New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-16

70 sccep the publication OF II IS an Amende ioI your
sutc. viii be highly entertaining and with no ra,1soe Eel
hope your readers will have s, opportuniJ
Of knowing tina. there Southern center Of opinion these
sSse ofiEs. 'h S poYtsnt fact,
.u, viii sres; respect, your Sedien, .sry.r.
The srticles TO which our correspondent alludes
in tie above letter are an elaborate attempt prove
that the interests of the South demand the revival
Of tie African slave trade that the prohibition Of
said trade is UNCONSTITUTIONAL and that the States
themselves have right to engage therein In de-
hsnce Of the Fedsrsl authorities. Mr.. Spratte has
rent rs the twelfth of the series, and asks d in
justice to bim,elfto publi.h it. We cannot comply
with tbs request, ard we will tell Mr.. Spratte
plainly why We cannot We endeavor a. per-
fectIy a. possible to exslude immoral articles
from our columns. We must draw the line
somewhere. Should we print Mr.. Sprattes spsloey
for piracy, some gentleman in the house-break-
ing line will next demand room in our columns
in which to demonstrate the necessity Of bis
amiab'e profession; and he may be followed
by the agarieved garroters, the Injured default
ers, and by ilI-treated rosues Of all kinds and
classes. Mr.. Spratte must Zee with half an eye
that We should ioon have our hands fall. Becsuse
We see 81, in the eIercise of grave public duty,
to denouncs palpable villainy, it does not follow
that we should give the villain hearing The
fact that Southern writer was engaged in defend
ing the slave trade was Of importance enough TO
be communicated 10 our readers; but what he urges
in it, defense matters very little because it is
utterly impossible for it to rhuence single honest
AID disingeruous mind. That is about our view
Of the matter, Mr.. spratte; and 90 the pair Of
columns which you send US viii not be reprinted in
THE TRIBUNE.
Mr. spratte has q very good opinion Of his pro-
auctions, and believes that cur readers will hnd
them "hghly entertaining" We admit that the
alterations Of the human intellect msy sometimes
excite smile, but it will not often be kindly one,
and should not be encouraged. Mr.. Spratte ought
10 thank Us for saving him from the most mortty-
ing deu adstion which can befal human being
that of being subjected to the rdcue OF his mental
ipfrmities The man who is so far demensed a. to
believe in the possibility of perpetual motion or in
the humanity of the African saye-trsde should be
restrained by bic friends, and those are his true
friends who best conceal his deluiions from tae
world.
We admit however, that the arguments 10 those
articles Of Mr.. Sprsttes series which We have sesn
are not 30 much in favor Of the humanity OF the
trads 81 in defense of its policy. The commercial
prosperity Of the Slave States is with Mr.. Sprsfte
the srst consideration, ard justice the second. he
pants to build up great Southern Confederscy,
and bis ambition makes him hard, heartless and
incapable of Distinguishing between cruelty and
Kindness He would rear the edifce Of his pride,
although ts foundations must be the b'nes Of mil
lions of human beings, and its lofty walls be
cemeuted with their blood. The slave system has
70 worked it, will upon him, has so debsuched bis
intellect and so thoroughly e1tiDsuished in his
bosom every spark Of natural pity, that be writes
Of human beings as he would wife Of hogs or OF
horres, and of traffic in men as be would OF
trsffc in SUGAR To reason with such man Is im-
possible. We might as well reason with the King
Of Dahomey.
In conclusion, we may say to Mr.. spratte that
our opposition 10 the slavetrsde, like our opposi-
hoa to Slavery, il quite - much moral Is IMAM
Ella! one We believe if 10 be sin to hold men IN
bondage and we, therefore believe it to be sin 10
bring them from Africa for the purpose Of ensla7ng
them. Thus believing, Of course we do NOT care
one penny ior Mr.. Spra.te's statistics, any more
than We should for those OF gambling house or
bro,hel; and although he should shsw to our salts
faction which he could not do) that the slave Trade
would render the Southern States the most opaient
10 the world il would not move u, an inch from our
position. When we believe in property in man, We
,tall sl.o believe, to use Dr. Channing's words, in
properly in ,ngeli.
So you see Mr Spratte that there is no room ior
~ artuue.t Your articles, should We reprint
iisu, ". uld coryirce 20 one net already coh'noei.
'Tts l.hiatss" "a b..tst missionary sor iSo