Washington telegraph., 1857-01-21
SOUTHERN CONVENTION.
SPEECH OF CAPT. PIKE

1 The Savannah Georgian, Democratic
from whose columns We, copy the report OF
the proceedings, "endorses" Capt. Pike
and his speech, by saying that the Captain,
''though New Englander by birth, has
the heart, soul, intellect and sensibilitie>
which go to make up the deaa 5deai Of a
Southerner. He was heard with marked
interest by the Convention, and with spe-
cial admiration by the ladies-in opposi-
tion to the re-opening of the African slave
trade"
The proceedings of the convention were
as follows:
Mr.. Scott, of Virginia, called for the
special order, being the following resolu-
tion offered by him on yesterday:
ResoICed, That the President of this
Convention appoint a Committee consist
ing of -- members, to investigate the
facts connected with the present condition
and future aspect of slaves in the United
States and other parts of the world, and
the character ard extent Of the interna-
tional laws upon the subject of the Afri-
can slave trade, and tie propriety Of re
opening that trade by the United States
with the coast Of Africa, and report the
same at the next meeting of the Conven-
ton.
Mr. Scott supported he resolution upon
the ground that some new field Of supply
of labor must be sought for, in order to
prevent the draining of slave labor from
| Virginia and other Northern slaveholding
| States, to result from the policy OF extend
r
contemplated in the building Of the Pa
cifc Railroad.
Mr.. Albert Pike, of Louisiana, spoke
at some length in opposition to the resolu-
ton He said he approached the subject
with considerable embarrassment He
was perhaps the only man of northern
birth In that Convention But that he
had come to the South Immediately after
his majority, and TO her he owed all he
was or expected to be. The bones of four
Of his children rested under the sod Of the
South, and he was faithful to her interests;
he had written and published various let
tevs 90 the people OF the North, IN defence
/ Of the institutions OF the South-not de-
fence in the sense of the term when used
in regard to one at the bar of justice ac-
cused OF a crime, but as one defending a
right cause by sound and just argument
/ He believed in the right of the South to
hold slaves, and that under the circum-
stances it was the best condition for the
African race to occupy. But he could not
consent that any one should lay down the
law to govern him, or any one else; that
if they defended the institution of sIavery
in the Southern States, they must equally
defend the opening OF the African slave
trade He would suffer himself to be
torn by wild horses before he would iusti-
fy the renewal OF the African slave trade,
and he would be equally ready to suffer
that, before he would admit that slavery
itself was wrong. The two were as wide
apart as light and darkness, beauty and
ugliness, virtue and vice He desired to
present the Institution Of slavery to the
consideration Of the world as it really ex-
isted in the South, and that, too, In such
a way as to suffer no vulnerable spot for
the lance of the enemy, when they pre-
sentcd it as it now exists, without the
kindly relation that exists between the
master and slave, associating together from
infancy, protected aud provided for in
sickness and old age, considered, as it
were, almost as members Of the same fam
lily. They went into the battle shielded
in armOr Of truth and justice, more per
feet than that of Achilles But if thew
undertook to revive the slave trade thew
would be like the man who would enter
the field of battle as naked as he was born.
or as David would have been had he
thrown away his sling and stone with
which he slew Goliah Now the prompt
Ings OF interest were added to those of hu-
manity in the treatment; but how would
it be when hordes of barbarians were
thrown in our midst and the overseer could
supply the place Of the slave worked down
in the field, with one just landed here fol
the paltry sum of $3.50 OF S200? W,
could no longer say to the world that oul
slaves were valuable, were born and bro't
up with US, and By association were dea1
to US. The world would not believe it
! nor would it be the fact.
He had heard on one occasion. at
public dinner at Charleston, a speech @
Sir Charles Grey-at one time Solicito
for the East India Company at Calcutta
any one to suppose that the institution o
slavery could now be abolished-that tn
: relations now existing between master an
slave could be rudely burst asunder, an
: the negroes emancipated and made fre
/ citizens of this country. But God in hi
u own good time would work out the result
e In the proper time the country would ad
vance the negro, privileges would be es
tended to them; they would be allowed t
e receive certain amount of education an
u hold certain amount of property; i
6 time be allowed 10 contract the more 50
: cred bonds Of marriage; and we woul
7 ourselves, by degrees, necessarily and IA
) uEally raise the negro until, IN time-uo
L perhaps, until long ages-the transports
ton from slavery 70 freedom would be 2,
com St,af hv- s1arz-.saz sI-soSt 7ssse4,Si IL