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

Tennessee, moved e. an amendment that the
Convention shoold decare-in the words Of Mr..
Orrs resolu on at III beginning Of last session
OF Congvss that it is nexpedien aud contrary
to the settled priDcip es Of he country to repeal
the laws prohinitory o. tie slave trade. But al
though there were only % ba found eight
members in the lat House of Representa-
tivee to vote against Mr. Oars reso''i-
ton, its counterpart, us moved by Mr.
Sn'ed, was rejected by the Commercial Congen-
ton by vote of so against ~ and Mr. B'yan's
resolution was adopted by a vote of sc to 2s
This shows in the clea est possible light thu cha
rrcter of tais Commercial Convention and is
leaning toward abs ractlons rather than
toward realities. Even the Hoo Mr.. Bosce,
OF South Carolina one o the most ULTRA
Southern members in the HOUSE OF Represnn-
tatives-neclayed before The Convention that the
re-openjng Of the slave trade ny al dnority Of tn
general government was impossible AID thai dc
union would BIZ an unavoid adj. primary cond,
ton o; the success o. their proposition But all
to no purpose. The Southern f'e-eatess at
Knoxv lie w0uld he contsnt with moth ng less
than the exonngng Of toe objectionable claus IN
the treaty of 1872 aud 40 they resolve, to direct
the Southern representatives ut Washington to
bring about that contamination.
There was some cnrsory talk AS t. the encour
agement or white imuigrato on ntO the Southern
States but that was altogether too sensible ana
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 reopenins OF
the save trade, it is very doaotful wnetnsf tnere
would not be a majority Of the Southern people
themselves opposed to it. 1t is question which
admits of some argument, whether, If the slave
populatloo of the South were to morrow increased
totve millions, its marketable value would be great
CT than that OF the three and half mi liOa in
the South. That is problem which We leave to
be 20 we'd by the next Commercial Convention
that ia to meet at Montgomery, Alabama, on the
second Monday in May next.
Besides the debate on the slave trade question,
the Convention was occupied with variety OF
other matters, some of them being of an equally
practical character. II 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 these resolutions ad.
verse to the policy of the general government in
granting subventions to transatlantic steamship
lines was rejected; aud in lieu of it was adopted
a 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
lnee are established.
Thenthere was silly and premature debate on
proposition that direct taxation should he substi-
tu'ed for indirect taxation-a proposition which
Sc, med to have no other design than to give the
wisescre that moved it an opportunity of distin-
gushing himself A resolution endorsing Walker
and his filibustering 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 a
port on the Pacific, was favorably received. Blu
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 Sou'h in
respect TO labor &c; and resolutions were passed
recommending the procuring Of an exclusive title
TO the Tehusutepec route, the repeal of fishery
bounties, and the effort to procure repeal of the
foreign duties on tobacco. Finally, sconvention
was recommended to meet in Memphis, Tenn, in
July, 1858, to be composed of delegates from the
agricultural, manufacturing mechanical aud
commercial classes of the whole country, the OBJ
ject of this formidable movement being-to save
the Union.
This is resume Of the important business trans
acted by the Southern Commercial Convention Of
1857. How will II stand the test of common
sense investigation? As well as those that have
preceded it, and probably as well as those that
are to come after it tbs altogether prepos-
ferrous humbug