The weekly Louisianian., 1873-01-25
THE COOLIE: TRAFFIC.
WORSE THAN THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE.

. II would really seem as theu<
q the war against slavery has to
II waged over again, for the vile trad
Is in human beings, which some yea
q ago it was thought had received i
death blow, still exists under Il
name Of the cooia trade. 'Not.onl
= does it exist, but some COVER,
ments extend to it unblushing cou1
tenance, while others show q luke
e warmness over it's suppression ths
, depriyes their protests Of any prat
tical value. Portugal notoriousl
supports the coolie traders, eve
> permitting officers of the regula
, navy to engage in the bushes
, rs commanders of the slave ships
and enjoining its diplomatic agent
abroad to afford the traders ever,
assistance. And so far has it car
ried this business thpt some while
ago an AGREEMENT was entered into
by it with this country whereby ou,
representative at Yokohama found
himself somewhat embarrassed. A
Portuguese coo!ie trader, command.
ed by Portuguese naval officer
put into that port, and, getting into
trouble with the authorities, actual
~ called upon our representative for
assistance. Never Was it supposed
when the agreement was made be-
tween Portugal and this country
that occasion would arise i'll which
| it would be called upon to counten-
ance such an iniquity as the coolie
traffic. =.
; The assistance sought for was
not obtained, Of course E; but tliat
our representative was embarrassed
by the convenant would appear
probable, for certainly he did not
not take the steps that should have
been taken by an Official of the
United States. Another illustration
of Portugal's completely in this dis
graceful commerce has just been
furnished. Macao is the principal
depot Of the Portuguese settlement,
governed by a Portuguese appointee.
Recently the superintendent of emf
grafton there refused to sign con-
racts for the expectation OF coolies.
He evidently appreciated the nature
Of the traffic, and the deep disgrace
of any connected with it. He was
threatened with dismissal for bis re-
fusal. In turn he threatened in
such case to report to the govern
'nent at Lisbon. Subsequently, |
however, he thought better of it,
probably fearing that he would get
no support from the home govern
nent, and weakly got out of the diff
iculty by taking two weeks leave
# absence in order that his deputy
night sign the contracts, as he i'm
nediately did. Cold more dis
graceful exhibition be possible
On the other side of tie world the
'ile trade is still pursued. Only a
title while ago the Australian pa
'ers reported fearful outrage up
m the Polynesian natives and the
'rompt punishment of the wrong
|oers by, the Australian authorities.
Sut now again come reports OF
itnilar outrages. The Australians,
/ is stated, are determined to do {
heir utmost to break up the traffic, (
nd will severely punish these lat /
er offenders /; but what is the 1
British Government doing in the
natter? 1t is its business to look K
ITO the buainess and put it down /
18th strong arm. 1t has had time I
, take action, but none has yet s
cen indicated. Our duty in this c
latter is plain. In every way we 1
lark our ahhorrence of the system, a
nd take every opportunity not on a
>of protesting against it, but of
lppressing it by active measures. !:
oint action by Great Britain and q
10 United States has been agreed i
} in the matter of the slave trade i
q the coast Of Zanzibar: Why r
lould not those two countries Join 1
snds for the suppression Of thel
famous coolie traffic ?
Gall, D.,.l, q