The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-10


L am glad that the honorable Senator has based
the argument for the annexation of Cuba upon
what he says is the conviction that compulsory
iaboris absolutely necessary to the maintenance
OF that island. He argues that compulsory Ia
Dor can only be maintained there, first, by the
introduction of the coole trade, which he con-
dennis in no measured terms by the appren-
ticeship, to which he is equally opposed; and
by the foreign slave trade, which, | suppose,
from the tenor of his remarks does not meet
his appreciation. He would have it left for us
to infer that the only alternative by which this
demand for compulsory labor by which the
agriculture of Cuba is to be maintained is, that
these slaves are to come from the United States
OF America; that when Cuba is annexed to us,
the foreign slave trade being cut of, the neces
sites of compulsory labor still continuing, the
United States of America must then take the
place and occupy the position which the coast
OF Africa now occupies, and instead of foreign
slavers going from Cuba to the coast of Africa
to get their cargo of human muscles with which
to carry on the agricultural labor of Cuba that
they are to come to the United States and
that this great demand for compulsory labor is
to be supplied by annexation. That l under
stand to be the argument
The President of the United States puts it
on the ground, also, that it will tend to the
abolition of the foreign slave trade. Now, sir,
l confess that am not entirely clear in my
convictions of the propriety of this suggestion
from the present Executive. / think, before it
becomes us to annex foreign territories to our
possessions for the purpose of putting down the
African slave trade, that we see to it that we
put it down in the possessions we have now
got | believe, from the commencement of the
Government down to the present day, it has
never transpired that any man has been con-
victed, in any Of your Federal courts in any of
the States of this Union, for being engaged in
the foreign slave trade. | may be mistaken in
that, but / think / am not. The Federal ju-
dietary is utterly powerless, to-day, if newspa-
pers be relied upon, for the enforcement of the
laws against the slave trade in the States of
this Union. The doctrine has been openly
avowed within a few days, within short dis
lance Of where | stand, that this foreign slave
trade must be reopened, to enable the Southern
States to contend with that species of labor
against the emigration which is coming from
Europe into the Northern and Eastern States
Now, sir, it is very well for the President to
be DESTROYS to put down the foreign slave trade
but | would commend to the President, and to
those gentlemen who desire to put down the
foreign slave trade by annexing Cuba, this
simple admontion of one of the Apostles, / be-
heve it was Paul, who, in writing to his breth-
rem, says: "When thou art converted, strength
en- thy brethren" That saying would seem to
imply that it is not very well for us to begin to
strengthen anybody else, until we have converted
ourselves. | would say to the President of the
United States, and / would say to those gen.
tlemen who are DESTROYS of the annexation of
Cuba for the purpose of putting down the for
eign slave trade, that they had better begin by
putting it down at home. They had better see
4hot4 Al To- i ii j
are able to deal with this great sin and this
great crime upon our own coasts, before we go
abroad beyond the seas, for the purpose of an
nexing Cuba to put it down there. 1t will be
time enough for us to enter upon a crusade for
the abolition of the foreign slave trade in Cuba,
when we have abolished it upon our own shores
and in our own country.
Mr.. BENJAMIN. Will the Senator from
New Hampshire permit me to ask him a ques-
ton?
Mr.. HALE. Yes, sir.
Mr.. BENJAMIN. | will ask the Senator,
who is very urgent that the Federal judiciary
shall put down the African slave trade with the
United States, if he knows of solitary instance
in which a solitary African slave has been in
troduced into the United States except the recent
case of the Wanderer, which the Federal Off
GERS are now pursuing?
L
visited any further south than Virginia my
opinion is derived from papers altogether.
Upon that subject have no particular informa-
ton, but | have very decided conviction.
do not know that there has been any other :;
but the case of the Wanderer is enough. That
may be the first one that has been discovered
and brought out palpably but is the Senator
so Ignorant of what has transpired in the city of
New York, if we are to believe the papers and
the accounts that come from there, that he
means to say that vessels are not fitted out, and
have not been for years, in the city of New York,
for the foreign slave trade?
Mr.. BENJAMIN. | will state to the Sena-
tor, with great pleasure and with entire candor,
that | believe great many vessels are fitted
out in the United States for the purpose of car
rying on the slave trade between the coast of
Africa and Cuba-not one, to my knowledge,
nor do | believe one ever has existed, except
the solitary case of the Wanderer, for carrying
on the slave trade with the United States.
Mr.. HALE. WE'LL sir, that is all / desire.
The witness has answered everything wanted
him to answer. ! am satisfied.
Mr.. BENJAMIN. SO am |.
Mr.. HALE. So am and now / will pro-
coed to argue the case. The Senator has no
doubt that great number of vessels are fitted
out in the city of New York for the purpose of
engaging in the foreign slave trade between
the coast of Africa and Cuba, in which they
violate the laws of the land and our treaty stip-
ulations and your Federal power has been in
competent to arrest that business in the city of
New York. If it cannot take care of the slave
trade in the city of New York, | think it will
be very difficult to do it in Cuba.
But, Mr. President, will deal candidy with
this subject, and with the authors of this prop
Il l. Ill Al IL .
pushed at this time with the expectation, the
remotest expectation, that Cuba is to be an
nexed by it. l think / hold in my hand a
paragraph from a newspaper which gives the
true clue to this whole movement, and | will
read it. 1t is taken from the Carolina Spartan,
dated February 3, 1859:
"PURCHAsE OF CUBA-In both Houses of
Congress, propositions are pending to appro-
pirate and place at the disposal of the Presi-
dent 100000, to be used in negotiations
for the purchase of Cuba. The report of the
committee, in the Senate, by Mr.. SLIDELI, oc-
cupied one hour in reading. On the subject
of the acquisition, the Washington correspond
ent of the Charleston Mercury holds this Ian
guage:
"' Among politicians, the acquisition of Cuba
is the absorbing topic of conversation. 1t is
{ evident Mr.. Buchanan has purposely reserved
this question for political capital, and intends
to make it the lever by which to raise the
: Democratic party out of "the Slough of
: despond" into which the Abolitonists had
thrust it. 1t is a subject peculiarly attractive
to the people of the North, who while they
are fondly DEVOTED to free negroes, are still
more ardent in their love of " free sugar.
and will go for Cuba without Slavery. If
anything in the future may be predicted from
the present complexion of affairs, Cuba is
to be the Democratic war-cry in the Presi-
Dental campaign of 1860, and is the only