Year: 1860




Ah.. Eolaor-As the island of Key West is at
tracing considerable attention at this time on
account Of the presence there of large num-
ber of niggers, whom the phianthropic Uncle
Sam is clothing, feeding and humbugging about, it
may not be aniss to attract your attention to
another island on the American coast, not half so
well known yet which is quite as deserving Of
public consideration as the destructive little reef off
the coast Of South Carolina. Key West is the seat
of community OF men who live upon the uisfor-
tunes of others, who earn what others lose, and
who consequently flourish best when others suffer
most. 1t was a fitting place, then, to cengre-
gate multitude of Africans, who have been
wrecked in their prospect of good homes and q
chance of heaven, and are now doomed to be sent
back to the barbarism, slavery and superstition of
the land from which kind hands had just rescued
| them.


Padre Island, or Father Island, called so from
being the largest OF number Of similar islands
which exist along the Gulf coast Of Texas, is
about go miles long by from one to two in width.
1t is an island because between it and the main
shore of Texas there exists regular belt or estu-
ary of the sea extending from the harbor of Brazos
Santiago to Corpus Christi. 1t s not, as is gener-
ally supposed, barren sea-front of sand but is



deeayed vegetation. Muscle shoals form in little
riffs of fresh water here and there along this coast
which being swept ont to sea by the ebb-tide, are
powdered up into the smallest particles. These
particles, mixing with drft-wood and decayed sea-
weed are thrown up on to this island, and thus
form soil entirely free from grindstone sand and
peculiarly adapted to certain very useful purposes.
But the popularity to which desire to attract the
Southern attention is the adaptability of the Padre
Island as resort for the initiation of those meas.
ures which were necessary in order to make popular
matter of vital importance to the South. To have
boldly yentured into New Orleans with negroes
freshly imported from Africa would not only have
brought down upon the head of the importer the
vengeance of the very philanthropic Uncle Sam,
but also the anathemas of the whole sect Of phi
lanthropists and negropholists everywhere. To
import them for years into quiet places eyading
with impunty the penalty of the law and the thin
skinned sympathizers Of South Africa, was gradu-
ally to pave the way for the open and public revival
of the slave trade.


To this end, a few men, bold and energetic, de-
termned, ten or twelve years ago. to commence
the business of importing niggers slowly at first
but surely and for this purpose they selected
few secluded places on the coasts of Florida,
Georgia and Texas, for the purpose of concealing
their stock until it could be sold out Without
specifying other places, let me bring the attention
of the reader to pocket or ndentation in the
coast of Texas, about 80 miles from Brazos Santi-
ago. Into this pocket SLAYER could run at night,
discharge her cargo of movables upon the bluff,
and again proceed to sea. The live cargo could
be marched a short distance across the main
island over porous soil, which refused to retain
footprint, until they took boats and concealed
upon some of the nnumerabie little islands which
were above the waters of the laguna in the rear.
These islands being covered with thick growth
of bushes and grass, offers inserutable hiding places
for the I" black diamonds.a
The plan sometimes was when ii was supposed
to be hazardous to land upon this shore, that the
niggers were discharged on the coast of Cuba and
there retained until an opportunity offered for
their importation into Texas. A gentleman tells
me that once when engaged in investigating the
business of some parties who had purchased pro-
visions from him on Padre Island he came sud.
denly upon an unclaimed AFRICAN ., who had
strayed off from camp. This piece of property told
| my informant that seyenty-fye of his sort had
jnst been landed from Bayou Honda in Cuba, and
| that most of them had already been sold to Texas
planters. Searching further, my informant found
the camp, delivered the stray nigger and received
the propretor's thanks. There was Immediately
created kind of tacit understanding between all
hands that the subject should be ignored; and my
adviser considered he made money by attending
to his own business and letting the negro traders
! attend to theirs.


In pursuance of the above line of policy, it is my
pleasure to inform you that quite recently cargo
of niggers were imported into Padre Island, and
that before this they are all probably distributed
amongst the planters of Southwestern Texas. 1t is
| said that this importation made by man
named Forrest, and as happen to know that such
man Is engaged in that commerce, and that this
is about the right time for him to be along, I feel
pretty well satisfied that the report is true. 1t is
further said that he burned his vessel off the Island
and that the light was seen at Brazos Santiago.
Padre leland is at present under the dominion Of