Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-05-15
southern commercial Convention.


This body met in Montgomery. on the 10th
inst. Hon. WIN. L. YANcEY acted as tempo
rrry Chairman, Mr.. DEBow, President of the
last Convention, being absent, from sickness.
Mr.. YANcEY welcomed the delegates, refer.
ing to the purpose of their meeting as fol-
lows:
Assembled for the purpose of rearing up
and reInvigorating that commerce which, if
not destroyed, has been greatly crippled by a
discriminating system Of navigation laws !;
assembled for the purpose of stimulating the
general industry of the South, which has for
years been rich enough to bear almost entirely
the burthens of this government, whether in
war or in peace, while you have enjoyed but
little of the legislative favor of this govern
ment. / welcome you, my countrymen, as
the representatives of a people who are proud,
selfreliant, but just; ever regardful of n,eum
ct tatua, and who only ask to be permitted TO
enter upon the great industrial race of the
whole world untrammeled, asking no favOrs,
save that which you will snatch from fortune
by your wisdom, your integrity and your en-
ergy must be allowed, at least on my own
behalf, to welcome you, too, as but the fore
shadowing of that far more important body,
important as you evidently will be, that, if
injustice and wrong shall still continue to rule
the hour and councils of the dominant sec
ton of this country, must, ere long, assemble
upon Southern soil, for the purpose of devils
ing some measures by which not only your
industrial. but your social and your political
relations shall be placed upon the basis of an
independent sovereignty, which will have
within itself unity of climate. unity of
SOIL unity of production, and unity of
social relations; that unity which alone can
be the basis of a successful and permanent
government"
After the usual prelimnaries the conven-
tion was permanently organized by the cleo
ton of A. Z. CALHOUN, of South Carolina,
President, and p. ID. PAGE, of Ala, Secretary
with number of vice Presidents and as
sistant Secretaries. Mr.. l.. w. STRAIT, of S.
Carolina, from the committee appointed by
the last convention "tc collect facts bearing
on the re0pening of the African Slave Trade"
made a lengthy report, concluding with the
following resolutions:
l. ResoIved, That Slavery is right, and that
being right, there can be no wrong in the
natural means to its formation.
2. ResotUed, That it is eXpedient and proper
the Foreign Slave Trade should be reopened,
and that this Convention will lend its infu-
ence to any legitimate measures to that end.
3. ResoiUei, That committee consisting of
one from each slave State he appointed to
consider of the means, consistent with the
duty and obligations Of these States. for re-
opening the Foreign Slave Trade. and that
they report their plan TO the next meeting of
this Convention.
The resolutions were partially discussed,
being opposed by Il. a. PRYOR, of Va, and
supported by Mr.. YANCEY, of Ala, and the
convention adjourned without further action.
From this beginning, it would appear that
this Convention is to be mainly occupied in
the pursuit of the whim-whams, customary
with its predecessors. a law of the land, i'm
possible to be repealed, forbids the re0pening
of the slave trade. To urge it is the merest
stuff imaginable. Neither can refusal to
epeal that law, be made a reasonable pretcxt,
among patriotic statesmen, for disunfon. The
men who are plotting dissolution, will never
be able to justify their aims by this maneuvre.
The project itself will inevitably fail, and the
desire which we presume prompts it, will be
disaproi nted. These men must first effect
dissolution. realize the golden dream of
Southern Confed1iacy aud then they may
consider of the slave trade, not before.