When the Asante demanded more political autonomy and the return of Prempeh Hodgson justified British rule on the grounds that autonomy would lead to a return to the traffic in slaves .
Prempeh had been banished .
When the Asante demanded more political autonomy and the return of Prempeh , who had been banished , Hodgson justified British rule on the grounds that autonomy would lead to a return to the traffic in slaves .