OCR Text |
Show 214 GUllA· under American colors. This of course is a fraudulent transaction. Jn many other cases, they arc sent to Cuba on speculation; and, on their arrival there, are sold to the slave-traders as required. II. The abuse if the /lmericanjlag. The treaty of Great Britain with Spain, A. D. l 835, renders vessels under the Spanish flag, seizable as slavers, even when they have no slaves on boanl, if they are fitted up for the traffic, with the usual distinguishing articles. These are shackles, cutlasses, gunpowder, false decks, gratings, a superfluity of water-casks, extra supplies of provision, &c. &c. l)recisel y the same re~ulations, by a late act of Parliament, are made to apply to Portugal. Before that act was passed, the Spanish slavetraders, in order to avoid the effect of this provision in the treaty, constantly made use of Portuguese colors and papers. These are often forged at Havana, or otherwise obtained and used in a fictitious and fraudulent manner. Notwithstanding the act of Parliament relative to Portugal, the flag of that nation is still preferred to that of Spain; because, when captured under the Spanish flag, the slavers are brought under the notice of the joint commission court in Havana, and when they are condemned, the parties are heavily fined. W c were informed that the Spanish authorities take care to he well feed for the vessels captured, as well as for the slaves successfully imported, and cover their connivance at the traffic, by punishing it severely when it is detected. On tbe contrary, when slavers are captured under the Portugue~ e flag, they can be condemned only in our own colonial admiralty courts, in whieh case the crews arc CUBA. 215 -suftered to depart without Jmnishment · N ever the 1 e~s as neither the Spa~ish ~or the Portuguese flag no\~ afford any protectiOn from the British cruisers, recourse is had, to the greatest possible extent, to the flag if the United States. . This object is effected by various contrivances. When an American-built vessel is sold to a slavetrading house in Havana, it is often fraudulently transferred at that port, from the master to the mate, and proceeds to Ati·ica under command of the latter, and with American colors and papers. After obtaining the wished-for supply of slaves (during which process it still maintains its Americanism) it assumes its Portuguese phase, for which it is secretly prepared at Havaua, and returns at a venture to Cuba-using all its speed, to elude the British cruisers. On the return voyage, the mate becomes ostensibly a passenger, but in fact retains his command of the vessel. Another contrivance for retaining the American flag, np to the same point in the iniquitous process, is that of purchasing the Baltimore ship or clipper, deliverable on the coast of Africa-half the price being paid when the bargain is struek, and the other half on her delivery. Under this arrangement, she of course clears out for Africa, with her American registers, and nuder the flag of the Union. When she arrives on the African coast, her registers are cut in halves, and returned by any two conveyances which may after, to the grantors; and again the Portuguese phase is assumed for the return voyage. III. Aid given by American merchantmen. If~ after all, these slave-ships sail fi·om Havana for Africa |