Washington telegraph., 1857-01-14
The African Slave Trade.


ton, holden at Savannah, Georgia, du-
ring December last, the question of the
re-opening of the African Slave Trade
was agitated. ALBERT PIKE won honor
for himself by boldly defying the unclean
spirit which prompted the presentation
of this enormity for the consideration,
not only of those then and there assem-
bled, but of the people of this Union,
between whom there now exist feuds of
sufficient magnitude and importance, to
render it the bounden duty of every man
to hope and pray that no incendiary
hand may be allowed to add more fuel
to the fires which reckless and unthink-
ing fanatics and pestiferous, mousing,
scheming politicians have kindled upon
the altars which should be sacred to the
votive offerings of Peace.
Considered from any stand point from
which we may choose to view this matter,
and speaking in as mild terms as We can
of this nefarious attempt 90 sow broad
cast the seeds of civil war, anarchy and
terrible disaster, we can regard the lead
ers of this movement as none others than
men neither imbued with loyalty to the
genius of that Constitution which, for
three-quarters of a century, has been to
them and their forefathers a guarantee of
their rights; nor possessed in any degree
even Of the spirit of humanity. This
movement is but the first overt manifes-
tation of the determination on the part
of a certain body of men in the South,
to assert practically and contend strenu-
ously for a system which they either
hope-but altogether vainly, We can as
sure them-to graft on the body polite /;
or intend, failing so to do, to inaugurate
upon the downfall Of the Republic, to
which consummation the working out of
their treacherous schemes tend, if suffer
ed to advance unchecked, just so surely
as the violent removing of one block af-
| VI ehhOtACA iAOhi DOuS VI tiI CutuCc,
tends to its destruction and overthrow
There was wretch who applied the torch
to lordly temple in the days of eld.-
His name is forgotten, but the remem-
brance of the infamy of the deed perpet-
yates his memory. The time may come
but may Heaven avert the catastrophe
when the fair fabric of this govern
ment, builded nightly and cemented by
patriotic blood, may fall; and in distant
ages, when the men of the future shall
wander among the melancholy wrecks of
our fallen greatness, they may not be
able to heap opprobrium upon the very
names of the incendiaries who applied
the torch, or the vandalS who swept away
the landmarks of our renown; but just as
the madman whose blind fury left but
desolation where for SO long time stood
the glory of the Ephesians, is remembered
only with reproach; so the authors of the
ruin which the madmen of the present
day would effect, viii be remembered on
ly with contumely; while the notoriety
which they would almost die to link with
their detestable names, will last only so
long as their own pale lips can potter over
the words that embody hateful enormi-
ty, and piddle over scheme which is the
essence of abjeet, soulless, sordid, craven
meanness.
We have said this much because we
believe it is the duty Of every man, how
ever humble may be his position, how
ever feeble may be the voice which he
raises, to speak out boldly and unreserv-
edly against, what reason, what common
sense, what the immutable principles of
right and justice to discern which
Is given to every man not wilfully or ju-
dicially blind must tell us is a danger
Gus and pernicious innovation upon the
policy which the American people are re-
quired by every consideration, human and
relating to higher than human things. to
preserve inviolate. In so doing they will
have done their duty Having done this
they can safely leave the result to the
Great Disposer of events.
We have said that Capt PIKE won
honor by assuming the championship of
the opposition to nefarious project. We
repeat it. We will give his speech in our
next.
MEMPHIS Il LITTLE Rock RAILROAD.
We learn from the Memphis Eaqze d
Enquirer, of the Sd instant. that the