Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-12-31

We'll, that the African Slave Trade VII
cheaper the labor Of Slaves in the South
shall not only admit. but shall attempt Il
assist in proving. But that such result woult
be benefit to u>, shall utterly deny. Tina
il would he benefit 10 the North and t
Europe, nav to all the world except the South
| am ready - concclc-but the benefit L
them would be al olIr expense. Ii would b
like low wages to the free lahorcr II benefit t.
the cmplovcr and te the consumers Of tin
product but death to him.
Now. would it be- supposed that this Report
after saving 80 much abont population an
cheap labor 1T the North. and after attributln.
the prosperity Of thc North 10 these causes
and the less fortunate condition .! the Souii
to the absence Of these favorable elements
nay after presenting these the advantages
t. be rrapei from The Slave Trade would turi
round and in the next breath deny that th'
Slave Trade would reduce the price OF ON
negroes: The idea oi reduction Of negro labor
however. the :aithor very naturally >uppo>e'
would strike the minds of Slave holders M
;.corahly. ami 4 hcalin. argument i, offered,
To prove that the importation Of ach,dbsrIorH
of Slave labor from Africa would not affect tho
price IF our native Slaves. This argument
Ia, become quite current among the advocates
of the Slave Trade policy, and aS it is intended
ID meet Il very !ormidab!, objection aud can
iini it in TO more authoritative shape than in
this Report, will quote the words. and examine
into the reasoning.
ut may. perhaps bc objected say, this
document to the >illiicicncy Of this argument.
that il the Slave Trade shall furnish labor
cheaper j, will lowe. thc price Of Slaves. and
thus. therefore. that il will inIure one class oi
Interests a, much n, il will brne!, another
But this is no; the operation. Ii will give Il
cheaper form of Slav- labor There can hc
little doubt thal i will furnish Slaves that ar.
competent 10 many Of the unicr-o.liccS Of life
1T 4 tI.urr much below the present range Of
prices, but these will not como III competition
with the Slave, az present i'll the country -
Those who own Slave, now will he the first.
perhaps. 10 buy them. Though not competent
10 10 thc business Of educated Slaves, they
will We; be able. under the direction of edura.
ted Slaves 10 do the business which would
else require better class Of labor, and ,et'hoUt
there Mc"N b r.dHttioa IN IA. price 81
>,VifcrA ,ttphy the trained Slaves can.
not br less valuable than they are; and with
this want Of them to guide and r.sliat" the
African il i, possible that they may come 10
even higher value. This is the argument on
that point. and il is followed by 4 laborcd at
tempt to SHOW rha, cotton woud not be mate
rially reduced, 81, To- which ] shall! advert in
il proper place.
Now. this argument. if a sound one. has
ycr.Inatrhrd the objection it was intended 10
meet. and il actually results in tho conclusion,
that the negroes now in the country may be
rendered more valuable by becoming the rcsu-
lator> or oscr>ccrS of the imported slaves. Ind
that argument will strike at smother very re-
spectacle casS Of our Southern peoples intc-
, rest. he cf,ise.rs: and il will be necessary Tor
the authors Of this report TO show tina; 1t Will
not dr!v" them ont Of their employment To
make o,rrsccr, oi the negroes now in the
country They lini tlicm-rlv,., Just here. in
very serious difficulty leave them to settle
ii the best way the; can, with that useful and
respectable class oi or people. But let Us
suppose that The suppo>itlon here made would
he trrc--t!ra, the imported negroe, w"rli he
bought principally hv the owners "t the native
slaves. and that ,hr wild negroes would require
10 BE- guided and regulated by the educated
ncgr.c>--in the first place. il would hardly be
possible for the slave holding planters Of the
Sonth to buy enough OF the Africans 10 en-
ploy their present .Iarcs altogether over
sccr, Some row work fifty hands. some one
hundred, ani some tive hundred; it would re-
quirc Il pretty heavy purchase to employ all
thc-" or any considerable portion Of them a>
oyrrscrr,, unless il should turn out. rs il did
with the monkey, vino were employed i'll pick
IN. on, cotton. aud placed under negro regu-
lator>--trn monkey, I" the ucgro-whrn il
WIS Soon a>ccrianci that il would take AZ ieaS;
ten negroes. and they The best educated Of
the race, 10 regulate one monkey. And again.
unless these wild SLAVE, should lac yery hardto
train and cluratr, this state OF things could
No, remain long. unless i, is intended 10 keep
wild ones enough. freshly imported annu
ally. to keep the natv. negroes engaged in
their offices Of training and guiding. And. 1t
is To- b" supposed, that after while these AZ
ricaas would become trained. and rise 10 the
higher offices Of lifc"-thcn would the accc,-
sion TO the number o! educated slaves from
this source have i,r tendency To- r.durc the
price Of the native negroes:
This whole argument proceeds upon most
absurd assumption. II assumes that the intro.
duc,on oi ali inferior and cheaper form ri
slave labor, will have no tendency to diminish
the demand for the better class Of negroes.
Why il this cheaper class Of negroes will an
swcr the purpose, "f the Southern man, he
will Of course buy them in preference. If they
are useless il Is an argument against their M
portation at AL! and il they are capable ot he.
ing rendered available laborers in the cotton,
rice and sugar plantations Of the South, which
the advocates for their introduction must be-
licvc or else they would not desire them I'M
portcd--thcn, oi course, they will supply the
great demand iol slave Labor, which. with
these gentlemen, j. regarded As so CRYING
complaint in tie South. If they will not sup
ply that demand, then the remedy they have
prescribed will not answer the purpose for
which il i, proposed Ii Is a most singular
contradiction ~ say, that there Is L great de-
mand for m increase Of slave labor. and 10
propose tn: re-open;ns Of this traffic for the
supply Of that demand. and Their 10 say that II
will not diminish the demand 81 aS 10 affect the
price Of the negroes already in the country This
logic rrfutes itself 1t requires no reply fur
thrr than to State their several positions to-
grthcr and lee, them destroy themselves.
Should say. if the imported negroes are vau'
able at all. and can bc bought 80 chcaply, the |
rcsul, would he that every planters interest
would inpcl him 10 buy them in preference !
to the higher priced natives, particularly when /
it is remembered that that class who would be I,
the buyers. according To the admission ri the
report. already possess educated negroes TO
guide them. Besides. all the money in !
vested in Africans would he that much with (,
drawn from the market for domestic slaves.
The imported Africans, too would multiply
and rcprni>il' the South, and the generations T.
born rn our soil, and under the genial influence
Of Southern institutions, would he well cdnca
ted 10y the TIM they were DID enough t" labor.
Mould not that source Of the increase "t sup
ply. affect the price Of the negroes already III |
The country: Not only is it clear. therefore, !
tina, the Increased supply Of slaves from this .
traffic would reduce the price 81 negroes gene ,
rally in the country. h. changing the relative
state Of thu supply and Icnand-but. as will
appear in t!,c sequel Of til, essay, the price OF
ncsroc, will BIZ further affected and reduced by .
reduction Of the price Of Southern staples, !