The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-06-10
SOUTHERN PRESS.
WASHINGTON CITY.
THURSDAY. JUNE 10. 1851.
Tho Fsrtunc or Slavery.

The progress Of African slavery in the Uni
ted States presents some of the most instructive
phenomena that can have the attention of the
statesman or philosopher. It's introduction into
America was the work of one Of The most emf
nent pbilautbropists Of that age, the pious and
enlightened Bishop LIS Casas. It's destruction
10 attempted by the professed philanthropy of
the present time.
Soon after the introduction of slavery into
the Southern colonies, they began to protest
against it. and would have prohibited it but for
the opposition Of the British governmenl--so
that the establishment of slavery in the Southern
colonies 10 owing to their union with the empire
of Great Britain. Strange as it may appear
the subsequent preservation and extension OF
slavery in the Southern States are owing to the
present Union. If the States, after their indie
pendence, had not formed a Union, each one
would have had its own large commercial towns
md manufactures for New York or Philadel-
ohis could not have imported for Southern
Cities since duties would have been required at
the latter as much on imports from cities of the
North as from Europe. And if the South had
thus become commercial and manufacturing to
the extent of It's own wants, it would have at
tracted its share of European emigration. The
consequence would have been that with large
commercial, manufacturing and foreign popula-
ton, several of the Southern States would have
abolished slavery long before now. Even with
out such element Virginia came near doing so in
1912; and if she had gone that far the politi.
cal power of the South would have been mate
rally weakened.
The earnest advocates of the Union, such
men as General WASHINGTON and Mr.. JEFFER.
SON, expected and desired that the Union would
be favorable to emancipation
Such and so general was the opinion of emf
nent Southern statesmen in favor of emancpa
ton. that up to 1920 scarcely man could be
found in the South who did profess to regard
slavery as curse. At that time the tide of
foreign emigration set in 80 strongly as within
thirty years to add to the North some four mil
lions of people. And if nothing had occurred
to counteract its effect on slavery, the latter
would have fallen before now. For the South
was anxious to secure part of it, But almost
exactly coeval with the sudden and extraordinary
increase of foreign emigration, has been the
sudden and wonderful extension of the cotton
culture in the South-a thing which is perhaps
without parallel in history. This at once ele-
waited the value and power of slavery, and on.
abled it to stand against the rapid increase of
the North from Europe.
1t the wars of Europe had not interviewed be.
tween the close of our revolution and 1915, and
thus prevented European emigration to this
country until the rise of the cotton entered il
the South, it is very doubtful whether slavery
would have long survived the Missouri Compro
mise Even the acquisition of Louisiana would
scarcely have been available to slavery; nay
would have been destructive by opening the way
to emigration from the North, of population
unfavorabIe to it. Bat, as it was, cotton not
only found employment for the surplus slaves
of the South, but turned aside the tide of her
emigration which had before been setting stea
Oily to the new Northwest States.
II thus appears that whilst the whole current
of opinion, for the past hundred years, of African
slavery in this country has been against it, even
among those who were deeply interested in it,
the current of events has been in favor of it,
Within the whole period to which we have re.
ferred, the foreign opinion was still more hos
tile. France abolished slavery in Hayt-the
South American States, of Spanish origin, and
England in Jamaica, &C.. and in every case the
result has been desolation and ruin. Brazil
alone retained it. The result is that the
Southern States of this Union and Brazil are the
most fourishing of all the continent, and the
products. together with those of Cuba, consti
tute the principal part of the civilized commerce
of the world. And now the abolition of Afr
can slavery would not only desolate the most
productive agricultural regions of the world,
brit would, in far greater degree, destroy that
G. inmerce which constitutes the principal trade
Of all the great civilized States, and would alb.
solutely PROSTATE the whole system of modern
civilization.
These things ought to aImonish us to beware
OF implicit faith in the boosted power and value
of opinion. Slavery has defed and triumphed
over opnion-the opinion of modern Chrisien
dom. And we think this fact deserves the earn.
est consideration of all the young men of the
South, especially at the present time, when the
shallow and fimsy movements of party, as well
as the designs Of fanatics and fools are disturb
ing the legislation and the elections of the
country.
What Is the part which the South is to act
with her institution of slavery in the present
ana approaching movements in society and gov
eminent! We behold powerful tendency to
change The doctrine of universal equality i.
Inc favorlte-the equality of all men, without
regsrd'to their moral and intellectual character
tits to this doctrine we owe most of the ;,sues
of the day, Adolf iiopiar, Eu:,. N