The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-08-18

That the slave trade with Cuba has been prose-
cued during the past few years with extraordinary
activity, and that nine-teHths of the vessels en-
gagged in this traffic set sail for the Coast of Africa
under the flag of the United States, are facts which
do not admit of dispute. Not week passes that
we do not hear of vessels being fitted ont either
in New York, or in some one or other of the East
ern ports, ostensibly for a trading voyage 10 'he
gold coast but, in reality, for the purpose OF re-
turning to Cuba with cargo OF Africans. The
eypense attendant upon the venture is SMALL the
risk is by no means great, whilst the profits de-
rived from n successful voyage are enormous. Oc-
casionally we hear of q seizure in port under
suspicious circumstances, but bonds are promptly
given the vessel is released, and the next account
we have of her is that she has been stranded some
where off the coast of Cuba, after having success
fully run the gauntlet of our cruisers and added
four or five hundred native Africans 10 the slave
population of the island The almost perfect
IMMUNITY with which these voyages are
made has, at length, attracted the attention
of the English Government. Lord BRoUGHAM
has demanded, in the House of Peers that Spain
''shall be compelled 10 carry out her engagements
''for the suppression of the slave-trade." Lord
JOHN RUSSELL, on the other hand, seeks to effect
the same object in different and less violent
way In his recent despatch to Lord LYONS he
lays down four propositions for the consideration
of the parties concerned in putting a stop to the
traffic. They are as follows
lst. An improvement in the laws of the UNITED
STATES respecting the equipment of slave ships.
Cd. The enactment by Spain of law enforcing
the registration of slaves IN Cuba and visiting the
purchasers of imported Africans with severe pen
aties
Sd A systematic plan of cruising on the Coast
of Cuba, by the vessels of the UNITED STATES,
Great Britain and Spain.
4th. A plan of Coolie emigration regulated by
the agents of European nations in conjunction
with the Chinese authorities.
OF all the propositions submitted by Lord JOHN
RUSSELL, there is but one which offers any reason
able promise of attaining the end proposed. The
laws of the UNITED STATES, in relation TO the
slave-trade, are stringent enough already. The
difficulty lies less with the inefficacy of the
laws themselves, than with the execution
of them, and especially is this the
case as regards the subordinate officials
1t is very rarely too, that vessel sails
from New York, having in her hold the equip
ments of SLAYER. These are most frequently OBJ
tanned elsewhere, and however much the nature of
her voyage may be suspected, the fact that she
has nothing on board but what might be carried
by legitimate trader, renders her detention by
the United States Marshal, for more than brief
period, matter of mpossibility. The enactment
of a registration law by Spain, to be applied to
the existing slave population of Cuba, would also
prove as worthless as the laws at present existing
for the prohibition of the slave trade ITSELF The
latter could never have fourished, as it has DONE
without the connivance of the Cuban authorities,
and so long ms they wink at the violation of the
laws relating to the importation of slaves they
are not likely to exact the penalties incurred by
wanton disregard of the proposed registration law
for breach of the latter could only take place
as consequence of an infraction of the former
Nor are we satisfied that remedy for the slave
trade can be found in the substitution of Coolie la
Dor, under any system which the agents of Euro
pean nations might agree among themselves to
adopt. Their system might work very well
in the British West India Islands where the
number of hours they shall be employed during
each day, and the period of service, are rigidly
enforced; but such efficient supervision could be
expected in Cuba or Porto Rico. Indeed from all
we know of the Coole traffic, it is evident that
it is open to gross abuses and it is at least doubt
full whether those abuses can be sensibly modified
by any arrangement thatmay be entered into with
Chinese local 7 To no far
dentured servant and of slave for life, the COM
parison is altogether in favor of the latter. The
price paid for Coole laborer when landed in
Cuba is three hundred dollars. His term of SER
vice is limited to seven years, and the employer
contracts to pay him four dollars month, and to
furnish him with clothes, shoes, medical attend
ance, and a generous allowance of food. The price
of an imported African ranges from five 10 eight
hundred dollars; the term of service is, of course,
unlimited and except his food, clothing, and med
ical attendance he receives nothing. twill be
seen from this, that the African is by far
the more desirable property Of the two because he
is more strictly under the control of his master,
and because he is not only slave for life, but his
progeny also. Even if conducted, therefore, I'M
der the best auspices the system of indented APP
prentices produce but little effect upon the
slave trade so long as slaves-though purchased
originally at higher price than Coolies-are more
profitable, both as laborers costing nothing more
than their food and clothing, and from their ma
tural increase. There are then but two ways in
which the slave traffic can be suppressed The
first and more elfectual of ALL is that proposed by
Lord BRouGHAM. But as the English Government
does not appear disposed to resort to extreme mea-
sures against Spain, to compel her to carry out
her engagements, the only means remaining is TO
blockade, as against slaveTs, the islands of Cuba
and Porto Rico by an adequate fleet. This is
what Lord JOHN RUSSELL proposes shall be DONE
and this, as we said on Saturday last, is the only
mode-the action of Spain herself alone excepted
by which the trade in African slaves can be bro
ken up.