Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-05-22
The Slave Trade to be Renewed.


We take the following extract from an ar
ticle or Kansas emigration, in the Charles
ton Is C.) STANDARD" We like its bold
ness. Instead of initiating the hypocrisy of
Northern Democratic papers, it plainly
speaks out its sentiments, and gives a rea-%.
son for them. That reason is, that the na-
tural increase of the slaves now in the South
is not rapid enough to keep up with the
North. Here is the argument of the
standard"
The South has long been tasked to the
accomplishment of inconsistent Objects
The one has been to expand to material de-
velopements-in all towns and cities, and
maintain responsibility in the eyes of the
world; the other was to march with equal
pace upon vacant territory, and preserve
equality within the Union. In pursuit of
both we are forced to competition with the
free society of the north, with twice our
numbers and continually increased by i'm
migration. While capable of either, we
are not complete to both. We mil ght culti-
vate our homes and submit to circumscrip-
ton, by abandoning the States of our natl
vity, and, without accessions to our popula
ton from abroad, there was the necessity to
eject between them. Thus we felt, but we
also felt that there was danger from an in
crease of population. While slaves have
been excluded, the white race has still come
in upon Us. They can no longer come as
masters, for the lands of masters are full and
nearly closed; they must come TO offices of
labor; in offices of labor they will be in
competition with the slave; the competition
they must find irksome and repulsive, and
whatever may be the theories upon the sub
iect, it must be the instinct of the white Ia
borer in opposition to the slave, to seek a
release from the seventies Of that condi-
tion.
1t was to be apprehended, therefore, that
from sudden increase of population, under
existing laws, There would be aroused in the
ruling race sentiment of opposition to our
constitution; without such increase there
was, as we have shown, no possibility of sue
cessul competition with the North, in both
the fields before us: it was hard to be defeat
ed of equality in the Union, and he forced to
dissolution to preserve the functions of
self-government; it was hard to leave our
homes and native States the subjects of con-
temptuous speculation, and for this it was
that, years ago, we took the position that
''the want ofslavery was the slave trade"
and we have certainly not seen, since, the
cause for its abandonment.
More recently we have expressed the be-
lief that even the dedication of every energy
directed to the act of territorial extension
would be insufficient to restore equality with
in the Union; and to this painful conviction
we must still adhere. We may take Kan
sas, but the faid masses of the North must
continually flow, and to wage a migratory
war upon a continually widening border,
which would leave desolate our States and
cities upon the seabosrd must ultimately
prove insufficient to sustain an equ ality in
the popular branch of the Federal Legisla-
ture. Blu: even an effort, such as this can
not be made; ard there is necessity as fixed
as fate that there must be circumscription.
of the slave trade, and it were well that the
election should be made al once,
1t is said that our proposition is Epracti-
cable for that the North will not assent to
it; but we have little concern about the
North. 1t is with ourselves we have to do.
If we come squarely up to the measure,
there will be little matter in the acts Of
other States. But we have not done So
We proseri0e the craven wretch who hesi-
tates to fight for slavery, while we ourselves
confess that he is right by shrinking from
the claim to its uIcettered progress; and un-
til we pass this point, and are ready to de-
mand a recognition by the world of the ls-
gitimacy OF the relation between the races
which has been established here, it were
bootless to inquire what other States night
think upon the subject.
We believe that the Union viii be tempo
rariy prolonged by the introduction of sla-
very into Kansas, but we believe it might be
EXTENDED to an indefinitely distant period by
the measure. With The certainty of turn
ing the balance of political power, we would
have little mstive to dissolution while the
stability!and refose to the North from the
predominance of2Jave power in the Govern
ment, would countevtaiance any inclination
they might have to cave US.