Slave Trade.
United States Circuit Cotsrt'
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MAY 9-Triai Of ~ r. Davis aud r. L. ShaU, Captain
laws for the Suppression Of he SLAVE TradeAfer the


jury was sworn and some preliminary arrangements in re-
District Attorney opened for the prosecution He said
that Davis and Shaw stood indicted charge Of being
board the American ship Pauxent in violation Of tho
act Of Congress Of May IS00 which orbds citizens of
the United States in being concerned in the slave trade
or in transporting slaves from one place to sno.her and
penalty Of $1,000 and imprisonment Under the provisions
Of the constitution Of the United States Congress could
until the year but since that period they have passed
various laws, prohibiting under the severest penalties,
and also prohibiting u States citizens from being employed
by foreign governments in that traffic The case Of Da
Wis which Is now to come before you although mgn.
to bring It under this statute because think the eyr
dence which shall be adduced in this case will clearly
bring II within this statute He then read the section


the act and continued to that from the exposition OF
it, which he had given, it would be perceived i was not
necessary that slaves should be actually put on
board the vessel enough to show that the voyage
commenced with intent that the vessel should be
have now to try Viii fully disclose the usual mo- mode in
which the acts of Congress- prohibiting the slave trade
and the general principles upon which they are framed
have been violated almost every day by American cit
but in order that you should fully understand this
it necessary for you also to understand the rea
tions between and foreign governments
with regard to this abominabe traffic and for this pur-
pose 1t will be necessary for to explain them at
length to you Great Britain to her honor the first
of the European nations take the lead in this great
measure. She first suppressed it in her own dominons





did all she could to induce them follow her example
and she has done 1t in this wayshe has said to them,


have suppressed the slave trade in my dOminions haye
concerned in it, and now ask you to follow my example,
and not any longer allow your subjects import slaves


induced Mexico and some other Southern States, on this
continent to prohibit it, and afterwards succeeded in in
cedng to the British government the right search all
vessels carrying the flag of these governments. The
British government pursuance Of those powers kept
a n he COast of
and when any vessel found engaged in this nearous


trade she was carried into the port Of serre Leon and
was there tried by a mixed commission, composed of
Englishmen Spaniards Portuguese &c. according to the


flag under which such vessel was sailing She next ap-
persuade them to allow her that privileges but there
circumstances connected with the subject which made it
impossible for the ofthe United States give
her that permssion; but our government being equally
anxious to terminate this abominable nuisance and in
ce M c into tine ea
called the Ashburon Treaty Iere Mr.. Butler read the
9th article Of the treaty which expressly provides that
Africa and mutually assist in putting end to this trade
&c) He continued to say that notwithstanding the efforts
still carried and the markets Of Brazil and other places
supplied with no less than 10000 human beings
ally, transported from Africa to the West Indies, by
| monsters in human shape. Mr.. Butler said that
until after the treaty Of ls4a the government Of the Uni


ted States had not been in the habit Of keeping large
squadron the of Africa and this circumstance


led to giving great facility to vessels built in the United
ao5 Gsyg carr On the s slave dna aas with m T%puny mp but
Washington to keep large squadron that coast and
have since interered with effect in the suppression
Of this odious traffic He then went state where
vessels employed in the slave trade usually built
in the United Staesand describe the devices and
ing detection They sometimes carried out cargo for
the missionaries and had actually marked on the bill
O s Continue csuns
and down the coast for about six weeks and
the end Of that time the vessel usually sold TO some
slave owner on the coast, new master and new
put board and the vessel Immediately after employed


in transporting slaves to the Island of Cuba the West
Indies SO that vessel setting out from port in the Uni


ted States with lawful cargo, not Of itself entitled


to much consideration. He then describe the


ting them on boara Thee said he s
that Coast called Kroomcn who very seldom
made slaves Of from their superior intelligence and their
are usually employed by the dealers in slaves 90
into the interior, procure the slaves from the negro
Chiefs and bring them down to the coast and afterwards
watch and take Of them until they shipped.


In this way there is constant supply Of slaves, Of all
coast and with the aid of these Kroomcn they finally


transferred to the slave owner who keeps his factory on
her Cargo ,he i then offered for sale and Is usually
bought by Of those slave dealers but the actual
contamination of the bargain does not take place until


the slaves put board After further remarks,
he to describe the Pauxent and the crcumstanc
under which she boarded and taken He said she
was built in Maryand-was schooner Of about 95 tons
burthen. and shortly before she sod had made two
three voyages from this port to the coast OF Africa and
Havana and back again. After her last return voyage
she was sold to n f. Davis the man now on his trial.


He had her registered in his own name as citizen Of
the United states and here said Mr. Butler it becomes
necessary for you who this Mr. Davis Is
that has become the master and Of the schooner
Patuxent Letm tell YOU then, he had been the mate
Of the brig Ataanta, which told you Of few minutes
ago. that took out the missionary cargo and sold to
the notorious slave dealer Carnc he was say the mate
ON board the Atalanta when she sold, and had an
opportunity Of becoming acquainted with him, and Of
knowing that the Ataana sailed from the coast of Africa
for Hsyanase that he must have full knowledge of the
character Of Carnot advert said he, to this circum-


stance as very important fact and one which T. proper
to pass upon this The remainder Of the address was


statement Of all the facts and circumstances connected
with the seizure and detention of the vessel and with
the various articles found board which left no doubt
the minds Of the officers Of the Yorktown that she
equipped for the slave tradeall which facts are
fully detailed in the evidence Of Lieutenant Chandler SO


After the district Attorney had concluded his opening
speech the first piece Of evidence offered the regis
ter Of the Pauxent to show that she American
ycsse that Davis and Shaw were American citizens that
the former her sole owner; and that no was de-
scrbed therein, Of the city and county Of New York
The shipping articles were next put in and read to show
before the 26h Of june 55 and that they to serve
for year. unless they discharged in the
more ports on the coast Africa The shipping articles
then put in, and contained the names OF the crew
and cook; Henry Peterson John Miller Peter Williams
and John Wheeler, seamen-a described es white men
Ito which document was attached. the affidavit OF
Davies, verifying the descriptions OF the crew.


An additional crew list, signed by John Smith, Joseph
T. Mnrrcl James c. Clark, scamen which was found on
The bill Of ladng two cearances the iog.books of the
Potuxcnt and the Ataanta. next put in and read


WIN. CHANDLER, Esq. Lieutenant Of tho Yorktown,
was then called and cxamined-Is Lieutenant in the
u. navy In September, ls46 was on board the York
town. Commander Bell; she was then employed as one
of the squadron on tho coast Of Africa, employed in
cruising up and down that coast to cooperate with the
English squadron in the suppression Of the slave trade
and also for the protection OF our own laws; rccoec
the schooner Faxcn, that coast she boarded
about the 25th Of September with view to putting
the usual inquiries; the persons who boarded her were
but short time boardt might be an hour, do not
recollcct the timeI think II within nn hour;


didn't notice her departure for Monrovia that days the
Yorktown proceeded to about o'clock that days the
examination of the Patuxen took place about noon the
impression Of witness is that the Yorktown could not be
by the Pauxcnt when she put TO witness was
deck and no could the Patuxent does not
tend say that the Patuxen could not the Yorkown
the latter came in sight Of the former again the next day
laos