The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-12-17
The End Of the SlaYe.Trade.

l.
Report of the Secretary of the Navy,
just presented to Congress, which,
probably overlooked amid the impos-
ing details given in that document of
the strength of our naval arm, and the
movements of cur sduadrons in differ
emit parts of the world, merits, we
think, particular notice. It is this:
But one SLAYER has been fitted out
ON the southern coast of Africa with
in the past year, and she has been cap
tured on the coast of Cuba with her
cargo. 1t was the opinion of promi-
nent officials at Loando, including the
French Admiral on that station, that
the slave-trGde had erpired, and that
this blot on civilization had become at
last matter of history: 1851
We also find the following in the
Report:
The vessels on the West India sta
ton were instructed to exercise vigi-
lance in detecting slavers and pre-
venting the slave trade, provided any
lingering remains of that nef srious
traffic still existed. But no captures
have been made, and 1t is to be hoped
this Infamous trade Is ertinguished.
So, it would appear, it is to be the
happiness of the present generation to
witness the last Of one of the greatest
curses with which humanity has ever
been affiicted-the extinction of the
ssum of all villainies ''o The history
of the African Slave Trade, like the
prophets roll, is full of lamenta-
tons, and mourning, and woe" 1t is
history whose every page has been
saturated with tears and blood. One
of the most hopeful and cheering
sights of the times is the fact that the
last page of that dreadful history has
been written, and that Christian
civilization is to be redeemed from
the abomination and disgrace of man
stealing, and of the cruelties and hor-
rors Of the " middle passage" The
future historians of this country will
record with pride the fact that, stimuli
taneously with our struggles to save
liberty In the Republic, the nation be-
came more earnest than ever In pro-
test against this abomination, and
more active in efforts to suppress the
wicked trade.
Spain is now the only power from
which any attempt to revive the traf-
fc in human flesh and blood may be
apprehended. But she, too, will be
compelled to yield In this matter to
that enlightened public opinion which
has forced other nations to abandon
the nefarious business. She is under
treaty obligations with Great Britain
to suppress the traffic, sum amount
ing to nearly half million of pounds
sterling having been paid to her for
that purpose. The terms of the treaty
in question have been shamelessly
violated by Spain, who for years past
has tacitly given every encouragement
to the man-stealers of Cuba in the
prosecution of their inhuman enter
prise. Previously to our late civil
war, the slave trade to Cuba was car
ried on in great measure under the
United, States flag; but the treaty
made with the British Government
by President Lincoln's Administra-
ton, for the more effectual suppress
ion of the traffic by means of con-
certed action between the United
States and England, renders it impos-
sible for the Spaniards any longer to
find impunity under the shelter of our
flag; and the vigilance of cruisers, as
the Secretarys report shows, has done
the rest, the trade being already yir-
tually extinct. And Spain, we repeat,
cannot revive it; for independently of
that extraneous pressure, which, on
the question of negro slavery, must
eventually drive her into the right
path, wholesome sentiment is spring.
ing up in her own bosom. Madrid
has its Abolition party, active, earnest,
and enthusiastic; Cuba, too, has its
Abolitionists; and there are facts
showing that the Spanish Governments
is feeling sensibly the moral pressure
arising out of the events of the last
five years in this part of the world. |
The abolition Of slavery in Cuba is
only question of time, and we think |
we see already " the beginning of the
end. "--Neao York Tribune.
A Practical View