difficulty would no doubt be
found to prove tangibly the connivance Of the
Spanish government with the slave traders. The
world, however, does not require such tangible
proof The fact is patent and requires no proof.
Spain agreed to abolish the slave trade with
her colonies in 1920; yet not single year has
passed since that time in which 1t has not been
carried on in Cuba, and for the last twenty five
years under fixed tariff, with the sole exeep-
ton of the short period of General Valdez's ad-
ministration.
This tariff was first established by General
Tacon in 1874, who fixed the rate at IS so
for each slave imported, and the tax was rigo-
rously cole cted by an agent appointed for the
purpose. When the Marquis of Anglona, an
impoverished nobleman, became Captain Gene
raj be advanced the rate to ST. head. Gene
raj O'Donnell, the present Prime Minister of
Spain, being still more bent on making fortune
than bis predecessors increased the tax to S5l
head, and its collection was sharply looked
after by his economical better half A subsequent
Captain General advanced the rate to SS5
head, but this was found to exercise o repressive
influence ON the trade and it was reduced by
General Canedo to the former rate Of s5l. AT
this ii still continues, If we may believe popular
report in Havana. These are matters of public
notoriety in Cuba, but no man who has ever
paid the rates would, probably, be induced to
testify to the facts.
OF SPANS Wanted inability to stop this in
famous trade in Cuba We have abundant doubts
General Valdez stopped it during the short
General Concha in the came direction during
his first administration there produced an open
conflict with the slave traders. He arrested
Senior Zulueta, one Of the most prominent Of
them, and banished him to Spain; Zulueta pro-
ceeded to the Court at Madrid, and not
long after returned TO Cuba in triumph.
Since then General Concha has not
been 20 active in selling slave traders
and their Illicit merchandise The Spanish
government in Cuba is one OF the most
absolute in the world and its behcsts are easily
carried out there. II finds no difficulty in dis
arming the white population, in collecting the
most onerous taxes, in executing the most arbi-
trary DEGREES Of it, vensl courts, and in carry
ing out most perfect system Of espionage
through all the island. Bot no exercise ofpower
even Il needed to stop the slave trade. Let
the government liberate with the forms Of Law
but one unlawfully imported negro, and declare
that from this day all 80 imported are entitled
to their freedom, and II will soon see the cessa-
ton Of the African slave trade. IL Is the GER
tainty Of protection in the right Of property
thus illegally acquired that makes the market,
and the market makes the traders. Let Lord
Malmesbury give up all useless threats and dan
gerous claims in relation TO the negroes already
imported into Cuba, so that his course may not
alarm existing rights, and demand OF Spain a
simple declaration Of the freedom Of every
African imported into Cuba from the date OF
the decree. This will stop the slave trade, the
right of search question, and the numerous
points Of dispute which England's unwise phi
lsnthropy has entailed upon her with the rest
of the world.