The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-05


kstior- Recjral Of The African Slace Trade--
Asgsmsnts against and IN Facor Of the Moce-
bstnt, &C., &c. to '.nIf
Fbe post Of your correspondent, near the centre
the South, locally, and within the borders Of her
piIe State, is calculated to give him s,me advsn-
be Of Information on Southern topics; and while
HER ALB desires 70 keep the people well Informed
every portion Of the map of busy lie, it is, per
pc, no less important that q local correspondence
puld be true in point Of sentiment as 10 point OF
formation; and under this conviction some gene
remarks are made in this letter on The sentiment
present political condition OF the SOUTH 70 the
elusion of news proper, to which, in fact, such an
positon is the natural preface.
IL seems to be a difficult problem in fact, almost
psradox-to the Northern mind, that, notwith-
pdDg the Preside initial victory, the manifest des-
" Of Kansas, and the flattering prospect Of our
I've territory in Central America, Mexico and the
est Indies, the South should remain dissatis-
d and cross. The agitation of the Presidential
mpsign bias not subsided-the political cauldron
I IN boils. The conviction Of the Charleston hfer
nv tDat the election Of Mr.. Buchanan has bu;
ken Out another lease OF the Union, is that OF
any minds Of the south. This dissa 1sfactiOn with
G Union is, however, owing to no special causes,
does it threaten % immediate disaster. 1t is
erely the growth Of q conviction. The South is be-
ming more ard more Convinced thai 1t can dis
nse with the UniCn; and many only walt some
ecisl provocatiOn, some particular excuse, to
ow Themselves dIsunionists, and TO fOrswear the
ocks and cheese of their Yankee brethren. On
e other band, there are numbers who believe that
wonld be madness and sheer cowardlce Tor the
nth to witbdra~ from the lists and to give up tho
Institutional victory at moment most suspicious
ber and when everything promi ses well. Ac
Iding to this Opu ion-which is that Of CONSERVE
'e and refectiog men generslly-tbe South should
and or fall by the constitution. True courage
ate victory in the South holding the balance Of
iitical power, old not commend it. Under these
,nvjctiOns the bard fought field OF constitu-
nal contest should no. be forsaken by
e South for shelter beneath divided
q, but the battle should be continued
IN the same weapons, while new. exertaons
Onld be put forth to conquer by the form OF the
Institution. This is about the present state OF par
es in this portion Of the country. The party that
IN favor of keeping the field under the banner OF
e constitution sees the necessity OF following up
Oh victory, and Of devising new measures for
)uthern advantage and developemen:. As mea-
nee Of this sort conceived in this quasi constitn-
,nal. rather than dlsunion spirit, We may view the
ave trade and Toombs tariff
The proposition to revive or more properly 70
open, the slave trace, Is as yet but imperectly
l6erStoOd, in its intentions and probable results,
! the people Of the South, and but little apprecia-
Ii by Them. Il has been received in all parts Of
Ie country with underlined sort OF repngnance,
sort of squea misbness, which il incident to all
! violations Of moral prejudices, and invariably
ears of on familiarity with the subject The
oa,b will commence by enduring and end by en-
acing the project. Indeed, the Ieopening OF the
ave trade may be safely argued az moral ques-
on. Old which ground the Savannah Convention left
nj the particular instance OF the Virginia
Elegation on the motion of Mr.. Andrew Hum
Er, and where, as was remarked, the argument
the measure properly commences. The horrors
the slave trade, studiously accumulated by ex
rrts testimony, collected by committee Of the
ouse Of Commons, and magniied by the eloquence
WiIberforce AID Macintosh, may no longer exist
! reality. If only proper means OF transport arc
Fovided, and pa ~ ngar-law enforced IN carrying
d the trade Thus slaves might ne transported
rom Africa in health AID without discomfort, and
bus Ike avoided those scenes of suffering on ship.
bard which alone have given to be trade the hor-
lle aspect portrayed b. orators Of the British Par
am.nt IL the trade, under the sanctions OF the
roper provisions in the shape of passenger regua-
ope and such like, be made Ior the transport OF the
aves so az to avoid the cruelties practised when
be traffic ia iii sit and disg used, 1t would he stripped
once of all it, horrors; while no one ca, eeri,sy
|Dubt but that the sable son of Ham would in every
pspecs be better Of slave on southern planta-
ION than on the roll OF Africa, where he Is at the
bercy OF men and beasts, In danger OF being eaten
p bodily by his enemy, or OF being burned alive as
victim to the Fetish or Of being sacrificed In the
uman hecatombs, by which ell state occasions are
kid 20 be celebrated in the kingdom Of Dahomey.
. But more formidable prejudice in the Southern
bind than what arises from squeamishoess OF con-
b,iepce had TO DC oombatted IN any attempt to re-
Den the slave trade. II Ia the jealousy which the
Sosking classes and yctmanry Of toe south enter
hin towards slave labor. The aboltionists, how
YER mistake this feeling altogether, when they
|alcuste upon the pauper banditti" OF the South,
81 he English press terms them, ever becoming
heir allies; for with the jealousy Of slave labor Is
ombined such con'emp' for the colored man, that
be social utopias OF Niger worship are as much
|espsed by the bone and sinew OF the South as by
he slayeocraoy iteelf. Yet there Is no doubt but
hat this peculiar jealousy OF the slave in the mind
n the white mechanic and operative would be in
Anitely provoked by the African Importation, and
blight for time lead TO had consequences; so ex
RENE Il the feeling of competition ali eaiy that a
nan In this State II, ks public opinion by employ
pQ his slave at any trade or mechanical employ.
ent It is characterized AZ taking the bread out OF
he mouth OF the white man; and an instance
kss been related to me whore o gentleman
Was actually forced TO abandon his purpose
Sf employing his own slaves rs operatives ia q
otton factory he had erected. This feeling Is GER
ainly most formidable one TO the re-opening OF q
ACE with Africa which weald food the land with
.,eqroes cheap "a dirt. And yet notwithstanding
rch prejudices, the conviction Is already growing
IN the public mind that the trade IL calculated 70
Seps6t In many respects. the entire community
the South, ard m manner TO c mpensate all
asses for the partial Losses they may sustain under
he change.
The Northern press in its comments on the slave
3rade movement bss bus slightly touched III ccono.
BIC point OF view; from which point indeed, good
cal Of light might he thrown upon the monopoly
nder which the agricultural interest suffers in the
ou,h. The seven hCndred and fifty thousand slave
ropretors control the agriculture Of the South by
heir monopoly, which grows from year TO
ear. These men regularly invest their sur
ius revenue in increasing their stock Of
ayes. They do nctning for manufactures or
ommerce, and hstray q want ~ public spirit
} their exclusive devotion to trading in negroes.
hey have special fondness FOR this kind OF proper
az II pays en- r.nously, sustaining the planter in
e Of bad crops; foi the naiurl increase OF stock
slaves nkipdly treated, may be safely estm sied at
or 40 per cent ON the investment free Imports
ON africa, which would bring the price Of slaves
Eithin the poor mans means, would have the effect
b a great N easuIe, OF breaking down the monopoly
the agricultural interest, which has impoverished
be soil of the South, and Of creating demand for
md; thus rising its price and bringing the wild
acts of the mountain and ssabOard into cultivation
the State of Georgia. for ns.ance, astonishing
nd most grniiiying results might he produced The
inc lands of the State. including one sixth of ts
Iritcry, are now mostly unproducgiye. About six
or seventy miles from the cost commence The
ire harrr rs extending far into the interior without