New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-05-25
The Captured Africans.
Under date Of the 18th. the Washington corrs

Under date of the l9th the Washington corres-
pondent Of the n. Y. Herald writes:
The President communicated q special message
to the Senate to-day, announcing the capture BY
the Mohawk OF the SLAYER Wildfife, with 1--WE hun
dred and seven Africans on board. He refers to
Echo, and regrets to say that, under the mode
adopted in regard to them, the expenditures will
be large; but it seems to a great extent to be
inevitable, without violation Of the laws Of
humanity. The expenditures on this scale for the
Africans captured on board Of the Wildife will not
be less than one hundred thousand dollars, and
may considerably exceed this sum. It will mt be
sufficient for Congress to limit the amount to be
appropriated to the case OF the Widfre, as preba-
bly,, Judging from the increased activity of the
slave trade, and the vigilance of our cruisers,
the end of the year. An appropriation ought,
therefore, to be granted large enough to cover
these contingencies.
The period, he says, has arrived when it is in
dispensable to provide by some specific legislation
for the guidance of the Executive on the subject.
He suggests Congress may authorize him to eater
into general arrangement with the Colonization
Society, binding them to receive on the coast of
Africa, from an agent there, captured Africans
who may be delivered to him, and TO maintain
them for a limited period, on such terms and cen
ditions as may combine humanity toward those un-
fortunates with economy. 1t would ohviate the
necessity of making new bargain with every new
capture. and would prevent delay and avoid the
expense of the disposition of the captured. The
law might then provide that in all cases, where
practicable, the captor shall carry the negroes d.
recty to Africa. and deliver them to the American
agent there. afterward bringing the captured yes
sci to the United States for adjudication.
The capturing officer, in case of bringing the
prize to the United States ought to be required TO
land the negroes in some one more ports, to be
designated by Congress, where the prevailing
health throughout the year is good. At these
ports cheap but permanent accommodations might
be provided for the negroes, until they could be
sent away, without iHcurring the expense of erect
ing such accommodations at every port where the
captor may think it expedient TO enter. On the
present occasion these negroes have been brought
To Key West, and, according to an estimate pre-
sented by the Marshal of the Southern District Of
Florida, the cost of providing temporary quarters
will be S2600. The aggregate expense for single
month may be sl2 ,000.
But this is far from being the worst evil. Within
few weeks the yellow fever will prevail at Key
West, and hence the Marshal urges their removal
from their present quarters at an early day, which
must be done, in any event, soon practicable.
For these reasoas the President earnestly recon-
mends the subject to the immediate attention Of
Congress- He says, in conclusion, that it is truly
lamentable that Great Britain and the United
States should be obliged to spend such vast
amount of blood and treasure for the suppression
Of the African slave trade, when the only portions
of the civilized world where it is tolerated and
couraged are the Spanish islands of Cuba and
Porto Rico.