Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-04-11
THURSDAY, April. 10. 1856.
THE SLAVE TRADE, BLACK AND WHITE

THE SLAVE TRADE, BLACK AND WHITE
The ingenuity and enterprise of the Yankee charac
tor, as displayed in commercial pursuits have been
especially distinguished in the per,inacty with which
the Yankee people have conducted the slave trade
Everybody knows that the States of the South were
originally supplied with negroes by the merchants OF
New England. They fitted out the ships, furnished
the whiskey, gang. chains and kidnappers,and cuva-
ted this particular branch of commerce with such
diligence aud sasacity,. that they were euabled to
found churches and endow common schools with the
redundant profits of their investment. Aud observe
how the foresight Of tho old slave trader of Massn-
chusets continues to reward the industry of this pi
Gus generation of Abolitiousts, yho grow rich and
fst,en on the productions Of the negro whom their
freiuhers sold into the bondage Of the South. The
Convention between the United States and Great
britain, in virtue OF which the slave trade was de.
uounc.l AS piracy, and obstructed BY the vigilance
,f Joint squadron the coast of Africa. only slim
p,sed the ingenuity of the Yankee merchant to the
invention of expdjeuts by which 10 escape the halter
and 10 prosecute his traffic with undiminished profits.
In both these objects his sagacity has achieved signal
success Instances of the capture and condemnation
m Yankee savers are so rare not stop the trade
We, are frequent enough to justify an increase Of
price 10 cover risks. So the business OF kidnapping
aud enslaving the poor negroes by Yankee adven.
,urers hiss hourished despite the penalties of piracy
and the activity of ships of war.
The Convention with Great Britain was a triumph
OF English Abotionism over the good natured stu
piiitv OF the American Government At the founda.
ton OF the treaty lies the principle that negro sa-
very is an iniquity and All outrage against hu.
man and divine law. Ii slavery be morally right
aud social benefit then there can be no improperly,
much less guilt, in extending it, Ii slavery violates
the laws OF God, outrages the instincts Of human na-
ture, and contradicts the ends of political society,
then the slave trade is crime which Governments
should suppress by adequate penalties The accusa'
ton against slavery involved in the Convention with
Great Britain, was seized upon as all advanced posi-.
ton whence Abolitionsm might discharge its battery
against the guarantees of the institution and is the
remote origin Of the violent abolition agitation OF The
present day. We do not propose the revival OF the
slave trade, for, the slave trade has never been
suppressed, it needs revival. We only protest
against the principle Of q treaty, which is based on
an assumption that slavery is All evil in politics and
crime in morals. The accidental evils Of the slave
vention and may be corrected by regulations which
shall afford adequate protection to the personal
curity of the negro. The Convention with Great Br-
tain while it has failed to accomplish its object, inf.
ui,ely asgrsvaes the suferinss of the negro, and
prevents the supply of African labor from keeping
pace with the growing demands of an agriculture
which is essential to the wants Of civilization. For
these reasons we say abrogate the Convention.
But the demands of civilization are not evaded
With mpunity. The world must have supply OF
tropical productions, and there can be tropical
productions without compulsory labor. The obstruc
tons thrown in the way Of the African slave trade
have no. arrested the traffic, but they have reduced
it until it is altogether inadequate to the wants of
mankind. In this exigeucy the rare ingenuity and
enterprise Of tbe YSnkee Glsrsetar shinh with con-
.bs Yankee discovers an iuexhaustbe supply ot SER
vile labor l, is not very agreeable to run the hazard
Of the halter but then the halter is reserved only Tor
those who reduce black barbaans to the restraints
Of ciyliz ston. No convention has declared tue
white slave trade piracy and 90 this Yankee aaTen.
,urer without fear or risk, transports his cargo "
Coolies to the West Indies. And thus the introduc
ton of the white slave trade is another consequence
of the Treaty with Great Britain.