Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-12-19

WIN sla;:a from tics5 Ddrbafuus TIA Vns' IL,
the wise foresight OF the trainers OF the Constitution
contemplated that NV degree. we should make oar
slaves persons and less things Ihe CONSUL
ton did not cali them property, but persons ne -
labor or service, and treated the relation ostweeh
muster and slave as contract OF law lis inuct rs
that between master and apprentice, and provided ior
the restitution of those escaped from that labor anu
service one equally with the other. IL was on
that ground list he claimed tha, the master
and his slave had an equal right To 60 III
to the territories Of the United States, with
that Of the master AMI his apprentice, aud the OBJ
legation to protect them there equally blnoing
upon the Congress Of the United States He dd hot
consider the slave mere chatel, but human being
with soul to be saved and mind to be cultivated
and improved until some day lie might be permitted
to b. free. He did not think there stakeholder
pr, sent who would not be glad to believe that in some
good time every man on the face OF the earth, who
was fit to be free would be free. That was for tho
future 10 bring forth. Let us now deal With the real
ties around us. 1t had been said that Will. the Airi
can slave trade was in operation but few than
3O00O0 slaves had been imported into ths country.
That was all the benefit this country had received
from that traffic. Had that been sufficient 10
pensate for the loss Of human life aud the
misery inflicted by tina, traffic Ii none but prison.
ers of war, who would be otherwise SACRIFICED would
be brought to this country, in comfortable vessels.
&C., that would La thing. Bat tho traffic. il
opened at all, must be opened TO the whole world.
Brazil aud other countries would embark i'll the trade
and a premium would be offered to every barbara
an chei in Africa 10 attack uno!iendng villages, to
page burn. slay and make captive In order tn get
the price of slaves to load the vessels otSpanis, Por-
tuorese and other slave traders. lie did not think
any humane could think VI such st.le vi things
without shudder. As TO the b-nef, it is said II
would be to this country there was sentiment III the
Holy Book, aud Inscribed by the finger Of God Oh
every heart,-not to do evil that good may come.
Look at the mutter III Il pecunary point uf view.
II is said slaves could he furnished il this trade
re.opened, for sl51 to $500 each, while they wcre
nnw worth from $1,000 TO sl,iOO Grant it, The
| necessary result would be, that those now in The
country would be prop"rionsbiy decreased in value,
and ths South woald suffer n loss more than all tina
had BEEN :ost under the tariff about which 81 InuGii
had been said. This was but an sIr an distraction.
| He wanted no sms IN tho SD"th, but would leave
| Them To the North, who, p1iEper-d %" prosperity.
| turned their attention 10 tIurerlsIn Asrarllni-m,
Fr-esullls;l,. and Fr.slnvei-,n. He wanted sms
III the South lie did not want 10 embark in schene
that would make Us accompicrs in barbarian wrr.
| fare in Africa. II would be sn against humanity
aud in th- sight of Gmi and no goui could come of
| IL. The South occupied portion now he did not
desire 10 surrsni-r in whoh they could defy the
world If they would hu, remain in tins position where
they were placed by their f"refarh-r- Bat this was
not The time or Place for al extended speech lie
had thrown out these crude suggestions FOR the con-
| alteration Of The Convention.
He referred to ms ladies Of the South, many Of
hon hsd attended The sessions of the Convention.
They were interested II the Questions 81 tie Convex
ton, as much The Tae ladies Uf tha South
wi'h :he men OF the Sou! IN Ali that VIA. right
and Just; but II wa were 10 embark III schema that
involves l"rn. rurpfute aud ::rong and cruelty tier
instructive sense Ut What is rigai nrd humane, and
manly, and wumanly too. would revolt az il and
| they would M. Gs "iih is IN Inst. The women u;
the ) ,uih would Got a low US to reopen bo African
Slave trade, anG no thanked G"d they w"r.i bo;.-
But willis t-y would he against obtaining any fem
puraTy OF lasting prosperity for the country by
! barking In schrme Of inhumsnity on which the
world and III would frown yet III all that wa, right
and ,i they would be ready 10 cheer their brothers
and sons and fathers tie struggle, aud would say
as The Spartan MatrUn aid 10 l"r whom SHE cent
forth with III, shield, 're.uru with upon A."
