THE SLAVE TRADE--THE ADMINISTRATION. This infamous traffic still continues
to the deep and damning disgrace of our country and government. The number of
vessels supposed to be engaged in it sailing mostly from the ports of New York
and Boston, but chiefly from the former, is rising of one hundred. They manage
somehow to elude the vigilance of the United States officers--but probably,
there is not much difficulty in doing this, as these functionaries are blind
of one eye, and in nine cases out of ten, it is presumed of both eyes--that
is, they won't see.
The ship Montuak, a clipper of 512 tuns, lately made a very successful voyage.
Returning from a whaling trip in June of last year, she was taken and fitted
out at New York, apparently as a whaler. The attention of the U. S. marshal,
or some of his deputies was called to the singular and unusual style of her
preparation for whaling, but they, sharp-eyed men, could see nothing unusual
or suspicious, though others could, and she was permitted to depart. To keep
up appearances, she was first headed for Fayal. From there, she sailed direct
to the coast of Africa, and soon after took on board a cargo of "black
birds." In ninety days from leaving New York, she landed thirteen hundred
negroes on one of the windward islands to the north of Cuba. They were afterwards
sold in the public market place of a certain city, at auction, at an average
of $1000 per head.
If this statement voluntarily made and it is said without any inducement to
deceive, can be depended upon, the profits of this last three months' cruise
of the Montauk, after deducting all incidental expenses, will amount to the
nice little sum of a million of dollars, probably something better than any
whaling voyage ever made in this country. The facts in this case, are given
upon the authority of the Greenport, L. I. Watchman.
Of the fitting out and departure of numerous slave vessels, from ports in the
United States, there is no doubt. The number of them engaged in the horrible
traffic, has largely increased during the past year, and unless more stringent
measures for its prevention are used, than have been heretofore, it will continue
to increase, until the number is about as large as our present commercial marine.
It is not that we have no laws against the traffic. We have laws and severe
ones, but the slave trade notwithstanding, continues to go on and increase in
spite of them. The difficulty is that the laws are not enforced, and there is
no prospect that they will ever be during the existence of the present miserable
national administration. The Buchanan as is well known, is one that favors the
iniquity, and during the whole course of it, has done more to support and strengthen,
than to suppress or weaken it.
The government officials know this very well, and it is not to be supposed,
that knowing it, they will take any particular pains to examine into the character,
or watch the motions of suspicious vessels in our different ports. Had proper
vigilance been used, the Montauk would not have been suffered to depart upon
her mission of inhumanity and crime, and her return with a cargo of thirteen
hundred human beings, sold and consigned to perpetual slavery and suffering,
prevented.
None are so blind as those that will not see. The only way to break the spell
that has so blinded the eyes of these government officials that they cannot
distinguish a slave vessel lying in our ports from a regular and honest trader,
is to remove the man that has caused the blindness, and to put in his place
one that has power and will be sure to remove it. Honest Abe, or Doctor Lincoln,
is the man that will do it, and that too effectually. |
Send an e-Postcard of this object
