The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-12-23
Revival oftlc Slave Trade

In another cnlllmn will be found and article
from the New Orleans Pieayune, suggested by
the recent trial in NewYork, of Capt Smith,
for pratical slave dealing, in which sharp
practical lecture is read to the Abolitonist. y
fruitful and far more useful field for phianthro-
py is there pointed out to them, than that
which has hitherto employed their thought aud
attention. As to the merits of the question OF
the revival of the slave trade, we do not feel
that there is occasion now for the South, as a
matter of policy, there is no chance for it. The
Constitution of the United States forbids the
trade and public sentiment is not in favor OF the
change, either North or South. If revived;
there is no doubt that the traffic would be III the
hands Of the people Of the North exclusively, as
is was prior to its prohibition. The South never
evinced any particular tastef or such CONNER
cia adventures. even now, though made piracy
by law, Northern ccpital Northcn vessels and
crews, are engaged in it. But there is not the
first instance to be quoted against the Southern
States, of cargo of slaves having been intro
duccd upon her Shores since the constitutional
inhibition. Yet her thousands of miles of un
guarded sea coast offer the ampest facilities for
the illicit traffic.
As question Of philanthropy, we are clearly
of opinion that the revival of slave trade, by the
sanction of law, would confer blessing innunera-
bic upon the African race. Contrast the happy
condition of the three or four millions OF our
Southern slaves with the brutal and miserable
savcccs Of Africa, and who can doubt that the
latter would be infinitely blessed by the change
could they be transplantcd as the demands OF
agriculture might prompt, to the soil OF tile
Southern planting States!
TO the South the movement would give III
c cased wealth and increased political strength
a d impoltanc bv the rapid filling up of the
sparccly populated states, where millions OF acres
still lie in their virgin freshness awaiting the
hand of cultivation through the present slow
process of immigration and natural increase. But
it would, cotcmporarily at least; produce great
disturbance to the present value Of property in
the cid states 1t would bring down very rapid
Iy the value of slaves, perhaps to the extent OF
rendering that species Of property no longer
desirable investment in Maryland, Virginia, and
Kentucky. While slave states would be incrcas-
ing at the Southwest, they would be diminish
ed on our Northern border.
The value of all labor would be depressed
owing to the competition produced by the great
influx among us Of slaves from Africa, bought
at less than half the present value of slaves.
This would have a bad influence on the mechan
les and other manual pursuits at the South now
employing a large and valuable white population
1t would seriously check many departments o.
skillfu enterprise and useful citerzcns, whose Ia
Dor is now us well rewarded here as it would be
in the Northern States.
But it is unnecessary to enlarge lnrthur on
this topic, because it is merely matter OF curl
ors speculation not one having practical bear
inc,
To the North be it said remove the beam from
your own eve. To the Abolitionist, you have
work enough at home to fully occupy your phil
anthropy for the African race.
Angusta COnstitutionalist