New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-04-02
THE SLAVE TRADE

Two of the Blue Books that have been
laid before the British parliament at its
| present session show that the slave trade
on the coast of Africa is not yet wholly
suppressed. True, the mixed commission
courts, which sit by the authority OF the
slave trade treaty between this country
Spain, France, and Great Britain, have CON
demned no slavers during the year of which
these two books furnish the record. Al
New York and Havana, at Sierra Leone
and the Cape of Good Hope. the report is
made that no case has been adjudieated.
AT the court of Loanda, the chief town
upon the coast of Angora, there have been
some trials Of supposed slavers, but their
guilt could not be proven, and they were
discharged. But the work Of these courts
can not be taken as a sufficient index Of the
state Of the slave trade. In proportion to
the obstacles thrown in their path the in
genuity of the slavers has increased-just
as rats become wary OF traps after they
have seen some of their number caught in
their iron teeth. Because the trap is empty
it does not follow that all the rats are dead;
and because the men-ot.war on the
| west coast Of Africa have caught
no slavers for the last twelve
months. it must not be assumed that the
trade in human flesh has ceased to be car
ried on. There is proof tc the contrary.
While the general of Angora APP
pears to be honestly opposed to the trade,
his subordinates are inclined to favor it (;
and The only one of them who actively OPP
posed it has been driven by the slave inter
est from the province. "Libertes' are
still shipped to the Portuguese island of St.
Thome, and numerous undisguised sla7ers
have fitted out for the Angora coast. The
British judge in Cuba reports that until
Spain declares that slave trading shall be
piracy. attempts to land slave cargoes on
that island will still be made but he adds
that " there is fair reason for supposing
that the Cuban slave trade is almost at an
end" The more enlightened inhabitants
OF Cuba are aghast at the number OF slaves
it already holds, and are anxiously specu-
lating how they may be emaneipated.
The British consul in the COmoro islands
has been deprived of his appointment be-
cause he persisted in cultivating his estates
with slaves, and in the Blue Book is a let
tel from him complaining of Earl Russell
for expelling him from Office for this offense.
The British representation in Alexandria,
in Egypt, reports that the slave trade in
that country, on the White and Blue Nile,
is carried on only by wholesale, and that
the misery of the slaves is fearful. Slaves,
under the gdise Of free immi-
grants, continue to be introduced
Into Reunion by French subjects,
being brought from Madagascar and the
French colonies OF NJ ,yotte and Nossibe.
Portugal, the most tenacious of all nations
in holding on to this accursed traffic, has at
last felt the influence of the age, and has
appointed a commission to consider the
best means of carrying out "the general.
complete, and immediate abolition of
slavery in her African possessions. When
the Portuguese cease to be shareholders
they viii be far less likely to screen and
foster slave-traders. Spain, also, has taken
mere energetic legislative steps for the
suppression OF the trade, She has declared
also that any Cuban or Porto Rican slave
" shall be considered as emancipated and
tree on stepping on the soil of the territory
of the peninsula, and of its adjacent islands,
or on arriving in the maritime circle and
jurisdiction Of the same and the same re-
suit is to follow when the slave, in com
pany with bis master, or sent by him, steps
on the territory or corner within the juris-
diction OF any state in which slavery does
not exist
From Brazil also comes news of progress,
unweloome only to those chivalrie souls
who fed from our own land because they
could no longer WELD the lash and own
the bodies Of their fellow men beneath this
Gag. The emancipation Of the slaves in
the United States has produced
powerful effect on the minds OF beth
whites and blacks in Brazil. The
former are, as body, strongly
opposed to any revival Of the slave trade,
and are becoming convinced that to avoid
the disgrace Of tagging behind the age,
and to escape unpleasantly cogent remon-
strances from the United States on the
subject. they will soon be compelled to
emancipste their slaves and treat their
'.emancipadosa more fairly. The slaves
on their side are manifesting dispositions
to assert their rights. The slaves on one
estate ia Brazil, being dissatisfied With
their overseer, and not getting any satisfaS-
ton to their demands for his dismissal
killed him, and then went quickly to their
master T. tell him what they had done, and
why they had done it, and that they were
going to carry their complaint to the pres
ident Of the province. The war with Para
quay has given a stimulus 70 the emancipa-
ton movement in Brazil, the emperor, the
state, and cOnacripied private owners hav-
ing offered liberty to slaves willing to enter
the army as volunteers OF Substitutes. And
the Benedictine monks, who own two thou
sand slaves, have granted fFeedom 10 ali
children bora after the Third Of May, 1868,
the monks providing for their edueaeon
ana Aaintenance.