of the state of the trade. While Americans were
smuggling slaves by the thousands into Brazil, and by the hundreds into
the United States, Secretary Graham was recommending the abrogation of
the 8th Article of the Treaty of Washington;[77] so, too, when the Cuban
slave-trade was reaching unprecedented activity, and while slavers were
being fitted out in every port on the Atlantic seaboard, Secretary
Kennedy naively reports, "The time has come, perhaps, when it may be
properly commended to the notice of Congress to inquire into the
necessity of further continuing the regular employment of a squadron on
this [i.e., the African] coast."[78] Again, in 1855, the government has
"advices that the slave trade south of the equator is entirely broken
up;"[79] in 1856, the reports are "favorable;"[80] in 1857 a British
commander writes: "No vessel has been seen here for one year, certainly;
I think for nearly three years there have been no American cruizers on
these waters, where a valuable and extensive American commerce is
carried on. I cannot, therefore, but think that this continued absence
of foreign cruizers looks as if they were intentionally withdrawn, and
as if the Government did not care to take measures to prevent the
American flag being used to cover Slave Trade transactions;"[81]
nevertheless, in this same year, according to Secretary Toucey, "the
force on the coast of Africa has fully accomplished its main
object."[82] Finally, in the same month in which the "Wanderer" and her
mates were openly landing cargoes in the South, President Buchanan, who
seems to have been utterly devoid of a sense of humor, was urging the
annexation of Cuba to the United States as the only method of
suppressing the slave-trade![83]

About 1859 the frequent and notorious violations of our laws aroused
even the Buchanan government; a larger appropriation was obtained, swift
light steamers were employed, and, though we may well doubt whether
after such a carnival illegal importations "entirely" ceased, as the
President informed Congress,[84] yet some sincere efforts at suppression
were certainly begun. From 1850 to 1859 we have few notices of captured
slavers, but in 1860 the increased appropriation of the thirty-fifth
Congress resulted in the capture of twelve vessels with 3,119
Africans.[85] The Act of June 16, 1860, enabled the President to
contract with the Colonization Society for the return of recaptured
Africans; and by a long-needed