The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1859-02-02


slave trade, within the last few months A
strange and sudden activity has been impaired
to our squadrons both round about our own
shores and on the coasS Of Africa, and almost
weekly reports reach US of a neu capture.
Certainly, within the last three months, as
many suspected slavers have been ovefbauled
by our government vessels as had been within
as many years previously. The briel account
of the preliminary examination of The keteb
Brothers, which appeared in the Charleston
Mercury, shows that suspicion mere is nov
deemed sufficient cause for the arrest aad bring
ing back across the Atlantic of ayessel thought
to be contemplating this 'llega traffic Other
crimes are punished BY the laws only after their
commission or a violent and well-attested al-
tempt to commit them; but an American vessel
is held to be engaged in lhe African slave trade,
though her papers ara found to be ever 80
regular and authentic, if she merely has on
board some of the articles which slay, IS garry
to facilitate their business such as ''watey casks.
wooden spoons, and a boiler for cooking pur-
posest' On evidence such as the presence of
these articles discloses, the vessel is seized as
prize, and the captain and crew are bsougut
back to this country to be tried for Their lives!
1t is not at all difficult TO account fer the
cause of this sudden watchfulness and energy
displayed by our government slayer-oayChers.
few months ago, Great Britain, becoming
exasperated at our lukewarmness and apathy
in this respect, undertook to overhaul asi sus-
pected vessels even incur own water t0f
weeks her cruisers watched the passage 9Qne
about Cuba and Florida with the Qtmos. yigi-
lance; every American vessel passing then y rs
oyerhauled, boarded ana searched; an hose
that did not make haste to obey the BriUsh
summons were brought to by cannon ball JF
two! Our administration heard and pr9fessad
to wonder and disbelieye; the people go ngry
and threatened, and the administraton re-
monstrated! Soon it was heraded through hs
press that Great Britain had humby apoIQgiscd
and promised to do SO more. But 10 and be
hold as soon as the British stopped their search
our own government vessels took it W. aud
have almost weekly been catching suspected
savers ever since! The man who can NOT
perceive the intimate connection between he
British suspension of such offensive proceed
ings and the immediate resumption Of the same
policy by our own cruisers, would not be en-
lightened by any furtherillustration on our parts
for ''none so blind,' &c.
While our administration is THUS tamelY sue
cumbing to British policy and insult, anothen
great nation has found 1t necessary to have
African slaves to make her cotton and sugar
and develop the resources of her colonial
islands. And how proudly does her defiance
of British dicLation and false philanthropy
contrast with our tame submission TO 1t! France
throwing aside the false teachings Of the states.
men who have heretofore controlled her indGs-
trial policy, has determined to try on grand
scale the experiment of slave labor and to im
port her slaves from Africa, Her 'faitbful
ally" Great Britain, afraid to use towards
France the summary process SO effectively en-
ployed to bring Uncle Sam to terms, resorted
10 argument and entreaty, but without effect
She then instigated Portugal to seize French
ships engaged in the slave trade; but her cats
paw atoned for this temerity by penalty SINH
lar to that of pussy when employed by the
monkey to rake his chestnuts out of the fire;
France demanded and obtained an apology and
heavy pecuniary indemnify. The bafled ''old
lion" growls terribly over his defeat, but the
whole world knows him to be toothless and i'm
potent in a contest with France.
1t is said, perhaps, that our own laws obli-
gate US to suppress the African slave trade;
and SO they do. But those very laws were die
tated by Great Britain, and she compels US by
treaty stipulation to keep up on the coast of
Africa large naval force to prevent their eva
sion. We have just seen how, without any
treaty requirements, she has compelled US also
10 employ our naYy-at present much needed
eIsewhere-for the capture of slavers near our
own coasts She has in this country power
ful sectional party to back her in this warfare
upon the institutions and the advancement Of
our southern States; our rulers bow obsequl-
ousy to this northern sentiment; and thus our
section is beleagured aud shackled by COM
bined foreign and domestic foe; while France,
awakening to her true interests, bids defiance
to all such otficious restraints and is pursuing
policy that will enhance by incalculable mill
lions the value of her colonial dependencies
FLINT STONES IN CoTTo& BALEs.-Refefence
is made in Liverpool papers, TO flint stones
found in cotton bales recently opened in Liver
pool The manufacturers who purchased the
cotton apprised their brokers in Liverpool Of
the matter, who, on the 22d of December, wrote
to the manufacturers, Messrs. Colinge and
Lancashire, of Oldham that they had seen.
the sellers of the cotton, and represented to-
them the fact of the flint stones being found in
the bales. The brokers continue: cit is bad
case, and we are obliged to you for taking SO
much trouble IN the matter, and only nope that
every person who detects such acts will take
similar measures to bring them before the pub
lic In this case the cotton was consigned di-
rect from the planter-who is stated to be a
most respectable man at Apalachcola-to the
house here from whom, you bought ii. The
document will be sent out so as to bring the
matter home at the place where the fault was
committed"
Upon the foregoing the Columbus Sun very
pontedIy remarks:
eve hope the name of the planter who is
the author Of the fraud, will be given to the
public We cannot believe there are many in
the planting interest so base as to be guilty Of
so scurvy trick. That business, however, like
all others, has some bad men in it, and for the
credit Of good men, we should like to see them
exposed"
PrrHr-The affair Of the steamer Washing
ton at Nicaragua has given rise to sundry edi-
torials in the English press. The Times, after
reeounting the features of the case, concludes
as follows:
ave may remark that this style Of commu--
nination in which at every difficulfv war is de-