Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-06-11

A"tb"m0, on me question OF TIE hfr'r" I" ="
Atrican Stare Trade.
~tRepor,ed by P. kean.I
MONTGOMERY, Ala May ls'h, io",
The pending question being on the report VI mr'
SPRaTT, of South Carolina, invoring the re'oPe''nS
of the African slave trade, e..
Mr.. HUNTER said: Mr.. PRESIDENT fFe ra -,
The purpose of making a speech' gu, l y ~ -
BILE. the reasons which will induce me 10 No's nen",7t
the orisinal. report as well as the substitute oneleuH y
Mr.. YANCrY. In order To do this, and tna' Tue SUI
iect may be distinctly understood II oeeo'hns 80 ~
sary for me to cdvert to the history " ''
of Congress upon this subject. o.d, -,
The Gentlemen who preceded me have H.eauS re-
lerred To that article in the Cnnsti'Htr9" ""as" ~
vided that Congress, prior 10 lSUo,shouiu " o az
law prohibiting the slave trade; Inc ~ Ais nv
addressed the House last (Mr. HakrER, OF Aia''! II
f-rred to the debates which took place ~ TX No"'
vention upon the subject Of the siare 't"ue' .ne r.
suit of which was the embodiment in the epns',au,'pn
Of the article prohibiting the passage q, any Ia" "
Congress to stop the African slave trade. ihe gen,
,leman from Alabama (Mr. YAScEYl Insists tha' th"t
claus. ia a direct recognition OF the consttu'iohaii'y
ni the slave trade. Laying down THAI position " or
true, he assumes that all subsequent les,sls'lon U ,ne
par, of Congress, aa, for instance, the Ia" passed IN
lSOS making that trade a misdemeanor, and
that passed in 1920 making it piracy. was ahcohst-
tutional. l will not do Mr.. faScEi the sDJuslce u
to say, that he assumed that position before the ION
yention. / have not the pleasure OF q personai aC
| QuHlnt6uCG Win tDdl Sonutmdu, Du'
by reputation. | stood by him in Inc conflict OF
1850. | followed his gallant lead on that occaslonwi
have the highest respect for his patrloiism' ih!e!'i'
genes ana panliness. and l shall not: u l. eah' m's'e
present what I conceive 10 be his positioh.
upderstoodh him to say, not that subsequent iegis'
iatiop ON the subject of the slave trade was unconstl-
tutional in letter, but that the laws passed TO prompt
the slave trade, were contrary 10 rue spirit OF 'e
Constitution, in ss much as they uiscriiniua'eo Unjust
" against the South.
We will come TO the next action taken by the fed.
eral government on this ~subject. we hnd thai Inc
next step taken by it is embodied IN the treaty OF
Client, which was concluded at the close OF the WIZ OF
| 1912. That war, as you know, grew out OF the right
of search claimed by the British government, and
with a view of preventing oil future difficulties upon
that point, the federal government bound ltseil 10 use
all legitimate efforts for the suppression OF the Airl-
can slave trade. This took place In lSll. Here,
tbsn. was a recognition by the federal government OF
the jlleyality of this traffic. Here was a solemn
guarantee inserted in that treaty by winch our gov
eminent and people were bound In good iaith nor 10
engage in that traffic; and what out d conviction Oh
,hs unconsiitutlonality of that trade could have H.
hu.uced our government TO such aconcesslon!
But, sir, We advance Il step farthsr. lne treaty
was concluded; this article WAS inserted In the treaty;
and then came the legislation OF Iol9-"sO, by when
the African slave trade WAS declared 10 De piracy
Sir. is that ALT No, sir. From 1914, at the time of the
conclusion of the treaty of Client, down TO lS2u, anu
subsequently,, the government of these United States,
in good faith, kept a squadron ON the coast VI AFRICA
in connection with the Bri'ish government 10 stop
The African slave trade. ms squaur"h WIS hept
thsre for the purpose of carrying out the treaty OF
1914. and of enforcing the legislation OF 1871 ~
Great Britain, 10 her credit be il said, had also acted
in good faith from that period GOWN 10 ioi-, whet
the Ashburton treaty was concluded. lbis pllgh'td
faith on the part of the federal government was 90
served. 4 fact was kept upon the African coast sue.
cessfully TO suppress this slave trade; out we ma IN
lSi9, when the North. Eastern boundary question was
agitating the Union, when the hofizop WAS covered
with dark aod orn,nous signs OF war-we hnd Daniel
Webster, who was then Secretary OF State under Iy'
Ter, and Lord Ashburton, on the part OF the British
government concluding a treaty III the city OF
Washington. And what do we find III that treaty.
