Mobile register and journal. [volume] (Mobile, Ala.) 1841-1849, 1845-10-02

who swell the population. Besides, II is well known
that on every large plantation there many females
who do not bear children. II is then the States Of
Virginia and Maryland who have thrown upon us ,
and continue TO throw upon US, their surplus slaves
The people Of Alabama at one lime became alarm
ed at the evils which they properly Anticipated
would grow out of this traffic. Their Legislators
enacted laws against 1t, and for short time they
exercised sanitary restraints; but soon they were
evaded. The Creek Nation was then an Indian
Territory, under the jurisdiction of the General CO.
vernment lying Immediately on our eastern border
Here Negro Traders sought shield for their opera.
tons, and citizens went there to make purcha-
SEES. Worn out at last with such subterruees and
shifts, the Legislature repealed this restrictive law
But Uur situation has in every aspect changed We
now embrace the whole OF that Indian country. and
our laws rule it. Georgia, Oh our east. has
long since seen the necessity of prohibitorv law
and has ii in force; has the State of M,ssis-
sppi on our west; while Alabama, situated between
these two cautious and ar-sghied confederacies is
without a restrictive Act, and her citizens without
proec ION lIom this great evil But il NAV be ask
ed, how is it an evil2 l will endeavor te demon
srate il in several points OF view,
fron 1850 To 1880, the sales of Cotton ranged
from iEa TO ~ cents per pound. 1t will not he
cOnenlcd that an annual slave introduction has soe-
ly induced its downward tendency since then-Cor
other causes, such AZ the reaction from Bank expan-
sions and visionary speculaions have operated and
ASSISTED bur it may be assumed, with great reason.
that such number of slaves thrown unon us. wear
after year, has contributed more than any thing else
10 prntrate the price OF our great staple. For
comma sense will teach, that for every new hand
put ina cotton field, three bales more, on an aver
age, must be added to the production in the State ;
and wien reflect that the slave population
since 1890 has been Than doubled, am not iusti-
fed il taking such posiiionl What is now the
caust OF the depression in the cotton market thro'-
out lie world? II is nnquestionaby the superabun-
dant producion-the large surplus now living in the
ETopeans warehouses, where The great operators
quietly make their selections, ut their own prices,
without the slightest fear of an advance.
Negro Traders continued 10 throw new labor not
only upon us, but upon all the new cotton States,
until the effects of thai, and other causes, brought
about tie reVusion Of 1887; and since then Cotton
has been down. down, down! And this is not all:
people are oppressed with heavy debt. Ii is
most surprising that in direct view of such an awful
condition, we still slunber on. while the prosperity
of our and beautiful Stale is retarded aud en-
barrassed by such inroads.
But the greatest, most lasting and deeply felt EVIL
of this system, have yet 10 mention. | have no
means Of ascerlainmg the number of slaves annually
sold in this State by Traders-it is information that
cannot be accurately reached. will, however. take
the city of Montgomery bnsis. The Mayor has
addressed me the following letter:
CoI. A. J. Pickett; Dear Sir-In answer TO your
inquiry, have TO say that three hundred negroes
offered for sale here during the Spring and
winter, and hut few Of them were carried of unsod
The sales averaged about $500 per negro.
Respectfully, PEREZ COLMAN, Mayor.
You will thus perceive that three hundred negroes
were sold in Montgomery last winter and Spring.
fresh from Virginia and Maryland. The average
price-fve hundred dollars-makng the round SUN
of one hundred and tify thousand dollars ask the
simple question: where is this money? Is it crcu
lating am0ng our own cili2ens? Is II paving the
debts Of Tom, and from Dick 10 Harry?-reevine
this mans situation, and benefllng that one ?al
eyaling the wreched condition Of The orphan, Of
escuing from the grasp of The officer Of Justice The
las remnant of Widows morsel2 No. This large
snni Of money, our own crculalinn--taten from one
nwn alone--.hs one hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars is gone OUT Of The State, and is now, IN al
probability, contributing to the luxurious o
Virginia Nabobs, who care more about our dis
trsssed condition than if we were 80 many Houen
tots; WIN perhaps deridt Safe for her indebted
ness. and in advance her with The intention o
repndiaLIng.
