Daily national Democrat., 1860-03-31
Slave Trade.

A correspondent of the New York Tribune
writes from the Coast of Africa, that the
slave trade is steadily going on in that region.
Very fast ships are employed in the business,
and. reaching the coast under various dis
guises thev take on board in the nighttime
their live cargo and put to sea with such eX-
pedtion as in nine cases out of ten to defy
all pursuit Most of these vessels are fitted
out in New York and are owned by northern
merchants and capitalists. 1t is even said
that ladies in the ranks of upper tendon
have money invested in these enterprises and
realize vast profits.
The fact that the slave trade is by no
means suppressed by the severe enactments
of England, France and the United States
against the traffic, is no news For ten years
past it has been on the increase, and the more
so that it has received the encouragement of
several of the Southern States, through the
medium of the decisions of their courts, and
from the far more potent sanction of a cor
rupted public opinion. So long as this inta-
nous traffic is endorsed or excused or con
nived at by popular sentiment in the South,
so long will it continue despite Of all the
vigilance of the General Government. That
a change of this character should have come
over the Southern mind, or at least consid-
cradle portion of the Southern mind, is
deeply to be regretted A generation ago,
bar -, on 4
Southern States who expressed any other
sentiment than that of the utmost adherence
of this nefarious trade. Now, it is openly
advocated by public men and by the press
All that a slave ship has now to do is to es-
cape from the coast of Africa and get out to
sea, far enough ahead Of pursuers to reach
some Southern port. The chances are in its
| favor if it be subjected to the ordeal of n
trial for piracy in Southern Court Atany
rate, such state of things has been very
boldly asserted of late as a conceded fact
A much more serious check upon this trade
could be secured, if our government would
employ more vessels on the coast of Africa
for the suppression of it. She has so strenu-
ously objected to having American vessels,
however suspicious the appearance, searched
by British ships, that England,-the most
vigilant of any power in the suppression Of
the trafic-has instructed the Admiral of the
British Navy in the Afic waters to abstain
from interfering with American vessels or
those sailing under the American flag. If
this order is even but partially observed, it
is apparent that there must be great immuni
ty for the numerous slave ships which are
/ fitted out at New York and other ports Of
the United States, for the purpose Of captiva-
ting slaves. Since England relinquishes her
fright of search" or at any rate declines to
insist on it,-and she really has no right to
board vessel under American coors-it is
clearly the duty of our Government to add a
sufficient force to her own squadron on the
coast of Africa to arrest and bring into
American ports for trial every suspected YES.
sci sailing under the flag of the United
States. Her compact with the other great
powers of the world demands it, and she il
acting in bad faith if she does not discharg,
this important obligation.