The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-05-15

The REVIVAL OF The AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE
favor OF the revival Of the African slave trade
appears to have been thus far the engrossing
topic OF the Southern Commercial Convention
at Montgomery. Alabama, we perceive that a
number of Southern journals are also discuss
ing the subject with most remarkable JUNCTION.
For example, take the following extract from .
late Washington letter to the Charleston
Meruvy:-
Fem sl Accounts he French are carrying large mum
wes, lrtis colonies IL lawful for then, sud tho
Fms American vessels do 0o' ipefot, sish
them, Why shoud no be lawful for uss There are In
quantities " rich saud In S0utn aroioa, eogiA
Florcs, Alabama, and the other Southern Ard soitn-
sesNru sss<s lying - waste AID vito condlson when
sx,y vail lsoor apped them - onxole snen n
tse. .nd c,o,be millions. Why co not The sn.srursns
planters o. the south ceetr thsmse,vesfcr can,
wincu, moie-tsson spd tnoos vicissDg single lA~
t,oc ~ed ave employ meuS 70 Northern vssses, by in
porting sprreltce~ u their panstonss The tang must
eooD cemmence- who viii have tho energy " give il
ria nrtU
"Wty not lawful for uss" For the simple
reason that the existing laws of Congress upon
this euhject stand in the way; aud because the
Jurisdiction over this business in every shape
aDo form. belongs to Congress, and not to any
epterprising individual, or csmpany, or State,
or Southern Convention of any sort Before
any company, or State, or combination OF
States, can lawfully enter into this business of
the importation Of African apprentices, they
mutt bave the following sweeping restrictions
rep, a,eo by at of Congress, to witt
rhsa from and af'er the first day Of January, 1903,
s~s or the resstores thereof, any negro, musta or
person oOor with intent hod, sell csposs OF such
negro muiaio or person Of color, a. siavs or TO 30
held TO service or labor. Act march 2 1901.
II will thus be seen that this brief but compre
hensve Congressional interdict of 1907 will
render unlawful not only any attempt to import
African apprentices, but also any attempt to
introduce Asiatic coolies of any description.
Thus, in the interval to the repeal Of this act,
should any attempt be made to insugurate in
Africans or Asiat,c coolies, as slaves or as ap-
pr, p,ices, 1t will become the duty of the Presi
dent to enforce the Law That ia all; bat for all
practical purposes that is quite enough.
Bu, who are these Southern agitators, so
clamorous and enthusiastic in their appeals for
not the $40 900 shareholders of the South, for
they know chat any large infusion of negro la
borCrs from Africa would seriously deprecste
the casb value of their existing slave property
sno tbst this would probably be only the be-
ginning Of the mischief As they how exist,
the relations between the whites and the slave
population OF the South are perfectly harmo
nous. and perfectly understood between the
two races. But throw into any slaveholdipg
community there LOT of wild Africans, aud is
it Dot probable that their contact with the
native negroes will demoralize the latter to a
great extent? and, in proportion to their iufu-
sion among the native slaves, may we not con.
clnde that this Generalization will be increased
There il great difference between the slave
holding system of our Southern States and that
OF Cuba In the one Case it is a patriarchal
system, compromising the most harmonious re-
lations Of protection and dependence; in the
other it is despotic and merciless system, the
mortality Of which smoog the negroes can only
be supplied by the African trade, and can only
be indem nifsd by the rich tropical products Of
Cuba
But this agitation Of the revival of the African
lave trade is a mere scarecfow, mere device Of
desperate aud reckless Southern politicians
Who are not slaveholders, for sectional party
purposes. The Southern Shareholders, as a
casr, have bad as little to do in getting up this
agitation as our New York merchants. But our
Nor'berp bigger worshipers are taking up the
matter with the same avidity as the Southern
political niger drivers; and from the progress
they have already made on both sides, il is very
likely that within year or so We shall have an
exciting brush upon the subject between the
anti slavery dirt eaters and pro-slavery fire
eaters in Congress.