The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1854-10-06


| ginia, in reply TO Boston clergyman.
| The South has at last ceased to apologies for
| sIavery-to admit that it is an evil, and curse,
and an incubus and all that-to timidly deprecate
the harsh Judgment OF the civilized world on &C.
count of it. SO much the better. That was all
unmeaning sentmentaIity, and was derived from
some Of Tie widest gaIinaatlaS Of the first French
/ Revolution and the balderdash Of Anacharsls
| CIootz. II is pitiabe TO see even the masculine
intellect Of Jefferson so o5fuscated that he can
write to Mr.. Holmes. OF Msne, sentences OF this
sort: "On the subject of slaves, there is not
man on earth who would sacrifice more than |
would 10 relieve from this heavy reproach in any
practicable way" This was merely an affected
homage 10 the newly discovered principles OF cSIl
cation and human progress.
| Mr.. Wise not only refuses to say that slavery
is an evil, incubus, and curse-he coolIy horrIles
the Boston clergyman by asserting that the Atrl-
can slave-trade should be left free. Again, SO
much the better. Let Garrisonian men hear plain
talk about this-either slavery is wrong, or else
ii is right. II it be rgh, to hold slaves, then 1t is
righ: to buy them, breed them, import them, as
all the wcrd used to do before the Clooz revela-
;ion. 1t is right to 60 to Africa, where at least
fve.sixths Of the Inhabitants always slaves TO
| ignorant and brutal negroes, and there 70 buy as
many possible OF those creatures, that they
may be promoted and elevated out of the most
tons, to the comparative happiness and dignity Of
plantation hands. This is right, just and humane,
The more slaves from Africa, the better for the
slaveS.
One thing, however, is assuredy not right-to
aggravate four.fold the herdships OF the voyage
and the cruees Of the factors, by sending out
hypocritcal fleets of cruising, canting piratesr'o
watch the coasts, and break up the barracoons and
chase the traders. It is done under false pretence
Of humanity hut the fenHar rces al the, ed
cruel; for demand will creale supply. l50, 900
negroes are annually ut safely across the Allan.
tic, notwithstanding the cantng laws and treache-
treaties. (See Sir II. Fowelt Buxton, "African
slave trade y The result Of the pratical Inference
berg mainly this-that whereas tine slaves used
to be shipped in roomy vessels, and Accommodated
like emgrants, they are now slowed in little
schooners built for speed and packed Ike herrlags:
that whereas formerly there loss of some
ten per cent. upon the cargo, The shippers now
have to procure and despatch four times the
Der they expect to get safely to Cuba or Brazil,
because msny cargoes ese thrown overheard when
The sIavers chased by the bnmnne pirates
many are captured and either ''apprenticed's or
settled under British overseers at Sierra IeonoI
lin either much worse OF than slaves) -~many
are s~ampcd owing to the smaIness Of tEe YES.
scls; those ships which do make their way to
Cuba or Brazil lose forth Of the cargo ca the
passage; and of the remainder, a1oker fourth
part Is lost ln the ''seasonng," owing to the de.
biy induced by their horrible passage. Thus,
for the supply OF these $50, 900 slaves he re
about 100000 must be bought from the chiefs,
driven to the coast, locked up in barracooEs, and
slowed in one another's laps The slave decks Of
little black schooners.
Thus The pirates of humanity promote slave
wars, and vastly increase and embitter and de. |
E,oralize the slave trade whereas, il common
sense and common justice prevailed instead Of
benevolent humbug, the SYSTEM put under the FRO.
lection Of law and with due saritary regulations,
might greatly mitigate the evils OF negro life ia
Africa, and avoid the miseries and horrors of the |
contraband traffic. 1
Africans have always dealt in slaves. Besides /
the transatlantic slave trade, there at this day
periodical caravans of slaves conducted nortaward |
from Soudan to the Barbary States and Egypt
and the Imaum of Mu~cat trades off SO, OCO of his
subjects (much to their advantage and hiS) every
year to the ports of India, Persia and Java. In
fact the export of negroes is r!ls only way Afr-
cans have to provide themselves with European
and American notions. One Captain
Canot, an old slave trader, has latel. written his
experiences, or more properly has got them rit.
ten for him. And althotgh the old sinner affects
some touch of philanthropy here and there, he
tells some truths worth pondering. For example,
"England, with all her philanthropy, sends under
the cross OF St. George. to convenient magazines
Of LQ1cfuL commerce on the coast, her BrmnG Ghatn
muskets, Manchester cottons and Liverpool lead.
all Of which are righteousIy swapped at Sierra
Leone, AGRA and the gold coast, for Spanish or
Brazilian bills on London. Yet, what British
merchant does not know the traffic on which those
bills are founded, and for whose support his wares
ire purchased. Again, ''mutudes of our own
worthy traders, who would hang SLAYER as
pirate when caught, do not hesitate TO supply him
indirectly with tobacco powder, cotton, Y ankee
rum and New England notions, in order To- bait
he trap in which he may be caught ...~
% the whole, we approve Oh Mr.. Wise's doc
rine--that the slave trade Ought TO be legalized
and that would get rid Of its two crying evils
cruelty and cant. .
But it would have been better for Mr.. Wise,
when he was invited by his Boston correspondent
o give his ideas Of the "destinies'' Of the negro
ace, If he had simply stuck to his first answer
HAT he had ideas the subject. Men have
10 business TO speculate about ''destinies' and
missions" but should do the best they can in
heir generation. And whether or not the negro
-ace is intended by Providence TO pass through
slavery. and have exodus thereout back 10 Al.
ca, certain it is that there could be more per-
ec humane proceed iHgs in this age Of the world
han 10 call off the pirates of ph,Hn hropy and TO
encourage an open traffic in African slaves. The
change in every way elcvates the neGroes-It
gives them men for masters instead OF brues it
asks them to rational labor in cultivating the
ground instead OF basking all greasy in the sun,
or rearing s'skull obelIsks slo The King of Congo
and his hundred women - It piyes Them family