A distinct recognition upon the part ct our govern.
ment of the unlswfulness of this traflic. You ma
that this government bound itself TO Keep a squadron
upon the coast for five years, and IA much longer as The
contracting parties may choose to do so. Ihls treaty re
cei we'd tn. sanction of the Seuate ofthe united States'
and Mr.. Calhoun himself, in n speech I'D The SENATE,
during Il discussion upon ms SUBJECT, aunlN'eo ,ne
propriety and the Justice OF that clause in the treaty
He said, "he was happy to find that a treaty was CON
cluded, by which this traffic would, in future, be sup
pressed" l can thus invoke the authority OF MT.
Calhoun, than whom higher Authority couid not he
invoked. against the authority oi the report OF the gen
tsnsn from South Carolina, Mr.. SPRATrl | say, that
in the Discussion upon this question. Mr.. Z. distinctly
recoe ed the justice of that article in The treaty;
and from that time, the government OF the Cnlted
States has kept a squadron upon the coast oil Africa
Tor the purposs OF putting down this trade.
In 1855 the quin;up!. treaty was concluded, to
which our Government WAS attempted 10 be made
n party by England and France, for the purpose oi
adopting more stringent measures upon thia question.
Blu, Mr.. Cass was opposed to amy Connection on ,he
mar, of this Government with that treaty; and his
opposition avai!ed.~ But il is enough for my purpose
to know that in 1872, when this CLAUSE was inserted
10 that tren,y, the Fedora! Government, III pursuance
iherpnf. sent e s%Iualron 10 the C"a-t OF Airica' Tor
;hB purpose oi entorclng this treaty, snu preventing
The African slave trade.
Thi., then, is partly the history OF the legislation
by the Government OF the United States IN relation
10 the suppression Of the African slave t-ade; and
from this II will be seen that III" policy at our Go.
vcrnineni has been uniformly directed against TIN"
trade, and exercised tor the purpose OF snppressIn@
thl, trade; and now. for tho brst tlms or rather al The
meeting OF the Convention at Savannah, this ques.
ton has been brought forward to influence a change
in that policy on the part of our Government.
In 1856, a resolution was passed ut The Savannah
Convention, directing that u petition be cent 10 Con
yreas, asking a repeal Of the laws passed 10 suppress
the Slave trade, upon the grounds advanced mere by
the gentlemen favoring the report. From iooO down
10 1856. nearly half a century, the legislation OF Con
grels upon tlis subject has been uniformly directed
to the suppression of this trade, and never TIL 1870
was any attempt mnde 10 change ;he PoiIcy oil Inns
Government in that regard. Then, for the tlrst time,
was a movement get on loot TO influence congress 10
repeal these prohibitory laws. Well, sir, what was
the result Of this artion on the part OF the Conven
non ut Savannah! MIR. ORR, the distinguished gen.
tlemsu from S. Carolina, now Speaker of the United
States House Of Representatives, IN consequence OF
the action of that Convention, Introduced a resoiI'
,ion in that House at the Congress before last, which
[ have now before me. The language of that reso-
lItion il:
"Resolved, That it ia ine1pedient, unwise, and con.
trary 10 the settled policy of the United States TO re-
peal tho laws prohibiting the African slave trade.
This ia the precise language Of the resolution in.
troduced BY MIR. Orr in the Congress of The United
States of 1856. What was the acton Of Congress
upon that resolution There was the State of South
Carolina. represented by one of her most distinguish
ed representatives, declaring by resolution, III the
most emphatic form, that i; was "inexpedleDt, un.
wise, and contrary TO the eettled policy Of the United
States to repeal the existing laws upon The subject "i
the African slave trade" Just the very reverse OF
the resolution which the gentleman from Alabama
(Mr. YANCEY) has laid upon your table. He takes
issue with the resolution Of the gentleman from South
Carolina, tMr. SPRArr.l He says That 1t ls"wise
expedient and polite, that Congress should repeal
these laws" Upon the vote taken upon the reso!u
ton introduced by MIR. Orr in the House Of Repre-
sentatives, consisting Of two hundred and odd mem
bers. there were to be found but eight gentlemen
bold enough 10 come out and avow themselves IN op
position 10 that resolution. VINO wtr" they! heli
and the gallant Brooks, now no more, were the only
members from South Carolina who anne ont anc
voted against the resolutions; while The remainder "
the delegation from that State voted in favor OF th'
resolution. These are the facts as given in the re
cord.
How did Alabama 20 on that question: The omit
members of the Alabsma delegation found arrayec
in opposition to that resolution, was Shorter, anc
another gentleman, whose name | do not recoliect.
Well, sir, this resolution was offered, and this &C
tiop was had by Congress III consequence OF tte nc
ton of the Southern Commercial Convention at Sa
yannah in 1896. Ii sprun. directly out OF 1t. hui
Congress has emplIaticaIiy declared. by Il drc's,V'
vote upon this subject, that the legislation now exist
ing in regard 10 the slave trade. IL not 10 ne changed
and tina, it will adhere TO the policy adopted by OFT
vovarnmpnt from 1SDS 10 the present inns. III lhf