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mostly Congoes. The first intelligence, struck us into mute astonishment. We thought of the number of the same people we already had among us-and of their imperfect civilization-the masses of heathenism immediately about and on all sides of us as well as interwoven into the very texture and frame work of our civil compact, to whom we are bound in good faith by considerations inapplicable to other tribes not so related- -we compared the number of uncivilized and semi-civilized inhabitants, with the number of Americo-Liberians, and found a great disproportion against us;-and were led to ask ourselves, what shall we, what can we do with such an appalling amount of heathenism, superstition, and barbarity all at once? * * We were at times almost frightening ourselves in reverie upon the subject, that then even Providence had meted out to us a heritage and duty fully equal to all our resources, if not more than a match for them. But when between two and three thousands more came, without notice on the one hand, or time for preparation on the other, we were speechless. Nor yet are we ready to say much on the subject. We are of opinion, however, that it will be safer to form new settlements of these people, under the supervision of kind competent men, in sufficient numbers to carry forward every course of amelioration designed by those originating and bearing the expenses of the whole operation. There is land enough on the sea-board or in the interior for it. There are many reasons which we need not name, that bring us to the conclusion that the American Colonization Society, and every other one who would be a friend to us, ought to be careful how they cast in upon us such masses of ignorant, ferocious barbarism, with blind and degrading superstition.

Notwithstanding our doubts on the subject, the people are here; and we are bound by every humane, as well as christian motive, money or no money to help us, to do by these our brethren in misfortune, the best we can. The dilemma is already upon us; we must educate, enlighten, and christianize these masses, or they will in time bury us and our children in a grave as full of darkness and uncertainty of the future as that in which their fathers are fallen. We must elevate them to and with us: identify them with ourselves in such way that they in the mean time may both perceive, and in some sense appreciate, the object of our practice; or our neglect of them, and little influence over them, will manifest itself in fainter and fainter lines of christianity and civilization, till Liberia shall not be. This view of the subject stretches out before us a long, toilsome, anxious road. It is not a work that can be disposed of, or a responsibility which may be shifted, when the money comes no longer, or the clothes wear out. There is one comfort about it at least, we are all in it. No one can be allowed to plead exemption. Whether we would have it so or not, the influence and presence of these people, are a power, that will come to every family, and be felt in every pocket. We must therefore address ourselves to this work, as one devolved upon us in the inscrutable ways of Providence, intending an abundant harvest of good for us, if we do faithfully our part, but to compass our destruction if we neglect it.

CAPTURE OF THE SLAVE BRIG

BONITA.SEVEN HUNDRED AND

SEVENTEEN NEGROES ON BOARD.

As briefly noticed yesterday, another slaver has been seized by our men-of-war on the African station. She is the brig Bonita, of New-York, and was taken off the Congo River by the U. S. steam frigate San Jacinto, which vessel is now in commission about seventeen months, having sailed from New York on the 26th of July, 1859. The San Jacinto left Kabenda, where she put in for water, on the 6th of October, and on the 10th, at 8 A. M., saw a brigantine, without colors, beating toward the north. Steam was immediately got up, extra sails put on, and a vigorous chase commenced. The stranger kept on her course gallantly, with all canvass loose. A gun from the frigate attracted the attention of those on board the Bonita, but was disregarded. A second shot, however, and the increasing speed of the pursuer induced the brig to heave to. Lieut. Foster, U. S. N., and Lieut. Broome, of the Marines, then put out for the brig and boarded her.

*

[The writer represents the slaves as a fine company, in good health, without clothing, but clean.] * * They had only been out about twenty-four hours, and were fresh from Punta de Lenha, the chief slave depot on the station, where it is said there are no less than seventeen "factories," or exchanges, in which the negroes for sale are concentrated. The captors of the prize were not a little astonished to find on board some of the crew of the Cora, who were put on shore at an isolated part of the coast. The San Jacinto kept along side the Bonita, towing her all night; had the slave galleys set up, and next morning sent her to Monrovia to land the 717 slaves, who are to be taken charge of by the United States government agent. The slaves, notwithstanding their number, were put on board the Bonita in the space of fifteen minutes. Having disposed of the prize, the San Jacinto stood to the south, and met the Constellation, the officers of each ship conveying to one another the intelligence that a "haul had been made."

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The parties on board the slaver made a desperate attempt to break the San Jacinto's propellers, by throwing overboard furniture and other materials likely to impede progress; the cabin had been made destitute of "fittings to accomplish this treacherous design. Plenty of rice and all sorts of provisions were on board. The Bonita is a splendid brigantine of about 212 tons burthen. Her ownership has not transpired. She cleared from New York on the 16th of July, with papers for St. Thomas and a market, and took forty-seven days to go to the coast; and steering direct from the last named port to Punta de Lenha, where she got the blacks.

The captain of the Relief yesterday reported himself to the U. S. Marshal. The officers and crew of the U. S. ships on the station were well, and their location was the same as reported on Tuesday. The Bonita's and Cora's crews volunteered to do duty on "short com

mons

on board the Relief, and behaved in the most exemplary

manner during the whole voyage, for which they received the thanks of the Relief's officers and men.

The slave trade is said to be becoming so dangerous a calling now on the coast that slavers are growing "small by degrees and beautifully less." Light cargoes and quick clippers are out of date, the chances of escape being so dubious that every soul a craft can carry is put on board, the speculators averring that "it's as good to be hung for an eagle as for a dollar."-N. Y. Herald.

