The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-08-10

1ne African slave Trmde-1ts Profits anu
Prosperity.
The Eoening Post, the New York Tribune.
and other anti-siavery journals in this city. are
disctarging themselves of such a mass Of special
and minute information about the movements
of slsvers, and the activity of the slave trade in
New York, New London, New Bedford aud
Boston. that it seems highly probable they are
stockholders or eecret agents in the business.
These ports, in which the slavers are fitted out,
belong to the most rabid antislavery States,
and there can be no doubt that the vessels are
the property of the republicans in those several
places The profits of the trade are 80 great
that they can well afford to contribute hun
dred thousand dollars or more towards the
election of an ntislavery President. From
lists published short time ago in the Post and
Tribune, il appeared that eighty-six slavers had
sailed from this port and the other ports we
have mentioned, and from fl ner cases since
reported, the number cannot be now far short Of
one hundred sail. The net proceeds on
cargo of FIVE hundred slaves are at the lowest
estimate 100000, which is only an average
profit of $500 per head. The sum total of
the profits Of the "blackbird feet OF one hun
dred vessels would therefore amount to ten mil
lions of dollars, and this estimate makes an al
lewance of five millions for expenses and losses.
From thefe facts and figures ii is evident that
it is a most profitable, prosperous business, and
accordingly we are informed by the Post that
steamships are about to give new activity to
the traffic, and that they will be packed with
some 5000 negroes, whose aggregate prices
would sum up about million of dollars.
One instance is mentioned By both our anti
slavery contemporaries, of $50 negroes being
landed. on the 30th of June from an American
bark, and sold publicly in the streets Of Trini
dad at an average of $3.50 each. The gross
proceeds of this cargo would be s292500
which, for one hundred "blackbirds," would
amount to upwards Of twenty-nine mil
lions of dollars, leaving clear profit Of from
twenty to twenty-five millions. 1t is added in
the Post, that the Governor of Trinidad re-
ceived in this transaction $4,000 hush
money. Now, it may be fairly asked, how
| those who are not implicated or in
| terested in the trade themselves can be so
we'll posted in this matter of bribery, or make
| up the lists of slavers which have appeared in
their journals? How can they be so infinitely
informed Of the names Of the vessels, their cap
tains, the ports from which they have sailed
the number Of slaves they land, the prices re-
ceived for them, and the "hush money" to cor
rupt Governors, unless they are secret partners
in the trade? If they are possessed of all this
Information, they must have known of the
fitting out of every vessel before she sailed.
Why did they not give information to the
authorities before the bird had flown, unless
they had an interest in concealing her fight
till it was too late. Once these ships have
made their voyages and landed their cargoes
and the owners have realized fortunes, they or
their agents may then inform the public that
such operations were made, the legal evidence
against those concerned being no longer in ex.
istence. They can thus afford to be severe in
their denunciations Of the slave traffic, and call
ii internal" having the prices of the Africans
in their pockets, or snugly deposited to their
credit in banks, and they can also aford to
bleed copiously for the purchase Of cam
paign documents to secure the election
Of Old Abe Lincoln. Like sleek Joseph Sur
face, in the "Scheol for Scandal" who yea
lousy preached up sentiments Of morality to
his wild brother Charles at the very moment that
he had Sir Peter Teazle's wife concealed for q
criminal purpose in his room, the anti slavery
leaders are most enthusiastic against the slave
traffic at the very time that they are enjoying
its profits and doing thriving business in
human flesh.