The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-06-17

! slavery ana the SiuNc 1fHuc IN lSITs
Notwithstanding tho labors OF WILDER
FORCE, BUXTON, BENAzEr, and other phlan-
thropists, slavery continues to exist and in
| tho teeth OF English cruisers and dplo-
matte compacts the slave trade is carried
on. 1t is true that public opinion has been
SO much enlightened that slavery, which
| was once considered one of the bases OF
society, Is now accounted an antl-social in
stituton, but the application of the theory
is very far from being satisfactory, and we
propose to point out just where 1t falls
short at the present time.
In the first place, it Is a mistake TO suppose
that slavery or the traffic in slaves has been
wholly suppressed even in Christian coun-
tries According to Sir JOIN COOPER, whose
recent investigation of this subject seems TO
have been exhaustive, the trade continues
among the Portuguese establishments on
the east African coast; II forms, indeed,
the chief commerce of the Mozambique
channel, and there IL no doubt that the
principal slave market in those seas is Mad
aguscar. The fact is not surprising, since
Portugal was the first TO practise the inn
p1rtatiOn of blacks, and l. naturally the last
To- abolish 1t. Treaties exist, 10 he sure, by
which she binds herself to insure liberty to
all her subjects but her honor and mcrcan-
tile interests are supposed to be shielded
by the prctcNt that the business
goes ON under the Arab flag. We
may add that the Portuguese dealers
have invented fer the victims of this traffic
the cruelty d"ri-ivc name of " free negroes"
as we'll as system of passports which
makes the discovery and punishment Of
fraud imio--iilc. Moreover the custom Of
permitting private individuals to- maintain
vcriWbic armies Of slaves in tn, ,c scttlc-
u,uts enables the man-hmtcra To- defy the
law. No. il it only the Portuguese stations
ia this quarter which are open to the
charge Of siave dealing, hut, - far as the
truth can he ascrrtaiued. like state of
things Is tolerated in the island Of ST.
Thomas. on theweSt toa-t. Here the slaves.
/ although uouinAily enirnoh'-cd. are -lill
heli 10 owe service t. til, IL former masters.
in spite of a prevailing Impression tu the
! contrary. slaN cry has. in practice, No moro
/ disappeared FROM Hrazil tlan mo'l luitu-
( suc-c colonies. The Emancipation act
/ la- ri few years ago was % mere compro-
mise With the Institution. According To- he
/ Governments report printed for distribution
a, thc Philadelphia Exposition, only 5000
/ slaves ont OF million aud a half had been
| liberated from 1871 up t. the latest niorma-
| tion. Under the operation of this measure,
adult blacks are likely TO see their scrvitudc
! last lifetime; and although the children Of
| slave mothers are born free. they remain In
! the power uf the proprietor up to the age of
! tw"nty-on.. Not only equity. but cconom-
zeal considerations should enforce moro
substantial reforms. With every year the
/ want Of Il laboring population is more
/ arui'ly felt in Brazil while mortality RACES
among the slaves with an appalling sweep,
I which neither climate nor any other plausl-
Die theory explains. II j. stated by NJ
DE GoBl>EAU. French Minister at Rio
Janciro that Notwithstanding an annual
/ importation of Africans computed at a hum
+ usrl th.u~enl. the -lav. class between 1852
and $50 icll OF in numbers nltv per cent.
| In Cuba the violation Of pliyhtcd faith
and wr may now add. since tie Emancipu-
| tpn act, oi mum oiuh law, il stil more ila-
/ grant. Hy decree Of FDKpiNAND VII il
wu- made Ill gal to import slaves into
! Spanish colonies, and if IN defiance Of law
they were introduced, they became free.
/ Such l. the law; but the fact is that a rcyi"W
/ Of the statistics collected by 'vNroS com-
/ rcl- u- o. lis 40 minimum cipher of q mill
/ lion and quarter the number of h'tc..-
/ slnu-.!.'d into Cuba since H.. earliest treaty.
I According To- the famous MoEHEr act. all
| cnld.,u loil ua tine island are ho:.. ,t.Ith
/ FREQ, and 50 are AID hisct- after r,,. blue, lAr
axe u 90. Iut tur ioruoi ca-- i.o'1i. .c,. o.
woil, np 90 the ago of i, loren .iu. Sc, the.
d.. ~teg iur i- su.ppii. ami it H. Observed
/ t.0.t iDw u"-,i,,- JOB Cuht live t. hr go yrnr~
o.l. -. Iii ana, dp $50. they arc tl.u,efnr-
wand D..at l0r Wo4k, u4l thc owu.rle .r...l
toue r.i Of thom. Capt. IoWN~ihND tolls
U- tn,t The existence Of the ,llN'- On tls
island ptionlil, vrrtchcd. the planters
3 holding last Zoo Spaui,h-Amercan traditions,
ami treating thc blacks worse than beasts Of
burden. ON the other hand, II is plea -aAt TO
lot" that the Cuban patriots have made
emancipation thr corner tone Of their Com
st.tuti'n, and since the outbreak 90 hostile
tics have invariably freed all the slaves that
tc.l inioii hands.
So uuch for Tie stubborn vc~iigcs Of
slavery which yet im.;er in some Christian
countries; and If how w, turn 10 the Mu--
s.l4Hu world, ~" !'il the Institution not
7 only ruotol thcic, but t. some extent ~
u4aHOfo' late ycd4s. 1t j. from Ait.cu that
f ai.-lcu ~llN"s are mainly recruit. where
&C. 3. '.lnrtions and oilcr, OF the u4aI-
f lultol- arc al,ostc'l by all travellers 70 D."
i'.c. almost c>rlu-iyc cau-e OF ih iu.''-. ant
, il Yody val7 Wui,h lay waste ami dcpopu-
f la'' the c1'tin, IT. The countric. Vhi'h
lfNa. if,-l largely 10y the trrilic are p,.-il.
',.I Iuk :. MDlo.ro pnl ruule. vi. $50
H. t."Wi',oi iuinancr"ainic- -I"I.NlyW,li
known, lHng.us !4o.l one iiuu.rod ,'d nlty
. tt"' lHfui..i ami nlty doiiai, q holl. D.
If.f ull