From the New York Colonization Journal we copy the following letter:

Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa, September 15. Learning that the ship South Shore sails for New Orleans in two days, I send a line. This letter goes by the steamer Seth Grosvenor to Grand Bassa, where the S. S. lies, and where she landed her cargo of 240 of the recaptured Africans from Key West-the remnant of 354 with which she started, 108 having died on the passage.

The Star of the Union started about the same time, with 381, having lost 40 in a passage of 44 days. These people have been landed at Sinoe, about 130 miles south-east from Monrovia. The Castilian arrived at Cape Mount on the 26th ult., in 46 days, with 400,-309 of which were landed; 91 died; and the Castilian sails tomorrow for Calcutta. Shipped, 1135; died, 239; landed, 896.

The writer gives a particular account of the Storm King and of her company of more than six hundred; representing them to be under fourteen, and many not over eight, years old.

The following table shows the horrors of the Slave Trade:

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THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND THE SLAVE TRADE.

BY THE REV. JOSEPH TRACY, D. D., OF BOSTON.

The late revival of the African Slave Trade, (one of the greatest evils that has ever afflicted humanity,) has aroused the attention and sympathies of the Christian world. Dr. Tracy treats upon it with his usual clearness and ability, urging upon Great Britain the duty of enforcing her treaty stipulations with Spain against it, as the most effectual means for its extinction. The civilized world is mainly indebted to England for noble endeavors against this traffic; yet, not less early, sincerely, and boldly has it been denounced by the Government and people of the United States. Highly and most honorably distinguished is the administration of Mr. Buchanan in this humane work; and the present Secretary of the Navy, and our naval officers, both on the African and Cuban coasts, have won signal honors by their prompt, determined, and successful movements for the capture of slave ships. We know not why the proposal, urged with such force of reason and warmth of enthusiasm by the late General Mercer, of Virginia, that this trade should be made piracy by the law of nations, has failed to this hour of receiving the sanction of all enlightened and christian nations. We invite the attention of all our readers to the well considered statements, facts, and arguments of Dr. Tracy. It is much to be desired that the United States and England would consider the benevolent wisdom of multiplying christian settlements of colored men on the coast of Africa, as an effectual method of suppressing the slave trade, of civilizing the people, and developing the vast agricultural and commercial resources of Africa.

From the American Theological Review.-November, 1860. This detestable traffic, having steadily diminished for a number of years under the combined naval action of Great Britain and the United States for its repression, has suddenly revived. A single small cargo-that of the Wanderer-has been stealthily landed in the United States. Other importations have been reported, but none of the reports are known to be true, and some of them are known to be false. Many slave-ships have been captured near the coast of Cuba, and more are said to have landed their cargoes. The capture of three by American cruisers, and the necessity of providing for the welfare of their rescued victims, brought the subject before Congress at its last session; and a call of the House of Representatives on the President for information, to be communicated to Congress at its next session, will bring it up again. Meanwhile from many motives, some of which are political and others pecuniary, the public mind, on both sides of the Atlantic, has been industriously and skilfully misinformed

in relation to many parts of the subject; and some of the ablest, and many of the best men, both in England and the United States, have been led to assign false causes for the continuance and revival of the traffic, and to propose useless measures for its repression. There is, therefore, a special demand, just now, for reliable information; and to such an extent as the limits of this article permit, we shall attempt to give it, on unquestionable authority. Several recent official documents settle some important points conclusively. We give them entire, as they deserve this mode of diffusion and preservation for future reference.

First, we give a Circular, addressed by Lord John Russell, her Britannic Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, to several British Ambassadors, to be communicated to the governments to which they are accredited.

[The circular above alluded to, appeared in the Repository for October last.]

We have a manuscript copy of this despatch, obtained from the Department of State at Washington; but for the convenience of the printer, we use a printed copy of that addressed to Lord Cooley, at Paris; substituting only "the United States Government" for "the French Government" in two places, and "General Cass" for "M. Thouvenel" in the last paragraph. With these changes they are the same, word for word. We may be sure, therefore, that this is a well considered document, and was sent, with these three variations, to several other powers.

We must notice in it, however, one chronological inaccuracy-the confounding of two treaties of different dates.

By a treaty signed at Madrid, September 23, 1817, Spain agreed to abolish the slave-trade for £400,000, as follows:

Article 1. His Catholic Majesty engaged that the slave-trade shall be abolished throughout the entire dominions of Spain on the thirtieth day of May, 1820.

Article III. His (Britannic) Majesty engaged to pay, in London, on the twentieth day of February, 1818, the sum of £400,000 sterling, to such person as His Catholic Majesty shall appoint to receive the same.

Article IV. This payment shall be in full "for all losses which are a necessary consequence of the abolition of the said traffic."

Other articles state the mode agreed upon for the suppression; conceding the mutual right of search and capture; providing for "Courts of Mixed Commission," to adjudicate on the legality of the captures, and on other questions of the kind. (See British Statutes at Large for 1818. 58 Geo. III, chap. xxxv. preamble.)

This treaty proving ineffectual, another was made, dated June 28, 1835. See Statutes at Large, for 1836, (6 and 7 Gul. IV, chap. vi.) We copy three of its articles entire :

"Article I. The slave trade is hereby declared, on the part of Spain, to be henceforward totally and finally abolished in all parts of the world.

"Article II. Her Majesty the Queen Regent of Spain, during the minority

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