The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-05-24
BALTIMORE.
THURSDAY, MAY "a, 1850

n, Saturday last President BUCHANAN sent |
sooio1 message to Congress in relation to the cap
tro bv the UNITED STATES steamer MohdDk, of the |
slaver WHdfre on the coast Of Cuba, with five
hundred and seven African negroes on board
Two days later the telegraph brought US ntelli-
gence of the capture off the Isle of Pines, by the
UNITED STATES steamer Wydndote, of the barque
William, of New York, with FIVE hundred and
fifty negroes on board. Both of these vessels and
their cargoes have been taken to Key West. AS
the PRESIDENT seeks to ascertain from Congress
what disposition is TO be made of the negroes Of
the Wldfre, which was the only vessel of whose
seizure he had any cognizance at the time when his
MESSAGE was written, the question becomes
still more pertinent now, that the number OF
Africans in the custody of the Marshal for the
so,tbern District of Florida has been doubled.
The aggregate expense of keeping, for one month,
the five hundred negroes first brought 10 Key
West is estimated at fourteen thousand five hun
dred dollars. To send them to Liberia, and
to furnish them with shelter, clothing and pro-
visions for one year, as was the case with
the negroes taken on board the SLAYER Echo,
in 1858, will not cost the UNITED STATES less than
one hundred thousand dollars more. If we add
TO this the still heavier charges which must be in
Cured in removing also TO Liberia those which
have been recently captured in the bark William,
the total expenditures may be safely set down as
something more than quarter of million of dol
lars. In commenting this subject to the attention
of Congress, Mr.. BUCHANAN characterizes it as
truly lnmenable that Great Britain and the UNI
"TED STATES should be obliged TO expend such
vast amount of blood and treasure for the sup
preston Of the African slave trade, when the
"ony portions of the civilized world where it is
tolerated and encouraged are the Spanish islands
"of Cuba and Porto Rico" In view of the
marked increase in this traffic which has been OBJ
servable of late, Congress is asked to provide
Specific legislation for the guidance of the Execu-
''tive on this subject and within forty
hours after the receipt of the PRESIDENTS message
Senator WILSON called up bill which had been
previously introduced by him, ''for the more eff
"fec tual suppression of the slave trade" Passing
by his predatory remarks, which, as might have
been expected from one of his extreme views, deal
largely in such phrases as "misery and torture"
''manaces and fetters,' 'icargoes of despair"
foul and dark s'foulness and corruption"
pollution and dishonor" "anguish, suffering
land death, &c, &c, until the whole catalogue
of horrors is exhaused-passing by all these, we
say, quite characteristic of the Senator, and of
course pertinent to the OCCASION we proceed to lay
before readers the chief points of the Bill in
question 1t provides for the construction of five
additional steam screw sloops-of-war, to be
stationed on the coast of Africa and in
creases from twenty-five to one hundred
dollars the bounty authorized to be paid to
officers and seamen in the UNITED STATES SER
vice for each African captured and delivered over
to the Federal authorities, and from fifty to one
hundred dollars the bounty now paid to inform
ers. All persons engaged in the Slave-trade, d.
rectly or indirectly, whether in fitting out ships
for that purpose or in sailing them, if convicted
are to oe adjudged guilty of the crime of piracy,
and are to be punished by Imprisonment
for life. Every American ship, not properly
registered, which displays the American flag as a
badge Of its nationality, is 10 be forfeited to
the UNITED STATES, and the owners, officers and
crews are 10 be punished by Imprisonment for not
less than year. The master of every ship sail
ing to the coast of Africa is imperativey required
undera penalty Of incurrng the forfeiture ofhis yes
sell to notify the Attorney of the District from which
the ship is to sail that due examination may be
made into the character Of the vessel and the object
OF the voyage. Every American vessel which is
purchased by citizen Of the UNITED STATES at
any foreign port in North or South America, the
West India Islands he Cape de Verde Islands,
or near the coast Of Africa, must have the title
papers executed in the presence of Minister or
Consul OF the UNITED STATES, or the sale is to be
null and void, and must be returned TO the UNI
TED STATES for new register. ANY violation 0
these provisions subjects the offending parties to
fine OF ten thousand dollars and to imprisonment
for II term not exceeding three years Upon con-
viction the vessel is to be forfeited TO the UNITED
STATES. There are other provisions embodied in
the Bill, but we omit them as of minor importance
Those which we have quoted are stringent beyond
all previous example, and if 10 propose the inhc-
ton of severe pains and penalties were alone
sufficient to put an end TO this odious traffic.
its suppression, ut an early day, might rea-
sonably he anticipated. But it is not by
the enactment of rigorous laws that the
Slave-trade can be ellectually broken up. So
long the importation of native Africans into
the Spanish colonies is lucrative business, I'M
8crupulous men will he found, both in the UNITED
STATES and elsewhere, who will not hesitate TO
engage in it, and the price OF negroes will adj
vance with the increase of the risk to be run in
obtaining them There are no obligations rest
ing either upon Great Britain or upon the UNITED
STATES, beyond such as they have voluntarily
assumed, which make it incumbent upon them to
maintain q police upon the high seas because
Spanish officials derive Il princely revenue from a
traffic whieh Tire Spanish Government disavows,
yet tolerates. 1t is indeed ''lamentable" as Mr..
BUCHANAN expresses it, that we should be put to
a vast expense for the suppression of the Afri-
can Slave-trade, which could be put stop
to by Spain at any moment and which
would long since have been rendered almost
an impossibility, if she had faithfully OBJ
served her treaty engagements. The evil is
one which she has fostered the remedy is
in her hands, and upon her chiefly should the
penalty be imposed TO which she may have made
herself amenabe by violating the spirit if not the
letter. of her compact. Why should we hold the
principal harmless and punish vigorously the sub
ordinates? Great Britain and the UNITED STATES
should insist that Spain shall no longer permit
her provincial authorities to countenance the
traffic, and should hold her responsible for
the consequences that might follow a wan
ton disregard of so solemn protest. A
vigorous demonstration of this kind would pro-
duce much more salutary effect than squadron
on the African coast and squadron in the Gulf
OF Mexico, and would entirely do away with the
necessity of passing such laws for the suppression
of the Slave-trade as are advocated by Senator
WILSON.
srrsrrHser<.nE.sn-Ezs-s<.<s1U11
In the Senate, yesterday, the Committee the Jul
dietary reported bill in response to the Presidents
message, relative to the slaves landed at Key West
and asked its immediate consideration in view of
the urgency of the The bill to increase the pay
of the Navy was taken up, the amendment of the