The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1861-11-30
The rnbnn sInYo Trndul

The British and Foreign Anti-Shyory Soci-
ETY. h, q issued a circular, from which the fol-
lowing is an extract Tho slave trade In Gu
la is Icing carried on 10 an extent, which Is al
legged to be- without parallel in the annals Of
this traffic" The Committee believe that, for
many years past, the annual importations OF
ne gro, = into the island Of Cuba have exceeded
20 900. A careful calculation, based upon tho
actual known number Of the slave population,
gives substantial reasons for setting down tha
annual mportations at 40, 900. Spain carries
on this infamous traffic In open, hagrant viola
ton OF treaties and conventions for its suppress
sion, entered into with this country. 1t Ia
prosecuted on the most extensive scale by joint
stock companies, the price Of whose shares arc
current on the Exchange and is connived at by
the local authorities who receive enormous bribea
ay the price of their completely. The attempts
hitherto made 10 suppress the slave trade, have
cost the taxpayers Of Great britain some forty
millions sterling. The annual average cost OF
our present slave-trade suppression system,
may bc estimated at one million sterling. Mr..
CommissaIy Judge Crawford alleges that, in
1860 u, 900 are known to have landed In Cuba.
This estimate, the Committee believe, ought to
be doubled but, accepting IL as correct, 1t may
lo said that every slave landed In Cuba, in
1860, cost the taxpayers Of this countr tho
sum of Gi0 sterling.
Tho Committce ce submit that Spain has UNDER
taken by treaty to put down the slave trade
has received EiUO,OOO as compensation Tor al
legged anticipated losses and that II is the duty
of the British Government peremptorly to de-
mHnd hat she shall fulfil her engagement. Tbs
t,nm. tee believe that diplomacy presents yet
m my r. sources which, If employed with yigor
M 4, ci-iOn. would probably result successfully
Until they lave been tried, the Government
mot be- aid to have done its duty. The Com
mltt,r have strong opinion that pressure from
without would induce the Government to act
II Committee, therefore, appeal TO the friends
ui humanity to come forward at this crisis, Win
petitions and memorials to Government against
| tho tiapitious conduct Of Spain, urging the
prompt employment Of the strongest diplomatic
action to obtain the immediate iulhlment OF her
slave-tr aties. The following are extracts from
a dispatch from Mr.. Commissary Judge Cnw-
ford Of the Mixed Court at Havana, dated oth
February, 1861 -
.Fo such a state of corruption and degrade
ton has this Internal traffic reduced the people
Of this island and the Spanish officers, whose
dcrclicti0u Of duty has 50 dishOnored them, that
several Of the wealthy propretors have lent
their estates for hire, whereon new landed NO
grOes have been afforded the protection accord
al to q slave dealer by the Penal law OF 1910.
article g. and neither they nor the Spanish oh-
GERS who connived at the landing OF the slaves
so avoiding capture by being sheltered by the
pIOpIiclurs, are AT all objects OF detestation IN
the society Of this slaye-trading community,
| where the most notorious of those whose riches
| have been acquired in the African slave trade
| are loaded with the hOnOrs and decorations OF
| Smir. Some Of them have even been tnnobled
| on the recommendation Of certain Captains Iien-
| eral who could not have been Ignorant OF their
| ,,tNt-'Iauing successes, and such !ocom-
| mruggtilns Her Catholic Majesty could noe
| hNc imagined would by possibility have been
| given i'm favor # men whose characters were 50
| iItiunclv known TO Her Majestys representa-
tiyes. and that common report mixed up those
| high ohicsrs with the slave adventures Of tha
| now titled tralers i'm 80 far as cOnnivance at