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


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t.e0f.,a, Hos ia.isn into at e.lu: "n.c!. s.en.. ~ PIC.
vail throughout the Convention. / do not unders tsnd
thai report 10 lee the report OF the colnnlttee. 1t Is
but the report OF the Sehtieinau VINO presented u "
this Convention.
MIR. HuSTEK-Ws must take i. as il il presented to
us. am aware of the fact that II comes before the
Convention in y very doubtful shape. The gan'le
man from Virginia lMr. PnYoR who was a member
Of thar committee. disaented from it so did the gem
tl.man from Alabama {Mr. YAScEY,l who was another
member Of that committee But, sir, tor The report.
There are two prominent leading ideas contained
in this report, which | shall refer to rs briefly as pos,
sible. What are thsse TWO leading ideas The flrst
is, that it would be beneficial to the African race, The
barbarisns who inhabit the interior Of Africa, If the
slave trade was reopened, and they imported INTO me
United States, and brought in contact with the civil
lied slaves of the South. Who Disputes this No
body, | presume. There is 10 question "a TO this, and
l shall not enter into any controversy with the Chair
man of the COMMITTEES on this point. But 10 mat a
legitimate question Tor the consideration OF this Con
vention ! Why il it that We indulge i'll such denuncia'
tons of the North, because Of their conduct towards
the South 7 Ii is because of their false philanthropy,
the sickly sentimental!;y in regard to slavery when
prevails there. And yet, the gentleman VINO presents
this report, ~ well "a its friends, would have the PEG
PIE of tho slaveholding States be guilty oil me same
thing. They would convert us into propagandists OF
negro civilization. The end and object OF ms report,
and the ground taken in il, IL. that II would atneIio'
rate the condition Of the barbarians who lnhablt the
interior OF Africa, TO import them into The United
States, and bring them IN contact with tho more CT
yiIized of that race among US. | thought that fhiS
Convention had assembled here for a different pur'
pose than that contemplated by this report. 1 was
silly enough to believe, before | left home, that sub
jects pertaining 10 the development OF Southern az
riculture. Southern manufactures, and Southern
I'M would occupy the attention OF this
Convention. | thought these were the eubJects
To be discussed here, aud like others, must con-
fess. nv surprise WAS considerable when l saw
a labored effort made here to change the whole end
and purpose of this Convention, and by the adoption
of this report to convert the people OF these States in
to q set of prOpsgandists of negro civilization. lap
plausa. If understand the legitimate objects OF TINS
Convention, this is not one Of them. If understand
The mission upon which we came here. we came here
for no such purpose as this. II understand the ms
sion upon which We came, il is TO promote objects
far different from that under discussion, as the very
title OF the Convention itself would imply. snail
not. therefore, waste the time ot,thls assembly ny dis'
cussing all abstract question which no body contra.
diets and which no body disputes. But enough OF
this.
What il the next proposition? | shall proceed as
rspidly AS possible, as l do not wish TO consume the
time OF the Convention. Look through this report,
have analysed it very closely and stripped 1t oil the
drappry Of words in which il is clothed. ] CONS to
The main object of this report; aud what IN i'll Ac-
cording 10 The best Judgment that ] can form. II il to re.
SUI y, !" tln 10 ShlCN al At''' W. '''''' l""
er Of the South. In other words, it ia TO equallze the
political power OF the South with that of the Norti,-to
restore the balance of power between the North and
tho South. Why do | say this! The report sets out
by declaring that there is Il vast inequality between
The North and the South, that the population of the
North exceeds by siX millions the population oi the
slav-hoding States, and, ~ q consequence, The North
-rn States have til. a1cendanc-y in the government,
and that We should devise some scheme by which Inc
political power of the South may be made to equal the
-I:,;., ,,,,.. - ,h. N,rtb II,u, ia tho chit obi ART
Of the report, Disguise it az you will. Well, l confess
that | subscribe heartily 10 the sentiments ana concur
with the position laid down in the report, that IN.
