The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-02-14
FROM A CORRESPONDENT At WASHINGTON.
wAsHINeroN, Feb. is, 1850.
DIsUNIoNIsM.

IN the dstempered brains OF aaFmists, mas completely
oOzed out at the tongues ends Of the brawlers Sen
ator Davis, Of Mississippi in speech on "Wednesday
explaining the objects of the Southern Convention 10
be held at Nashville in June next said its object not
disunion but the contrary il is TO assemble the wises
ablest and most patriotic minds Of the South TO devise
measures adequate TO the egency, and thus keep in
check the fiery spirits who MIGHT take rash measures
if suffered to get the lead Senator Foote fully in
dorsed the representation Of his colleague The
National Lte9encer of this morning has whole page
Of solid type filled with extracts from Southern papers
protesting against disunion as remedy for any
grievances, felt or feared This contrasts with the
tone of remark of Mr.. Inge, Of Alabama, who said
in the House few days BEFORE that the South would
gain everything by dsunion-would not only be re-
lieved from the burden Of thirty millions now levied
on trade and chiefly paid by the South but expended
at the North, but would be able TO obtain revenue
by taxing the exports of the North passing out at the
mouth of the Mississippi river. He then went on
TO say:
"With these views Of future wealth and grandeur
Lighting up the path of destiny, can you believe
that fear to tread it alone When these points,
fairly noticed in my remarks fully elaborated in all
their amplitude before the Southern Convention TO
bic at Nashville in June next you doubt the
nimity Of the South believe that love Of the Union
is still strong with the Southern people, but will it
be increased by a bold and free discussion Of these
topics ?"
This diversity of views in reference to the. objects
and proper scope of the Convention, existing before
hand and expressed by the leaders here in Congress
would not betoken a very harmonious proceeding in
the meeting itself likely to yield any particular
results. Mr.. Horace Mann delivered a very able and
highly finished speech yesterday in which he fairly
portrayed the consequences to the South of any at
tempt at disunion The first overt act TO carry it into
effect to suppress the eustom-houses or arrest the
mails Of the Union, would produce collision and civil
war. All the objects for which disunion is urged
would fail How could fugitves from slavery then
be reclaimed Riches would be found to have legs
as we'll as wings. The seceders would leave all the
territory behind them. The laws Of '93 would be
dead letter. The North is not appreciated by the
South in two particulars-the intense feeling with
which they regard the institution of slavery, and the
| pervading spirit Of obedience 10 law. And war
should exist and armies pass and repass the frontier
'.rS, seat atemptation would &c opened g make OF
the institution Of slavery fearful element in the con-
! fict The expansive force of the inherent love OF
freedom is even now at work in the breast of every
slave, and this feeling will grow more and more in
tense. Even these discussions cannot be kept nom
the knowledge OF many among them.
THE AMERICAN SLAVE TRADE.
Although the Senate can receive and treat with all
respect petition against the African" Slave Trade,
all memorials concerning the more atrocous Amei.
lean traffic in American-born citizens still seInly
refused even the courtesy of reception. The recent
rise in the prices of cotton and other slave products
has produced fearful activity in that wicked com.
merce. Every day. almost, applications are made TO
the humane and liberal here hOm slaves of Congress
e. E., by Act of Congress who are sold or in danger
of being sold to the souldriYe for the man-mark cts
Of the far South. Cases of most heartrendng misery
are continually occurring; and yet nothing is done
not voice is heard pleading in this respect the
of the slave The disgracefuncss OF the traffic has
been alluded TO by Mr. Clay, and perhaps by some
others What is wanted is that the cries of the slave
should be heard-that the occurrences of every day
should every day be brought in some form to the
knowledge of Congress end ne country. AT the
same time, the Southern papers in the save-produ-
cling States filled with advertisements OF the deal
ers and of persons having slaves TO- sale. A single
copy Of the Charleston Mercury now lying before me,
has not less than twenty-five separate notices OF this
Sort such as" The l44 rice-feld negroes have ar
rived, "-"gang of 6s prime negroes, -" Land and
negroes at Orangeburgh, -" fellow first-rNte rice
barrel cooper" fellow, frst-rate house-servnnt
and hostler, civil and sober"- Ga negroes aecus
toned to the culture of rice and provisions, p" Sun
dry negroes, the estate of w. M" An uncommonly
prime gang Of 81 negroes -" l44 ricefeld negroes
amongst whom are blacksmith, wheelwright, a
brickayer all frstrate good carpenter an excellent
coachman, good sailor, excellent house servant an
excellent milwright coopers," &c" About AZ ne
groes, field hands"-A plantation, house in Charles
! ton pew in ST. PauIs church. and valuable negroes
Of unexeeptonabe character and very likely" in,
Guiding one family" Of 10 persons, woman
about 35 wears Of age" A woman 81 years old"-
Nineteen Negroes p" Peter about 4s y" A family
Of orderly negroes >" One of the most likely negro
men that has ever been offered in this Market
| Frank primo fellow "a years DID," with his wife
and children" Frank, prime field hand ~ years
old" with his wife," Celia field hand, SO years old,
with her children, -" Corty, a very intelligent
wench with two children, -" Above 100 negroes,
blacksmiths, &c, in lots to suit purchasers p" WANT
ED TO PURCHASE likely young negroes, for which the
very highest market price will be given by M.
MBride" p" 80 prime tde-swamp rice field negroes"
-" A gang of about 90 rice-feld negroes p" very
prime little gang of 20 negroes, among them young
fellows and prime young wenches, -" Eliza, about
81 years of age a washer, and warranted sound"
An uncommonly prime fellow, of large size, 26
years of age" There are others.
CHEAP POSTAGE.
find very many members Of both Houses of Con-
gress who are thoroughly impressed with the value of
Cheap Postage and truly DESTROYS of seeing the mea
sure carried at once. The misfortune is that they
have not been brought into contact with each other
and do not know their own numbers, or the amount
of zeal existing among them, but each feels him
self to be alone and powerless-
The idea that cheap postage at two cents will not
pay" cannot stand the test of figures Scotland with
but 262s,957 inhabitants and no commercial center,
no political metropolis and but little foreign COM
merce sends 2s669 90 letters in year. Should our
20 millions come TO the same proportion in ten years,
we should send 300 millions Of letters, yielding
! S. 100000. If we take the whole United Kingdom
as the measure we should send the first year rs mil
lions the second las, the third l54, the fourth 1853,
yielding SO 100000. If our letters should increase in
the same proportion from the present number as they
did in England after the adoption of cheap postage
we should have the first year 1873 millions, the second
I6O the third no. the fourth $780, yielding $S0o000O.
The tenth year we should have 200 millions. So far
from the late reduction in ls45 proving that shall
increase at less rate the impulse it has already given
to the increase of correspondence among the people
will probably lead to a more rapid increase. The
penny postage in England, without any help from
newspapers pays all the expense Of the Post Office,
which is two millions more than ours, while have
$4,000 from newspapers In addition, the postage
Of Congress and the departments which is now frank
ed would amount at present rates to s79270o, beside
S952sl 10 postmasters for delivering free letters