The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-08-19

when properly carried on, is the most important
Of all other professions to the general com
munity.
The Black slavs Trade and the White
4 .~-r.,t Slave Trade.
4 In another page we publish, from the London
laid before the British Parliament, showing the
abominable nature Of the trade carried on in
white men at Canton and Whampoa, who are
purchased from kidnappers at thirty dollars
head and sold at Havana at four hundred dol
lars per head, having been Hrst compelled, by
torture of the most refined and excruciating
kind, and the terror Of death itself, to consent
to ga contract" which, though void in law, as
being signed under coercion, ID, nevertheless,
carried out against them In Cuba as fully as if
it were an act of their own deliberate choice.
The correspondence closes with an important
official despatch from Lord John Russell to Earl
Cowley, Lord Lyons, Sir A. Magenis and Mr..
Edwards, requesting them to appeal, in the
name of humanity and religion, to the respect
i've governments to which they are accredited,
to eface, by Hnsl effort, the stain which the
slave trade inflicts on the Christian NAME"
The despatch is published at length in our
columns, and 1t concludes with two principal
propositions 10 the nations of Christendom'-
one is to take the most efectual means Of cutting
of the black slave trade, and the other is to
encourage and regulate the white slave trade.
The first of these propositions Is in the follow
ing words:-"A systematic plan of cnlising on
the coast of Cuba by the vessels Of Great
Britain, Spain and the United States" This idea
has been borrowed from Mr.. Buchanan, whose
message to Congress is quoted by Lord John
Russell. Vast amounts of blood and treasure
had been expended In vain in guarding the
shores of Africa, which are very extensive and
very sickly. The United States and the British
governments have treaty to maintain eighty
guns each on the African coast to pre-
vent the traffic. They have not only altogether
failed in doing this, but with the best intentions
in the world they have increased the amount of
deaths and suferipgs. Had the trade been let
alone and no cruisers sent to interfere with it,
the competition In 1t would have been so great
and the profits so small, that the traders could
not afford to make losses on the voyage from
inhuman treatment of their cargo. They would
have carried the slaves in large and commo'
dious ships. The close slowing and the enor-
nous loss of life are occasioned by the necessity
of concealment and of speed, and this necessity
is caused by the cruisers. ave must admit
says the London Tines, in a recent article,
/" that Notwithstanding all our sacrifices, our
negotiations, and our coercion of other Powers,
the slave trade exists, and the same horrors
are inflicted as Mr.. Buxton's ancestors so long
ago denounced. Miserable human beings are
still packed together like behring's in barrel,
and the beautifully shaped hull Of many q
swift clipper is bu, a she'll to horrors more
dreadful than even those which have been dis
covered at Palermo or at Naples Mr.. Bucha-
nan had the sagsciiy to. see that il was USE
less to rely upon the squadron on the African
coast, losing money and sacrificing white men
by thousands, which only resulted in the in-
creased suferings and deaths of black men--to
prevent which was the object Of all the expen-
diture of treasure and of blood. He saw that
Cuba was the only place with which the traffic
ratively small and easy to watch. He therefore
stationed two or three gunboats around the
island, and the result is that during his admi-
nistration more captures have been made
in the same space of time than by the combined
efforts of the British and American squadrons
on the coast of Africa. The British govern
ment now propose to follow up the idea by in.
creasing the number Of cruisers around Cuba
But the absurdity Of taking Spain into the part
nership Is palpable. II, instead Of Spain, Lord
John Russell had substituted France, there
would be some sense in the proposition.
Spain could abolish the negro slave trade in one
month II she pleased, herself alone, with
out any aid from the United States OF Great
Britain. The British government foolishly paid
her two millions Of dollars In 1885 TO abolish
the traffic. But she found it was for her inte-
rests and the interests Of her colony to continue
IL, and while she pocketed John Balls money.
che cenniyed at the trade and connives al 1t
now.
Lord John Russell states that the officials In
Cuba are bribed by the traders-a statement
In which be is confirmed by the authority
Of the journals in this city, which lately pub
lished statement that in o single instance
this year the Governor Of Trinidad re.
ceived $4,000 as O douceur. But II Is
evident that the Spanish government
do not want to stop the traffic, because their
colony needs a supply Of labor which 1t cannot
get in any other way. 1t Is, therefore, the
height Of absurdty to ask Spain to assist, by q
contribution Of her naval force, 10 suppressing
what she has an interest in secretly encourag-
ing; and equally idle is II to ask her TO make
internal regulations in the island auxiliary to
the vigilance of the police Of the seas outside.
Lord John Russell, indeed, suggests that the
Congress of the United States ought also to Inn
prove our internal laws against the Citing out
Of slavers. But II is hard TO believe the British
s;rnaro In tbfu h,.s;pa.. X,alJ