North has the advantage of us, IN consequence Oi her
larger population. But, then, cir, does not the plan
proposed by this report, restore the equilibrium! Is
It a practical plan such a plan IA would meet with
the concurrence Of this Conventiou1 How is 1t pro-
posed to effect this object ? How is that lost power
AZ il is cal!ed-I don't consider it lost because we
never had it-how is il 10 be restored? The argument
with reference 10 this, in the report is, first. that
you must increase the slave labor OF the South
Well, sir, the honorable gentleman from Alabama
tMr. YASCEYl has demonstrated that the proposition
cannot be maintained. Slave isbor is the great want
Of the South How so Where is there a detcien.
cyl Go to Maryland; il there any deficiency Of slave
labor there! Are there not NOR" slaves thers than
could. he p~rUtiably employed! TO 10 Virginia, anu
is il not the same case there I! Go to North Carollua,
aud do you no, find the saine state at things existing
there. &c TO South Carolina, and the same remark
will, be found 10 apply 10 that State, al Well al to all
the Southern States, except q few cotton growing
States. Ii is not true, in point OF tact. that there Is a
want of slave labor in The South. This report lays
down the proposition that South Carolina IL Empower
ished for want of slave labor. There are many other
States ruined owing TO IN excess OF slave labor, be-
Gauss their lands are Impoverished by over tll!age.-
Is not this a fact, sir 7 The gentleman who drew up
this report says. that in the neighborhOod OF Charles.
ton, lands thar formerly sold for sou an acre, will not
now sell tor 81. owing 10 the want of slave labor: and
ha sHys, from the SANE cause land II cheap IN Sbnth
Carolina; hut extraraganilv high in New England
Why il il go high in New England : Take u tarm OF
ON. ur two acres. aud plant il with Irish potatoes ar
onions. and it vii! yield more prof, than five, ten or
fifteen arrea in the Cotton growing States And
why Because there ara paying consuiIlsr5 there
who create such a demand for the produce of these
two screa, that the demand ia enormOus but not 80
in the slave States. There il not thai demand here,
for III" products that are grown upon the land that
,hara is there. w. have no markets for our products
here. Tn. raw material ia aent across the ocean and
sold ,h.r. suffice. 10 enormous deductions Tor freight
aud other charges.
The report goea On 10 say, that The great want OF
the South is population. just ~ II contends that the
want of labor is the great want. But ii ia not worth
while TO argue that. venture to insert that the
majority here who have good experience in the mat
ter, will agree with me in saying that there ia no such
wan, in the Southern States, except in afew States
bordering upon the Gulf.
But il il said that there i. a want nf population. and
that la tbs chief idea after all. Well. how il that
want to bs supplied Let us look at the reasoning
upon this subject. admit that If the South had more
population, il would have more influence and power
in the government. | admit all this, but the question
is, how is it to he supplied by the Importation from
Dahoiney or the coast OF Guinaa, OF these hOrdes OF
barbarians who roam over the African desertsf-
These savagrs are to be transferred from their native
wilds to thess Southern States, and this ia the
class that ia 10 supply this great want of popu-
lati,n Of which Wa complain. How does the
white population Of the North compare with that of
81, q 'IJ IN ali - .ln N,rtk, - .a
timated at ten millions and that of the South at six
millions. Now il is proposed 10 equa!iza and make
the white population OF the South equal under the
federal basis, with the white population OF the North,
by the importation Of African slaves. Under the fede-
raj basis, five slaves are equal only 10 three white
men. Now how many slaves upon this calculation
would have to be- brought from Africa To equal'ze
the representative population Of the South win that
of the non .slavehoding States7 Five millions OF
slaves would be equal 10 three millions OF whites UNI
der the federal basis. To make the representative
population of the South equal TO that OF the North,
you would have to import ten millions OF Africans
We have got at present about three and a hall mil
lions in The United States, and TO this number you
would have 10 add len millions 10 establish this equI.
librium which seems 80 much the object OF the gen
tleuan How is thar to be done When would It,
when could it be done? Why, sir, at the close OF the
Revolutionary war, when our federal Constitution was
adopted, we had but three hundred thousand slaves
in the United States, and in fifty six yeara the number
has only increased to about thrcs and a halt millions.
The Youngest person who hears me 10 night, would
moi live to see the day, if the prohibitory law was RI
psaled, when sven three and Il half millions would be
imported into the United States. The scheme, air,
il perfectly %utopian. Ten millions OF slaves, import,
ed from the coast Of Africa, TO restore the balance oil
power, to make the South equal TO the North. My
only aslopishment is that the gentleman who drew
up this report should have ever offered it for the con
sideration Of q Convention like This. That is the
proposition that yon subscribe TO 1t you vote Tor ms
report. shall not consum. the time OF this Conven'
ton in arguing this proposition further. IL Is only
necessary to present il in ia true light betors this Con
ventiou, In secure for II ihe condemnation which II
merits.
But, sir. pass on To the consideration OF other
points. havs demonstrated that the main ideas III
this report sr. perfectly un'enable; and | come no"
to consider briefly some Of the views that have De-I
presented Ia the Convention By the distinguished
gentleman from Alabama, tMr. fAscEY) l say
here that | listened with IN. utmost attention Ia thai