The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-24
IN SENATE,
WEDNESDAY, Jan. %, 1851
AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE.


IN SENATE,
WEDNESDAY, Jan. %, 1851.
AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE.
The Senate proceeded 10 the consideration Of
the following resolution, submitted by Mr.. CLAY
on the Goth instant:
Resoiped, That the Committee on Commerce
be instructed 10 inquire into the expectancy of
making more etfcctuaI provisions BY law to pre-
vent the employment of American vessels and
American seamen IN the African slave trade, and
especially a. to the expodfency or granting sea
letters, or other evidence Of national character.
{ to American vessels clearing out Of the ports
Of the empire Of Brazil Cor the western coast I
Africa w
Mr.. HALE. l wish to say word or two
upon this resolution, sir. Az understand it, it
instructs the Committee on Commerce 10 in.
qulre into the expediency Of making more
ehsctaal provision for the suppression of the
African slave trade. see in the morning pa
pers publication which Is said to be put there
for the purpose Of gratifying public curiosity,
by which it is said that
n"The undersigned, members of the 3lst Con
gross Of the United States, believing that re-
newal Of sectional controversy upon the subject
of slavery would be both dangerous to the
Union aud destructive OF its objects, and seeing
no mode by which such controversy can be
avoided, except by y strict adherence to THE
SETTLEMENT thereof effected by the Compro-
mise acts passed ut the last session Of Congress
do hereby declare their intention to maintain
the said settlement inviolate, and to resist all
attempts to repeal or alter the acts aforesaid,
unless by the general consent of the friends of
the measures, and to remedy such evils (if any)
AS time and experience may develope"
And thew cav further TINT
"And for the purpose of making this resolu-
ton effective they further declare that they will
not support for the office of President, or Vice
President, or OF senator, or Of representative in
Congress, or as member Of a State legislature
any man, of whatever party, who is not known
to be opposed to the disturbance 0 1 the settle
men: aforesaid, and to the renewal, in any form,
of agitation upon the subject Of slavery"
Well, now, sir, 1t seems to me-
Mr.. FOOTE. Is there anything before the
3 enate
The PRESIDENT. There is a resolution
before the Senate. 88
Mr.. FOOTE. | shall be very glad, then, to
hear the senator upon that matter. Laughter |
Mr.. HALE It seems to me that this resolu-
ton, and the consideration Of it at the present
time, will be very likely to make the movers o
it, and those who take part in it, obnoxious t.
the ostracism of that obligation. And, sir, i: IL
very searchirg-it is not confined to President
and Vice President; that is game, large game,
worth firing mt, as also are senators and repre-
sentatives in Congress; but IL goes down to the
State legslation-itis searching in its operation,
reaching all over the Union, from one end to the
other, and puts in the ostracism all the gentle
men who have signed that paper. BY the way,
it is said to be I" for the purpose of gratifying
public curiosity" Now, l think that "public
curiosity will not be gratifed until it gets the
names of the sgners. | think it only excites
public curiosity, instead of gratifying it. 1t
seems to me that we cannot we'll consider this
subject without subjecting ourselves to the o.
tracism of this paper. p
do not know how il strikes other senators,
but it looks to me to be absurd-and state
this as an abstract proposition, without giving
it any personal appcation--but it looks to me
to be absurd to undertake to dscnss the sub
ject-matter of a trade. without going into the
discussion of the matter which the trade is to
effect There is great deal said about pro.
tecting the iron interests. WE'LL now, how rdi.
culous would we appear, if we were to be os-
tracsed if we said word about iron, while we
were discussing the iron-trade 1t seems to me
that this resolution opens the whole subject OF
slavery from the beginning to the end it brings
it in all its aspects before the national legisa-
ture and makes it, if this resolution is to be tol.
Grated, a fair and Legitimate subject of discus
sion here Now, do not very much care for
the denunciations this paper Think that, AZ
! have seen the elephant as far as public life is
concerned, will speak freely, notwithstanding
may be depriving myself Of the very efficient
mid of any of these gentlemen, even to get into
State Legislature.
In regard to this subject of slave trade, pro-
pose to submit to the Senate the views Of an in
dvidual who | suppose is entitled to some
weight upon this matter, and ask the Senate to
consider the views of that gentleman in regard
to the effect which the legislation of Great Brit
ian and the United States has already had upon
the suppression of this very traffic against which
this resolution is aimed. ! read from letter
dated at Silver Bluff, South Carolina, January
%, 1885, signed by a gentleman who, think,
has been Governor of the State. II Ham
mond. The letter was addressed to the late
Thomas Clarkson, of England, and, as under
stand the tenor Of the argument 1t was TO sat
isfy Clarkson that he had devoted his life to a
mistake, and all the efforts which had been made
by the Abolitionists," ms he terms them to
suppress the slave trade, instead of suppressng
it, had increased it, and had not only increased
the trade thrce.fold, but had also increased its
horrors three-fold. He tells Mr. Clarkson that
at the commencement Of this agitation in 1887
only 5000 Africans were annually transported
to America and the West Indies and the NOR
tality was put BY some at only per cent, and
is now admitted not 10 have exceeded per cent
-thatis, that in 1887, when these efforts for the
suppression Of the slave tr,de commenced the
victims Of the trade were only $4,000 annually
md the deaths of the middle passage did not ex-
coed per cont Well sir what does he say
now! He says that:
ANow, hope you have not lived too long for
your own happiness, and that you have been
spared to see that, in spite of all your tolls and
those Of yourfellow-l and the accomplish
ment of all that human agency could do, the
African slave trade has increased three-fold
,der your own eyes, more rapidly perhaps than
any other branch Of commerce. Your efforts to
suppress il have effected nothing more than
three-fold increase of its horrors"
lie says that Sir Thomas Fowel Buxton said
In 1910:
rha - ~