Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-07-11

clerical services unless in the rst instance YOU
are specially instructed to do so by this office
Very respectfully,
THos. A. HENDRICKS, Commissioner
The APPRENTICE SYsrEN-The Charleston
Mercury handles the question of the importa-
ton of African laborers into the West ladies
under the pretence that they are apprentices,
to which France and England are now preparing
to resort extensively by way of breaking down
American competition in the production of sugar
and cotton, with signal ability. Its conclusions
we accept without hesitation. Viz: if the prac-
tce be not in violation of the slave trade treaty
between the United States and Britain, our
Southern States have legal right to resort to
it for the necessary supply of labor in the rice,
cotton, and sugar plantations, that must be ac-
corded, if we would continue to compete sue
cessfully with England and France in the pro-
duction of those staples. That is, if those Pow
ers are to be permitted to resort to the practice
to which 1--WE refer. Wequote the last article in
the Mercury on the subject, as follows:
A WILFUL PERvERsIoN.-In another column
will be found an extract from the New York Com
merc1al Advertiser IL exhibits a garbled state
ment of certain remarks we threw out not many
days since, upon the new Franco English Afri-
can slave trade, and is followed by string of in
That journal says we have proposed :. to achieve
thing by false pretences, which law and hui
manty forbid TO lie done To entice ignorant Afri-
cans from their homes BY promises of remunera-
tion and employment as hired servants, with the
liberties and rights of such, with the deliberate
purpose of classifying all such promises, and hand
ing the victims over to irredeemable bondage i'm.
mediately upon their arrival.n The insolence of
the language employed by the New York Com
mercial Advertiser sinks out of view in the GRIM
inality of his wiful perversions. 1t is, doubtless
vpnipnt N hatch M cd alc lNa;
genious, though not difficult, to manufacture
facts-it is certainly wise to entertain readers-it
is polite to pander to public taste-but honest
men usually regard the departure from truth as
mendacious. Moralists define it by rather harsh
term We will not do the Advertiser the injus-
tice to believe 1t incapable of understanding the
English language-it is too glib In the use Of il
Its perceptions cannot he so blunt as to make IL
incompetent to distinguish between an affirmative
and negative assertion.
So far from advocating this policy we distinct
ly denounced it as nothing less than the opening
OF the African slave trade on the part of the
French and English, under circumstances of
treachery to our Government, of falsehood and in
humanity, which fully,entited them to the indiy-
nation and contempt of the world. We charged
them with a violation of their treaty enpayements
with the United States, by the most paltry and
SlaTlng subtcrfugeS. We charged them with tn !,
most pitable and pal pable departure from their
avowed principle and boosted philanthropy and
with the establishment of the most barbarous in
stltuton and system of labor of any the world has
witnessed in modern tines-slavery with all its
evils, and not one of its alleviatng circumstan-
ces-SlaveTy, under the terms of an engagement
to labor for ten or twenty years. with the means
OF bare subSistence-slaves, ignorant, uncivilized
without even knowledge of the language to as
sert their rights, if they might comprehend them;
without one assurance or hope of that care, pro-
lection and provision in necessity and old age
which Is guaranteed by the laws, and always
found by the slave, under our humane though
productive institution of SLarerV
We even went further. We called uDon the
dShlnDtOn in 1.,t-
ter at once, and TO put stop to it before il pro-
ceeded further Either the new Franco English
scheme OF obtaining African labor is, or il is not
the African slave trade. If the former, il is the
duty of the President to send immediate instruc-
tons to our Ministers in France and Eng LAND to
denOunce the proceedings as such and to demand
OF these powers its instant cessation under their
treaty; and, in case their demand be not strictly
complied with, that our ministers be further in
structed to inform these Governments that the
treaty as ut an end and that our fleet upon the
African coast, maintained at great expense will
forthwith be withdrawn. Dccency before the
world, the dignity and interests Of the United
States. and respect to the South require that this
should be done, and that the Government shouId
this matter fO''
But if, on the contrary President Buchanan as
the head OF this Government, shall determine
that the importation to labor of wild Africans
into the West Indies under the sham of inmi-
grafton, * not the African Slave Trade; and shall
accordingly decline 10 issue instructions to our
Ministers TO make this demand npon the Govern
ment of England and France; then we do not
hesitate to say that the same path is open TO the
south, which is pursued by the French and En-
gllSh BY what authority restrictions can be
placed upon us, which are considered not bind
ing, or are unenforced against other powers. we
nave yet TO learn If il is a fair engagement of
labor for term Of years onlv similar to that car
rled on by the North, in supplying the labor of
their manufactures, by the importation of En-
gllsh, Irish or German labOrers under contract
OF service for given number of years then do
we assert that there is no power in the Govern
ment OF the United States, under its laws or con-
stitution by which to prevent or modest the peo-
pie OF the South in supplying what labor they
may need or may choose to have, from Africa
under similar engagements for service, during
any number OF years, whether for the years Of life
or shorter period.
Not only can ~ be done under the laws and con-
stituion of the United States in the event of our
governments taking this view of the matter but
II inevitably UtH be done, and il will be forced
upon the Southern States to do it, Cotton and
sugar i'll the United States, with negroes AT SGIU
round, cannot possibly compete with the same
productions in the West Indies whore nerroas
are being crowded in down TO the point of st5rva
ton, and the wages of labor forced by excess of
population down to the lowest point consistent
VII win the mere support of life Sugar will first
idlt, ana eventually cotton too will sink far be-
low the average rate of profits, and the value of
money when the l2borer is allowed to live in
comfort Production in the South must first be
Hhhlted ana then abandoned or African labor
must be obtained from some quarter CHEAP enough
10 render competition successful and their pro-
auction profitable.
African labor in these Southern States must ever
De stare labor, while the Anglo Saxon lasts in
these regions. Ii will be slave labor, either by
fdlc or by custom. For ourselves we do not de-
sire TO see ii otherwise than Starery 6y tatc AS
an tHSttHttOH it may be surrounded by many
blessings; as an nacknowed ged though virtual
practice Of indiriduaiS, as in the West Indies il
Is beyond control or direction But what policy
may be established, the folly and flnaticism at
the North, intrigue abroad, and blind apathy at
home, render it now impossible to say
A ROORBAcK.-In the New York Tr,bxue Of
yesterday we find the following in the shape of
Especial dispatch from this city:
/" The architects have just discovered the Ro
tunda walls to be too weak to bear the new iIop
dome. Its construction will therefore be suspend
ed, and the immense expenditure already incurred
Will be lost Strengthening the walls sufficiently
involves the removal and renewal of the old Cap.
itOl building"
On inquiry we have ascertained that there is
not particle of truth in this statement. On
the contrary, Mr.. Ashdown, who has charge or