Well il three hundred slaves were sold in Mont
e0mery, hat is bur mite compared 10 he number
sold throue bout the State. In every town and ham
lei in every cross road and public place-lhis trai
fc is successfully conducted. Hence, no idea cal
be formed ofthe immense amount Of the already lin
tied circulation annually drained from suffern!
people, and invested in the Of other States
Reflect upon this subject, and be the judges your
| selves, You all know how your own neighb0rhood
| are stocked with these people, and how your ow
friends are deprived Of the benefits of what liitl
circulating medium there is. So garng are the evi
effects Of this system when considered in this point
| that il cannot fail 10 strike every one with convc
tinos against il, the most deep and decided. Viz
gina and Maryland abstract all our money, and wha
do they give in reiurnl They give nothing, b'
Rimplant soil their surplus negro populations
whose labor hut poorly remuneraies the purchaser
Nsnho q hOund TN feed olotha and them -
Some OF these negroes sold at their native hom
BY distress, and others for crimes and msdeneanors
| while the greater portion are worthless. 10 visi
these people upon us, at this juncture. and unde
such circumstances, is worse than If England shoul
| force upon us her convicts--ior England would b
content that they were upon our hands, Without lik
| Virginia, requiring high price FOL them besdesi
In these structures must not be understood as
sailing the States of Mary land and Virginia, II
States, their citizens charlottesville hundred
| Of their seople engaged in this runous traffic
the States themselves. and the people at large, ar
| not censurablc, although they innocenty eniov grea
benefits, created by our RUIN. Annual tribute mo
ney is paid by 10 these States, without being un
| derstood-and that, too, without murmur.
But let Inc put the case IN "A palmer light:-Sup
pose for instance, that the Governor of Virginia ha
| the power to issue decree, exacting as much mo
ney from us as we already pay--would not all on
| citizens complain in one loud and bitter remon
STRANGE? 1t would forthwith he viewed, althoug
| taken TO be CONSTITUTIONAL a monstrous ouirag
and grievance. and State interpositlon would be III
doctrine of all, and would be Immediately employed
| Nov ask what is the difference in the resuts?-
By this peaceful, silent, and ensnaring traffic, tn
| TRIBUTE money is as eiIectually. and almost rap
| idly raised, could be accomplished by edct o
the Sultan OF Turkey issued against any of his alb
| ject domDions.
II is not the purpose Of this essay 10 condemn thi
traffic. only SO far as il applies to our own State a
this peculiarly embarrassed period II the people o
those old States wish to be rid of their slaves, Tex
rs opens Ia them needy aud fruitful field. Texa
ought to have saves-her soil is yet to come int
cultivation. Thither let them 60, and let Aabam
grant them Il highway for their transportation, a
wide as the whole State-but let Alaboma ut tn
time forbid, under severe penalty, their sal
TO any OF her citizens.
Another evil Of this system is yet to mention, AM
which must be within the scope OF every man. Ih
competition is so successfully in favor Of traders
that hundreds of our citizens are made to fee
| il most sensIby- Negroes put upon the sheriff
block will bring from thirty to forty per cent, les
than the price the traders obtain for them. and TIN
| trader stands by and bids them IN very often, ant
| Immediately sells them for great profit. Thu
YOU see that man in debt has no advantage-h
is "bound hand and foot'-lic has no more cianc,
| Ito use an expression of Gen. Felix Grundy Nc
Connolly than man would have, at game OF Pc
ker who has ii "cold deck run him P'-Why i
this! Ii proceeds from sordid disposition, iron
suspicion unwarraned, and from utter disregard o
the best interests OF our immediate friends an,
nelghbnrs. For instance, John Smith is man il
moderate clrcumstances--wlth good character,
| snug farm, aud about dozen negroes. be is suet
for large security debt, Judgment obtained, ant
the sheriff has the forthcoming bond for his negroes
Wishing 10 relieve himself and have one or two ne
groes lett, he goes to his neiehbor, Solomon Money
gripes, and proposes to sell him ten likely negroe
for $4,000; Solomon scratches his head, turns hi
back and commences whiting the fence. III
says il is true he has little money by him, and al
ways has, he has worked hard for il, and KEEPS gu
Of .aa,.or aoas hndu,s secnriiN: