Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-05-26
THE SLAVE TRApE.-1Ts REVIVAL.

yention, recently assembled ut Montgomery had the
subject before them under the report OF Committee
appointed by the Convention of last year. AZ in al
most every discussion involving great consequences,
So in this one the argument on either side admits OF
extended scope and artistic arrangement between
the Pro.slavery and Antisarcry parties OF the union
the divergence Of views IL of course too widc 10 10
profitable in the way of conviction to either side.
With them, the tenes Of each other are such ss to
breed hostile retort not dispassonste investigation
violent invcetivo not courteous consideration. But
az between Southern men, the discussion may have
moro Of family cast; the dsputants are brothers,
having many similar intcreats, but who disagree upon
the modo of advancing those interests to their
highest state of prosperity In this instance hoWev-
er, we foar q question is moOted upon which even
brothers may not hear oach other with patience, and
tho end of which f prosecuted to nm issue) may be
weakness to our section and dishonor to our escuteh
con,
Having at sundry times deprecated the uprising
of this spue in tho arena Of Southern politics, wa
End ourselves now impOlled to give the p0asons foT
that position which shall be done in the brisss pos
sible manner.
l. It is a conviction common to many political
watchers at this timc that the Southern people neod
ubovo all things olse complete oneness of sentiment
upon political questions especially when those ques-
tons implicate institution of domestic aervitude
Already is it seen, that the question Of re-openng the
81 ve trade carries within itself the seeds Of pCrous
discord The division in the South Carolina Legisa.
ture upon Gov. AAR4Ee' recommendation on this sub
jeet the diysien 50 e !atelSy RaRiseed in tho Mont
gomery Convention, the variant tDps Of thS secular
pross he downright opposition of the religious press
in seyefal pre- proofs positive that
tho proposed pasuFp will be aaFo fFRilfql source
Of strife among aursslves tlan perhaps ppy other
question over discussed bsfuFp the sonthprn public
We hold therefore that its agitation will be pRforta,
nato for the unanimity OF inc south,==noT so Mreh
desired and TINT it is, in this view, thing to be
dreaded and avoided.
2 This FIRST objection would not however be con-
elusive in the mntter if there any real evil to be
rem0died by tie agitation, or any palpabe gain d
prosperity IL ts ssbievcd by it But there is no such
thing, presopt Of pfospsfss eSpeps in the confused
and uncertain faRsies of Dg araspt fieRds Of the
scheme. Fhe South is noE enjoying upp:sEEampled
prosperity: she is 9p ths Aghxsy Of success in all
the various bsua.lai af Industry and sptefprize
With direct trndc established bstSesa haf D9Fts md
the European markets, she could now justly lay claim
to the happiness of being more fortunately located in
most respects than any people on earth. She holds
up hsf saeal her domestic organization to the admi-
ration of ti,s rali4 Sbs P9iRRts TO II as being now
perfectly adapted to her wantsj aa4 shs Sis7 With
high pride that ts execrnccs perfected they have
been by the experience Of Fifty years or more) are
now recognized by the intelligence Of the world. She
is thu alrsady rich, hnipy and powerful under the
blessing ct srAssH ts hsF RssGSgse Rsy we'll shrink
back from the discussion OF scnauIs Shsh si cer-
ainly lead to great and radical changes in hOr con-
dition and prospects Be- it remembered that while
these chunges may possibly be for the bettor, they
may sis2 fo9rs!cr impair our present position Of
strength, moral, soc.al RpA s9!tcal. Shall we, th,
fvored of Heaven, sport witt that favor ia strapge
and doubtful experiment. and run the high hazard Of
losing tho countsnance of that Providence which has
nov fllcal fllcal aypF afRiRrs Of success to ths. brim'
8. As there Is R9 RalpaR!s Rqpt af present pros
perity 10 nyite to challenge his nes sehes xith
apprabaNaa 10 afe there ns real sSils p ths future
Ito bs Eeneiiea By ls psabRble pPpra9p} of Sufficient
moment to warrant the trial Of sa dangerous aRasO
doubtful remedy. Let us barely glance at one or
two of theso suggested evils s glance is sufficient to
expose their futility.)
1t is surmised that the present high prices Of
coli4R viii spable the East Indies and Algeria to
compete with u. .aaissssisppl|yi and that we must
have moro slaves to bring down pstcta II Z Grade
at which they cannot raise it; in roply to which
notion it is wcl asked if the Southern people got rich
With getoH ut 10 cents, will not England and France
still thuk lbHi w. eHiHFs, ever at that price, would
be profitable to their subjects aisal ts kf Eaaf N
our domestic organization hst will sVar prevent those
countries from competing with the Southern States at
any prccs II they remain without such orgsnra-
tIou, t is likely thst all the fostering care Of their
home governments will fail entirely in setting them
up MS rivals of the slave. e.hOldlng souih. II they
adopt such organization, the rcopenug Of the sluvs
Trade will not enable US to banish them from the
competition.
It i. also urged that more slaves arc necessary
to restore the equality Of our power in the General
Government, and that this can only be effected by
revival of the Slave Trade: and yet reliable .tatisos
slaT that in Cuba, where fresh supplies have been
constanNJ RsSti s ths annual decrease Of the slave
population i 'fron aTs to teG Rsf tft whilst here
without any sueh saipples) number y as swellsa
from oOouos calculated sum oF is stlssFSes dfs'
nay sar@ions fhis A ! inereass is at
it is nationally slai@ea, to the humanity
Of mild patriurcha system, which uiyAt 10 seri-
uusly corrupted and weakened in It's procsoatire ten
denrcs by the introduction Of degenerate savuges
from the present degraded African tribes. But
granting that actual iucrcaso of slaves could be
readily realized from the trade is worry ques
tionablc whether such slaves would bring US any ad-
i.ipgsl power in the General Government. The
lnpger il. tint fpr every additional member they
would give usiR cppgfe, e Should lose real strength
in q tenfold proportion.
Another ideal evil is, that we have aot 6alagl
of slaves to exhibit social system in its full intog
conjecture to merit much consideration when con-
ras:sl Tith tho acknowledged fact that we already
nave the very Is.t cepSton Of society in the world
It is easy to make thousand sPHralslons of possible
Improvement in the future, but one present zen, good
5 worth more than all of these.
But again, tue re-openiug Of the Slave Trade,
10 argued, will remove the evil ) of tho increasing
,igh prices n a2sross and enable the poor men
amongst us to possess each Ous biz slave or slaves,
according to the earnings of their labor; in Elipb
proposition it seems to be utterly forgotten TINT the
fleet Of tho tradc in slaves will be to chcapen
abor, and thus perhaps make it more difficult for tho
'oor man to realize the funds, With which To buy q