Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-05-05

SLAVERY AND THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE
OUR MINISTER IN FRANCE TO GEN. CAss
Among the recent documents communicated to
Congress is the following highly interesting letter
from our sble Minister Hon, JOIN Z. Mason, to
Secretary CAss.
PARIS, February IT, 1853
In an interview which I had the honor to have
with Count Walewski. Minister Of Foreign Affairs
in the last week Of January, I asked hImif there
we're any objections to my being Informed Of the
precise character Of the measures adopted BY his
Majesty the Emperors government in regard to the
importation ntothe French colonies Of negroes from
Africa. He replied that there was not, and pro-
&c ed to state very frankly that the French colonies
particularly The West IHdies mere laagusking for
rant Of tabor that agro tabor alone i0as adqptsd to
tropical productions; that the French government
had devised system for the Introduction from AT
RIGA Of labOrers under guards which we're intended
10 protect them as free emgrauts that 70 supply
these aborers they looked mainly 20 prisoners taken
by the tribes in their intestine wars who would il
not disposed Of according TO the barbarous Gus
toms Of the country, be put death that the ar
engagements IN Africa prior TO the embarkatiOn aud
for the disposition Of the emigrants during the voy
age, aud after their arrival in the colonies,
tirely under the management of commissioners Of
the French government; that obligations taken
By them from the planters who received the emil
grants into service to bind them to provide for the
negroes during their term Of service and secure to
them the Of returning 10 Africa if ihey shall
choose to do so after its expiration. asked ie
there was any truth in some statements which had
seen in the English newspapers, that French vessels
fTeighted with African emigrants would be regarded
by the British cruisers engaged in the African
slave trade His EGcellency said no that there had
and the British government ,0oHdR0f beet he French
scheme Ehis The WGHts Of the British colonies pere
bang supplied By her eoOlis trade The Minister urged
that the plan lopted secured African labor, which
was indispensable TO their cooaiess that the emf
grants we're free, and we're rescued generally from
impending inmolation; that, relieved from gnor-
ance and heathenism Of the most degrading char
acter they would be humanized and Christlanized
by being placed in contact with the French colo
nists. The conversation ended by the Minister'S
assurance that he would send me written memo
rsndum in reply to my inquiry. This promise he
redeemed BY sending me the papers, which l here
with transmit There are some points on which
neither the conversation the written memoran-
dun give information which desired. It does not
appear whether consideration is paidto the chiefs
of tribes for their captiyes people. infer that
there is It does not explain the duration of the
Of SERVICE aud itremains to been seen whether
any of the emigrants will survive the term or re
turn to their country.
Judging from the tone Of the public press and
reasoning priOri feel quite confident that IA future
VU the frHGtIeaL deHHnci fti0as Of American
SLAVERY greatly moderated il not silsneed France per-
laps en- ERgldRd.
The French system is the subject of much discus
SION in the English and French journals. In the
lPeVue des Dsur MoHdss which is the of the abol
tiOniss Les ARisdss Noirs it is severely attacked
end also in the RsUus Contemporaries of which send
copy herewith. II IS quite evident that eoRVietoH
gaining strength both in England and France that in
The compulsory emancipation Of the Slaves their troy
cat colonies By authority Of goVsrmsnt grave political
error has been committed-an error unjust to the colo
liists whose rights of property destroyed and
the colonies by the humiliation of the labor
which made them productive, without securing any
compromising benefit. II tribute to an abstract
idea, and now, to repair the error in its pOtioo-
economical sense, measures are resorted to which
smount essentially and necessarily to the restors.
lion of slavery, whether Of the coolies or the free
emigrants the rebellious sepoys of British India
far more Objectionable than the regulated system Of
slave labor which the present generation found
tablished and destroyed. Ii is subject Of so much
interest to the United States that nave thought it
not amiss TO make this communication It appears
to me that when the condition Of the native born
slave of the United States intelligent, well cared
for, Christianized and happy, is cOntrssted with
that Of the coolie the African emigrant, OF the
transported Indian sepoy, the most fsstidious phi
lantrOpy will not hesitate to declare the advantage
to be on side and when enlightend governments
at the head Of European civilization are seen, in
moment of fanaticsm, to interfere with the rights
of property, and to destroy the labor of whole com
munties abstract notion, and are 50 soon
compelled by political necessities to resort to such
measures to repair the wrong which they have done
all rght-mnded men with will conclude that
" it is better TO bear the evils that we have than fly
to others that we know not Of"