The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-08-19

acnnee1cc, u10veQ ~ "a usuen0uSus Sn"s sso
Convention ,honld dec'sre-m the words Of Mr..
Orr's resolu on at til beginning Of last session
Of Congrrrs- it is nsxpedien aud contrary
to the settled priDcip es Of he country to repeal
the laws prohioitory o. tie slave trade But a.
though there were only 20 bs found eight
tivee to vote against Mr.. Oars resou
ton, its counterpart, Us moved ny Mr.
led, was rejected by the Commercial Conven-
ton by vote of SO against ~, and Mr. B'ysn's
resolution was adopted by vote of sc to 26
This shows in the clea est possible light the cha.
rrcter of tais Commercial Convention and is
leaning toward abs ractions rather than
toward realities Even thu Hoo Mr.. Boyce,
OF South Carolina one o the most ULTRA
Southern members in the House OF Represen-
tatves-deca.ed before the Convention that the
re-openng OF the slave trade ny authority Of the
general government WAS impossi oIe. aid that di.
union would BIZ an unavoid able primary cond
ton Of the success OF their proposition. But all
to no purpose. The Southern fre-eatsss at
Knoxville would be cODtsnt with moth ng less
than the exounging Of toe Objectionable claus IN
the treaty of 1872, aad no they resolved to direct
the Southern representatives ut Washington to
bring about that consummation.
There was some cursory talk as to the encour
agement or white immigration into the Southern
States, but that was altogether too sensible and
feasible plan OF promoting the prosperity Of
those states to be discussed seriously by the Con-
vention. Nothing bat African forced imm'gra-
ton weuld satisfy them, although if the NOcta
sbould interpose no obstacle to the reopenias OF
the slave trade, it is very doubtful whetnof taere
would not he a majority Of the Southern people
themselves opposed to it 1t is a question which
admits of some argument, whether, If the slave
populatIoo of the South were to morrow increased
TO five millions its marketable value would be great
the South. That is a problem which We leave to
be eoved by the next Commercial Convention,
that ia to meet at Montgomery, Alabama, on the
second Monday in May next
Berides the debate on the slave trade question,
the Convention was occupied with a variety of
other matters, some of them being of an equally
practical character 1t discussed and finally
adopted series of resolutions to the effect that
the establishment of steamship lines and railroads
was necessary to Southern prosperity. and that
public aid was requisite for their establishment
An amendment to one of there resolutions I'D.
granting subventions to transatlantic steamship
lines Wis rejected and in lieu of it was adopted
q resolution that steamship lines from Southern
ports would be entitled to Like aid on the part of
the government No objection to that when the
linee are established.
Thenthere was silly and premature debate ona
proposition that direct taxation should he subst-
tuted for indirect taxation-a proposition which
SEE med to have no other design than to give the
wiseacre that moved it an opportunity of distin-
gushing himself. A resolution endorsing Walker
and his flibustering career in Nicaragua was,
without any show Of favor, rejected. A proposi-
ton recommending the organization Of Arizona
into Territory distinct from that of New Mexico,
and to negotiate from the Mexican government
port on the Pacific, was favorably received. Bu-
siness was chalked out for the next Convention in
the way Of procuring information on school
hooks on the mode Of selling cotton, on the con-
dition Of Africa, and the wants of the South in
respect TO labor, &c. and resolutions were passed
recommending the procuring of an exclusive title
10 the Tehuantepec route, the repeal of fishery
bounties, and the effort to procure repeal of the
foreign duties on tobacco. Finally, aconvention
was recommended to meet in Memphis, Tenn, in
July. 1858, to be composed of delegates from the
agricultural, manufacturing, mechanical and
commercial classes Of the whole country, the OBJ
ject of this formidable movement being-to save
the Union.
This lie q resume Of the important business trans-
acted by the Southern Commercial Convention OF
1857. How will II stand the test of a common
sense investigation? AS well as those that have
preceded 1t, and probably as well as those that
are to come after it II is altogether prepos-
ferrous humbug