Glasgow Courier. — 1857-06-04 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

TEE SLAVE TRAD E. (From the Standard.)  A contemporary has made the notable discovery that the slave trade arose from the desire to get slaves, and to use them in the prosecution of agricultural industry. Rice, sugar, and coffee were European necessities, and as a national consequence,what Europe could pay for the Western capitalists would provide, and if the use of slaves were a necessity also, a consignment of slaves must be had. The writer traces the ruin and destruction of the British colonies with sufficient fidelity, though in a tone which exhibits bat scant sympathy for the vietians of the hideous slave traffic. Titers is, however, one small circumstance which is omitted. The chapter in English history which records the noble and disinterested effort to put down the existence of slavery does not record the least glorious incident in the annals of the Anglo-Saxon race. It most not, however, be forgotten that there is another side of the account. The faithful historian will have to describe also the rise and progress of a sordid faction, which succeeded in neutralising to a great extent the good effected by the glorious efforts referred to, and placed the cause of cheap sugar in but too successful opposition to negro fruedom. It is quite true that the demand for sugar, rice, and coffee is great. It is also true that when slavery was prohibited in every British colony, they who owned estates in those dependencies were utterly unable to cope with the colonists of slaveholding states. It is also true--alas, that it should be—that England refused to adhere to her principles of preferring free-grown to slave-grown sugar, and that the lands which cannot be cultivated by slaves, and which freemen would not cultivate, became barren, unproductive, useless, and even expensive luxuries, which tha owners were glad to get rid of. The West Indian who figures in the plays and romances of the beginning of the century, is a myth. The impersonation of opulence awl power, he has become the needy and embarrassed proprietor, with a daesitosa hereditas clinging to him, till he disappears into unknown and abject destitution. It cannot be said that there was any concealment about the object of the cheap sugar agitation. It was very plainly set forth that no objection upon the ground of honour or conscience should interfere with the supply of sugar to us or the demand of cotton goods in return. The discussion and its results are matters now of history, we seek not to-revive it, except so far as to point out that when the destructive effect of past legislation is made the subject of comment, the cheap sugar cry and its success have had no inconsiderable share in the stimulus given to the slave trade, and the ruin of the West India interests. That the lands in the British West India colonies have gone out of cultivation is also not unworthy of observation, for the sake of another moral that it points, there is so much actually lost to the wealth of the world, without the compensation in the shape of increased'activity, which was promised to accompany the change. 'The vast system af production,' so far as British interests are concerned, is defunct, and one great branch of wealth and influence is lopped off for ever. Wo are curious to know the object of all these painful reminiscences, and since the journal which indulges in them is supposed to possess the confidence of Lord Palmerston's CabinetB it is possible that they are intended to pave the wax for some of the noble Lord's eccentric measuree preparation. We had occasion to draw attentim, some short time back to • thesis upon the virtues .I,f the freedom of slave-trade. The evils neeearl„ily dependant upon a contraband traffic ar- again deliberately referred to to-day. It true that the tone and the writer has slightly changed. The public mind is not yet quite ripe ysnough for the bold expedient of legalising the traffic in Eontert beings. So far from our atterd-spt at suppression being an entire failure, it is admitted that • nine-tenths of' the traffic may be considered as stopped,' and there is a mildly affectionate remonstrance against the stimulus we have ourselves afforded to the traffic in question. There is, therefore, it must be admitted, a considerable improvement in the views of the ministerial writer, but still we must protest against the mild tone in which the worst crime in the world is discussed, and if Lord Palmerston's future policy is to be judged, not from the noble Lord's own speeches, but from the tone of the journal which has more than once recently professed to spook on behalf of' her Majesty's Ministers, it is but a gentle and a tender hostility that slave trading states are to expetit at his hands. The journalist only considers the black man as an article of commerce, and if Use minister participates in, or stimulates the writer's views, why, of course it is very absurd to make such rastotohathves spereenga rfauvs: arebfloeucttinoontshiinngt.he NsYaemerejmouermnbael judice of Mrs. Beecher Stowe and the highly.inflamed and exaggerated colours in which that lady's narratives is composed. It would be worth while, perhaps, to inquire whether Mrs. Stowe has described anything worse than the following, extracted from our contemporary's own pages:— A fearful riot occurred at Louisville on the 1451 s inst. The four negroes, accused of murdering the Joyce family some months since, were acquitted. One of them turned States evidence, but his testimony was not legal or corroborated. There was considerable excitement about the court house during the trial. Abont dark a snots broke into the cannon house and got • cannon, which they placed in front of the jail. Several shots were fired by the mob and from the jaii. The jailor, fearing the escape of the prisoners, formally surrendered two Of them, who were hang oy the mob; the third cut his throat with • reser. but the negro who turned States evidence was unmolested. The remaining negro Implicated in the Joyce murder was hung by the mob nest night, cultic( three hanged and 0110 suicide,'  :