Mr.. COCHRAN, Of Alabama, snid he had not intend
ed 10 take part IN the d-bate but 70 give Stint vote
gsans, the resolutions. BUT ne desired To eXDiain
his vote, go that he might not be considered
dursny the views Of The g"ad.,nsn from Louisiana,
Nr. Pike)-ins saying which, he meant nn disre.pect
| to that gentleman. hut 10 shield himself from msap
preheusou. A. TO the moral Question of the ,n.ttr.
that wss in question. But if il were, he could
not see tina. il immoral In any way But his Office
ton to the African Slave Trade upon The ground
| of policy not upon that ct immortality. he did mol
believe The introduction If slaves would render
ters any more iuhumane by appealing less IN their in
terest because master would M more il.treat
slave should he be worth but Sl5D than if he was
worth 8 $40 Now 10 regard to the reasons given for
III. adoption Of the resolution; the danger Of there be-
nc scarcity of slave labor. lfthat MAS difficulty
nj present il would last for short time and the
moving OF it by the reopening of lie African Slave
Trade instead OF letting the supply be met by the ma
turs increase would soon expose The diff
Guilty under which the countries of Europe had been H.
boring for hundreds Of years past redundancy OF Ihe
aboring classes and which difficulty had been only
! ameorated not removed by the outlet furnished by
the discovery aud settlement Of America. Now "a
to the extension of Southern institutions 10 western
aud Now countries, they would be extended as rapidly
as our operatives became too numerous here, and !!
would bu bad policy 10 deprive ourselves of TINT "a:
let Tor tie redundancy of our sinvn labor which
o.
imported from Africa. II wa. from policy alone that
he W as opposed 10 re-npening the 'nhc. As 10 the
moral question, i! IL expedl-r', and its adoption
would raise the world in arms against us, he would
be ready to me" t. and not surrunh 10 sick!v sen.
| timentay abUu, the'n-sro He believed il was iIu
mnnity to bring the negro from Africa. He com.
pared the present position of the descendants OF those
brought To the United States, with those left in AFR
ca. he asserted that history proved that the African,
when left to his RESOURCES, ucv er had aud never
| would advance in civilization. He was initiative,
not inventive aud II was only wien he brought
in contact with and held IN suoiec;ion superior
race, that he advanced at all. And even take thoS,
here with all the Improvement and advancement
they had made, aud leave them entirely to Their own
resourcescut them off entirely from the control oI
aud association with the white race, and they would,
in less than a hundred years, deteriorate to their
primitive barbarian.
Mr. CALHouY, of South Carolina, desired to pre-
sent he question to the Convention III lis true light
i;cy were not called upon Ia vote for the re.openlng
Of the African Slave trade. This u mere resou
ton Of enquiry. and corcedng for arguments sake
which he would not do otherwise, that the positions
of the gentleman from Louisiana, (Aif. P'k",l were
entitled TO weight, the very fact that there other,
who differed with him. was sufficient 20 justify an in
veetigatoE of the matter. To guore the question al
this time would be to apply gag upon those who
thought differently, and he was not wlIiingt do thn
He agreed with the gentleman from Alabama, (Alr
Cochran about the sickly seniineutay upon this
subject, to the horrors that would attend Tue Ali
can Slave trade if opened. He thought they were
far greater now when il carried in spite o the
efforts suppress it, than they would be it conducted
upon other principles, opeu and free. lie thought
the principle was the same, and the same hrmsny
could be exercised in the trade between thus country
and another between Virginia nr any other State
and the West or South. Heihnught it was q blessing
to the African bring him 10 this country. Far2UO0
years Africa had been within sight OF Christianity,
and to this day II land of savage heather. Be
sides, too, there another reason why II might 0s-
come necessary to reopen the African Slave trade,
and that counerpOise the influx OF hlreng Ia
Dor from abfosd the Northern States III the present
contest going bet1o3a tho two grades OF cViIza-
ton in this country.
Mr. BAKER, of Ala, repudiated the sentinaIt Of
the gentleman from Louisiana, Mr. Pike 10 EXPRESS
iug the hope that the time might come when all men
might be fee fle desired that all white men should
bs See, but did not believe God intended the
African 10 oe free, and il republican institutions werr
ton Of slavery. He believed It Lot ID. rich
who aone interested in slavery. The poor white
man was ten-itted by il, by being preserve from
thoss mental offices which he would have 10 Ali, mer-
it not for the slaves. He referred TO the position Of
the ladies here and the respect and consideration paid
to even the 5ror--t and most lowly, while a. The
North the lsan-beiiied icds legged. white eyed Con
nectcut phlanthropst, imposed upon Ger the most
rne,ia offices. He thought that Inc South was IT,
dett-d TO slavery for all the prosperity sbe had en-
nyed In spite of The up just and unequal acticr Of the
| f>dsral govern nent.
Mr.. GAULrEs of Georgis thought TIL. ruhje,. one
| th6t demanded the grave and earnns. consideration
Of the Convention. IA 10 the morality OF tho slave
| trade, he could see no difference between buying q
man In Viz nio who slave there, uId buying
in Africa who n.lsve thers. II was surely wo se
10 bring him rom VrS nin aud separate him q Chris.
tan man frnm his nsrhcs,innn and family therc,