Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-05-30
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)TOVtueu IOT ny SfcCIut lSSlSAobiVu WuOu
vas in session, but during the recess, the govern
nent finds itself seriously embarrassed in disposing
IF these captured savages. = -sF I
To remedy this, Mr.. Benjamin, OF Louisiana. re-
ported on yesterday bill to amend the act prohib-
ting the slave trade. The bill, after amendment,
the President to contract with some per-
son or society, or corporate body, for term not
exceeding five years, to receive from the United
States through thr constituted agents. on the coast
Of Africa all negroes seized board vessels prose-
cutting the slave trade, and to provide for their |
clothing shelter and subsistence for the period of
one year after being returned to the African coast;
the price not to exceed 800 per head 1t further
authorizes the President to issue instructions to the
officers of our Navy that whenever practicable, all
sayAessels captured shall be carried direct to the
cossYf Africa, the negroes delivered to the United
Slater Agents, and the vessel and crew brought to
this country It further stipulates that there shall
be placed the disposal Of the President 100000
to carry out the provisions of the bill.
Mr.. Mallory offered an amendment, which he sub
sequently withdrew, authorizing the President to
cause these Africans landed in Florida to be appren
ticed for not than five years. pay the cost Of
their return to Africa. This of course reused all
rephblicandom, and the stale cry of the South at
tempting to revive the slave trade at once grew
clamorous.
This question of the suppression of the slave trade
pears to me that the modification or repeal of the
Ashburton treaty, and adoption Of some more equit
able treaty for the extinction of this traffic is i'm
peratively demanded. The English policy on this
subject differs materially from ours In fact while
we engage to suppress the trade they indirectly
engaged in its prosecution. For every cargo cap
tured by the English Navy, the officers of the cap
negro; these negroes are not returned to their
homes, but taken to the various English colonies
where slave labor is -enumerative, and apprenticed
for term of ten years, which is the average dura
ton Of life among them after being apprenticed
The English law does not, believe, punish slave
traders but simply confscates the vessel engaged in
the trade. This is done with little or no expense,
as the government have established an Admiralty
Court on the coast of Africa for the adjudication Of
such cases. In many instances these confiscated
vessels are purchased by their former owners who
man and provision them for another attempt to run
off cargo CT negroes. Our laws not only confs-
cate the vessel, but declare those engaged in the
slave-trafic guilty of piracy the high SEAS and
to this fact is owing the rarity of captures by Amer
lean of war, the traders preferrng to risk be-
ing taken by English cruisers, thus saving their
necks and only losing their ship and cargo. Per-
haps it would not be exaggeratng to say that twen-
ty slave vessels captured by the English where
we capture one. The recent seizure of those now
en- the coast of Florida will before our hands are
clear Of them, cost eighty one hundred thousand
dollars for their support, transportation and one
years clothing and provisioning while the same
number if seized by English vessels would have
yielded Tecenue to their government far exceeding
our disbursement The suppression Of the lade
in keeping eighty guns the coast of Africa in
transporting captured slavers and the return and
support of the negroes, and the trial of the guilty
| parties involves heavy expenditure of money for
which We receive no return, while the English gov
! eminent would be the recipient from the same
source, of liberal per centage for the exercise of
their so-called humanity.
As you may we'll suppose the nomination of Lin
coin at Chicago rather upset the equanmity of the
Seward wing Of the Republican party and deranged
all the nicely arranged plans of the wirepuilers at
this point The Sewardites reluctantly give in their
adhesion to Abe, accompanied however, by g curses
loud and deep" against those who instrumental
in efectng the defeat of their rrepressble conflict
favorite. Greeley in for the most liberal share
| of abuse. Even his old hat and "that dra5 coat "
cannot escape the fierce onslaught If Stewards
friends. He is caricatured, reviled, spit upon by
many Of his former admirers. Horace is evidently
| in trouble and fast losing the influence once so
fury will spend its force however, and we will
find Stewards friends, outside of New York at least
the loudest hosannahshouters of the whole Lincoln
| tribe Indeed some of his intimates now hint that
Seward will soon return here and in speech cor.
daily endorse the Chicago nominees. If he should,
and then goes into the canvass heartily and earnest
ly an enthusiasm will be infused into the Republican
ranks unprecedented in the history of parties, and
the contest will be the most exciting ever known to
the country. And to oppose this party, formidable
in numbers, wealth, energy and reckless unscrupu
lousness, as to the used to secure triumph
we have only the Democratic party, now distracted
and disrupted frittering away its giant strength in
petty quarrels and unnatural strife. This is the
force we have to bring in opposition to the solid col
umns of the Republicans; for Of course do not re-
cognize the existence of a third party. There was
one which died in Baltimore in May, soon after Civ
ing birth to its nominees; and notwithstanding thu
perserverng efforts, recently made by the saturnine
Maynard of Tenn, and the funloving Vance, o
NC, in Alexandria, Va, to impress upon the minds
of the people that Bell lis not dead, but only
sleepeth "-the people only looked solemn wher
Maynard declared it, and grinhed and winked a
Vance when he testified to it asthough it was cap
ital joke, and one Understood and appreciated. Blu
seriously, the present condition of the Democratic
party is one which awakens the grayest fears of
best men as to the future of our country. That dis
rupted and rent into fragmentary factions, where
the help to come from to stay the tide of abolition
fanaticism? Many here who have thrown them
selves boldly in the hickest of this unnatural strife
are beginning to adopt more temperate line of &C
ton and seem to be impressed with the necessity
mutual fofbearance; many who were disposed to g
extreme lengths in widening the breach, now evinc
an earnest desire to heal all differences and max
sacrifices for the well being Of their whole party
The people who have no interest in the plots Of pol
ticians are growing weary Of this discord-this in
cessant wranglng, and desire peace, union and
thorough consolidation of our strength. From m
own observation and converse with prominent ger
tlemen, feel sure that the Convention of June 1St
will act in spirit Of conciliaton and that whoeve
may be the Sominee, the party wilfbe q unit in hi
support 1t will be far better to wait the action
the patriotic men composing the Convention, an
then fire our hot-shot into the Republican camp il
stead of among our own friends. Doubtless you
readers have perused the Address published by se'
eral Southern members of Congress The Dem,
cratic portion of the N. G. delegation did not al
prove Of such action, very properly declaring tbs
they were not sent here for any SUCH purpose
their duty being to egislate for the country and M
make platforms or take VI der their especial charf
! Al Nj II