Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-11-11
DAY, OVEMBER1 If, 1853.

principles of Southern policy, 1t will rarely
be found safe to depart, said that Cuba was
"forbidden fruit" to us, unless plucked in
an exigency of war. There is not reasonable
ground to suppose that We can acquire it in
any other way and the war that will open
to US such an occasion viii be great and
general, and bring about results that the
keenest intellect cannot now anticipate. But
if we had Cuba, We could not make more
than two or three slave States there, which
would not restore the equilibrium of the
North and South while, with African slave
trade closed, and her only resort for slaves
to this continent, she would, besides crush
ing our whole sugar culture by her compe.
tition, afford in few years market for all
the slaves in Missouri, Kentucky and Mary.
land. She is, Notwithstanding the exorbi-
tant taxes imposed on her, capable now of
absorbing the annual increase of all the
slaves on this continent, and consumes, it is
said, twenty to thirty thousand year by her
system of labor. Slaves decrease there large
!y. In time, under the system praoticed,
every slave in America might be extermina-
ted in Cuba as were the Indians However
the idle African may procreate in the tropics,
it yet remains to be proven, and the facts
are against the conclusion, that he can in
those regions work and thrive. 1t is said
Cuba is to be "Africanized" rather than that
the United States should take her. That
threat, which at one time was somewhat
alarming, is 10 longer any cause Of Dispute
tude to the South, after our experience of
the Africauizing Of St. Domingo and Jamai.
ca. What have we lost by that? 1 think
we reaped some benefit and, if the slaves of
Cuba are turned loose, great sugar culture
would grow up in Louisiana and Texas, ri
valling that of cotton, and diverting from it
so much labor that cotton would rarely be be.
low its present price. - -
You must suppose, for moment, that l
am opposed to the "expansion Of the area Of
African slavery" On the contrary, I be-
lieve that God created negroes for no other
purpose than to be "the hewers of wood and
drawers of water"-that is, to be slaves of
the white race; and l wish to see them in
that capacity on every spot on the surface of
the globe, where their labor is necessary or
beneficial. Nor do I doubt that such will
be the final result. Much less would I op-
pose the acquisition of territory that would
place the slave States on numerical eduali-
ty and more, with the free States in the
Union But this review and scrutiny of the
resources of the South, shows, 1 think, pret-
ty corelusively, that we have not now the
surplus population, nor suitable territory,
within our present reach, to create any num-
Der of alave States that to attempt it BY
costly, yet impracticable and abortiVe enter
prises, will be to waste our strength to no
purpose and that the idea of recovering the
equalityin voting of the slave and free States,
whether on the floors of Congress or else
where, is visionary. We had better, then, l
think, at once make up our minds according
to the facts, and giving up all bootless efforts,
look every consequence of our position full
in the face. For one, can do so without
dismay-without the slightest trepidation.
Why the South, numbering twelve millions
of people, possesses already an imperial do.
main that can we'll support an hundred mil
lions more. What does she need to seek
beyond her borders, or what has she to fear? !?
With such sea coast and harbors, such riv-
ers, mountains and plains so full of the pre-
cious metals, so fertile in soil, so genial in
climate, producing, in such unparalleled
abundance, the most valuable agricultural
staples of the world capable of manufactur:
ing to any extent, and possessing the best
social and industrial systems that have ever
yet been organized-she might have sunk
into sloth from excess Of posperity, had she
not been kept on the alert by the fierce as.
saults of an envious world. Assaults which,
at one time alarming, it has been in fact
scarcely more than wholesome exercise to
repel an exercise which has made US the
most virtuous and one of the most enlighten-
ed and most powerful people who now -four
ish on the globe. The South has long been
undervalueing and doing great injustice to
herself. She has been lamenting her weak
ness, and croaking about the dangers that
beset her, when she might glory in her
strength and hurl defiance to her enemies.
But it is said that, with fixed and over
whelming free State majority against US in
this Union, with all our natural advantages,
we must dissolve the connection to insure
our present safety and accomplish our prop
er destiny. Perhaps so. But permit me to
suggest, not yet. The dissolution of the
Union is an alternative that We have always
at command, and for which we should be
ever ready; but peaceful, prosperous and
powerful people may not challenge Fate a
day too soon. The question still remains,
can the free States be brought to concur per-
maueutly in any line Of policy that will sub
vert the constitution, and seriously damage
the South in this confederacy? I do not
believe that they can. Reckless as ispoliti-
cal ambition, and insane as fauaticism ever
is, ! have no idea that the free States can be
consolidated on the wild project Of ruling
the shareholders by mere brute numbers,
either through the ballot box or by force of
arms whether to emapcipate our slaves, or
strip us of the fruits of their labor or to gov
ern US with the mildness and paternal care
due to interiors. The nervous in the South,
and the abolition demagogues of the North