Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-08-25
THE SLAVE TRADE IN THE SOUTH
INTERESTING REVELATIONS.

TIE SLAVE TRADE IN The SUUTA.
INTERESTING REVELATIONS.
A correspondent of the New Orleans Crescent,
writing from Brownsville, Jelly A, furnishes some
singular revelations in reference TO the slave trade
as it now exists in the South:
The popularity to which 1 desire to attract the
Southern attention is the adaptability oftho Padre
Island as a resort for the initiation Of those meas'
ures which we're necessary in order TO make popu-
lar a matter of vital Importance TO the SOutN. To
have boldly ventured into New Orleans with ne.
gtoes freshly imported from Africa would not
only have brought down upon The head Of the inn
porter the vengeance Of the very philanthropic
Uncle Sam, but also the an athenas Of the whole
sect of philanthropists and negrophilists every
where. To import them for years into quiet 2la-
ces, evading with ~impunity the penalty of the law
and the Ihin-skinned sympathisers of South Africa,
was gradually to pave the way for the open and
public revival Of the slave trade.
To this end, a few men, bold and energetic, de-
termined, ten or twelve years ago, to commenced
the business of importing niggers, slowly, at frst,
but surely; and for this purpose they selected a
few secluded places on the coast of Florida, Geor'
gia, and Texas, for the purpose Of concealing their
otOCk uutl IL COulu W y III OuV. NlIuOub specify
ing other places, let me bring the attention of the
reader to q deep pocket or indentation in the coast
Of Texas, about thirty miles from Brazos Santiago.
Into this pocket a SLAYER could run at night, dis.
charge her cargo of moveabfes upon the bluff, and
again proceed to sea. The live cargo could be
marched a short distance across the main island,
over q porous soil, which refused to retain a foot
print, until they took boats and were concealed
upon some of the innumerable little islands which
were above the waters of the laguna in the rear.
These islands being covered with q thick growth
of bushes and grass, offer inscyutable hiding places
for the black diamonds
The plan sometimes was, when 1t was supposed
to be hazardous to land upon this shore, that the
niggers we're discharged on the coast of Cuba, and
there retained until an opportunity offered for
their Importation Into Texas. A GENTLEMAN tells
me that once. when engaged in investigating the
business of some parties who had purchased pro-
visions from him on Padre island, he came sud
denly upon an unclaimed African who had stray
ed OF from camp. This piece of property told
my informant that seventy'fve of his sort had
just been landed from Bayou Honda, in Cuba, and
the most Of them had already been sold to Texas
planters. Searching further, my Informant. found
tho camp. delivered tho stray Niger, and fscnised
: the proprietor's thanks. There WIGS immediately
created a kind OF tacit understanding between all
hands that the subject should be ignored; and my
. adviser considered he made money by attending
to his OWN business and let the negro-traders
, attend to theirs.
In pursuance of the above line Of policy, is is
|. my pleasure to inform you that quite recently a
cargo of niggerS were imported into Padre island.
and that before this they are all probably distribu-
ted among the planters Of southwestern Texas
1t is said that this importation was made by a man
\ named Forrest, and as l know that such a man is
E engaged in that commerce, and that this is about
1 the right time for him to be along, l feel pretty
!. we'll satisfied that the report is true. 1t is further
n said that he burned his vessel off The island, and
that the light was seen at Brazos Santiago.
y Padre island is ct present under the dominion
. Of Mr.. John V. Singer, brother of the famoul
Is sewing machine man. John V. Singer is sixty
70 nine years old, small in stature, long and muscu
lar, with q will like a mule, and an energy like
e beaver. He settled there in l849, after the Mex
/. can war, and, although a rough sailor, at enc
|, proceeded to shingle making, a business be per
haps knew as much about as you do. The islam
- projects into the Gulf considerably, and is there
fore so situated that a colsiG cradle volume of tn
ID Gulf stream constantly rushes against it, THROWN
A. up evermore whatever floats upon the surface
So that mysterious current. Of these WAITE, a larg
lie number of cypress logs from the Mississippi con
posed a part, and Of these Singer coined his fr
money by making one hundred thousand shingles
MIR. Singer has since bought a large Mexica
a. grant, which covers almost the entire island. II
has also bought up island script warrants unde
the Texas laws, and located them upon a porto
of the adjoining island, Brazos Santiago. Thi
gives him almost the entire command of the hal
Dor of Brszos Santiago, the only port on the coal
from Arkansas Bay to Tampico, a distance of fy
hundred miles. into which vessels drawing eigh
or more feet of water can enter. Through thi
harbor all the impOrtations Of tho Rio Grand Va
ley must pass, and it is not an exaggeration I
{ say that in ten years that sssade will amount
500. 100000 annually.