Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-05-04
For the Advertiser.
REVIVAL OF THE SLAVE TRADE-No. XIV.

trade WAS closed has worked either to prevent
<hip-buildiug and commerce at the
South, or to promote emancipation and free soil
ism at the North. Who can gninsay the fact thu.
whenever cotton has risen high since $685. all the
capital Of the South has been consumed in getting
more laborcrs at monopoly prices to supply the de-
mand for raw cotton alone, and that consequently
no smplas capital has been accumulated here,
either to develope dircrsifed agricultural indus
try, or to build ships, or to engage in mapufac-
lures. Since then the, South has lost her flax und
indigo culture to meet the requirements Of cotton
culture. Since then the shipping or registered
tonnage of the South has actually dim,inished to
large amount (orer so per cent? because the
purchase of cotton lsborers at monopoly prices
has left no money wherewith to build ships. Man
ufactures at the South have lsnSuished from the
same cause. 1t may we'll be said that the South
lacks mercantile capital, as she really has not
enough Of 1t even to conduct her own exchanges.
much les, to build ships or erect factories. The
merchants of the South Jorrow most Of the money
from the North and from Europe. which buys our
cotton. Senator HAMMOND admit this want Of
mercantile capital in his letter to Howell Cobb On
direct trade at the South. He says "the grsnd
difficulty" in tho way Of the South building ships
and having direct trade with tho foreign world is
that
"Our means arc for the most part, in fact almost
entirely employed in settling fresh lands subduing
the forests aud furnishing materials to cloth and
feed the world. In these We find full employment
for all our means and uH oar energy. But this
will not always be SO; and if the owners Of the
comparatively idle millions in other parts do not
soon seok tho rich harvest they may reap bore our
own surplusage will enable us to occupy that field
also. Nothing think. is wanting in "ur Southern
country hut tine. - Southern industry, this
moment the most prosperous Of any on tho globe,
rests also on the securest basis"
Southern industry lcotton culture) 10 "this mo-
men: the most prosperous of any ON tho globe,"
but how long will freuaiu .o' How long will it
be buf,re another glut will occur in the cotton mar
ket, either by overproductiun, or by interrupted
consumption? Was not Southern industry as
prosperous in 1851 in 1926, in lSl52O, us it is
now? Why did moi the SOUTH, erect factories.
build ships and open direct trade then? II We
failed then to acquire any "surplusage" uf capital
with which to "bscome free Of all those provin-
cial clogs which now cucumber" us, how Gun We do
it in these only seemingly prosperous days? Did
not Southern industry rest on as secure basis
then as it does now7 In fact is it true that South
crn industry now "rests also on the secnreH bass1
Is not abolition moro rampant than ever? Let
tue recent Connecticut election answer when the
last Democratic Congressman of the North East
went by tho board,-Let ton thousand late aboli-
tiun demonstrations respond. think myself that
"tims' is wanting to enable the South to engage
in manufactures, shipping md direct trade. So
much time that she will meter do it, unless the
slave trade be revived. The South hos had oppor-
tunities to become FREQ" before, if all her capital
had not been consumed in getting cotton lsborerS
at monopoly prices. Does not the Senator say as
much when he remarkes that " all our nenns andaN
energy 6nd full employ ytnent in furnishing ma
terialg to clothe and feed the world" Are likely
now to have any surplus "means" after purchasing
c,,ton lsborers ut monopoly prices, sinoe tho de-
maud for raw cotton has grown SO heavy, any
moro than on former occasons?
Those who sell negroes at tho existing prices,
when negro labor occupies the abnormal position
Of being higher than white labor may accumulate
some surplus capital, but it will be used ~ such
capital has ever been used, to strange slavery by
employing cheaper white labor. What has given
such an impetus to manufactures, ship.building
and commerce in the large and rapidly growing
cities Of Baltimore, Richmond, Louisville and ST.
Louis but the sale Of negroes to the South. at mo.
nopoiy prices when cotton vas high, and then cip-
ploylng cheaper white labor with the capital thus
ncquiredf Are not those ctieo .islng in prosperi.
ty upon the ruins of the cotton States3 Are they
not growing in population, wealth, shipping,
manufactures and commerce at the eIpcpse of
slave holders, as New York and Philadelphis for
,n.ry did? Arc not all the great Cities of THE
country extending Southwark instead OF growing
Northward as has been the case in all other Con-
tinents, save ours, aud what produced it but the
absorption Of all our surplus cotton money for ne
groes at monopoly prices
Why cannot Charleston, Savannah, Mobile and
New Orleans erect factories or build ships! One
main reason is that they dislike to sell their ne
grocs. Still they are now selling them rapidly
mud employing white labor. Many families in
those Cities have white servants. White men are
bIaeking the boots and driving tho carriages oi
other white mon in those Cities, and the negroes
who formerly did it arc now in the cotton fold. J.
Is usual to charge for tho hire of negro Is per
cent upon his value. This il done to cover the
risk Of his being permanently injured, or dying
suddenly, or for tho wear Of him, Us we'll a.
to got the prevailing interest upon the amount OF
his value. a negro therefore who cells at $500
in the Mississippi valley, hires there for S27Oa
year, and suce 1852 they have oftener hired fo'
$3.50 than S270, either to work on Steamboats,, or
in the cotton fold. Thi, is the reason Why cheaper
white labor hus not only expelled negroes from the
border Ststes, but why it is driving negroes frou
several occupations in the cotton States.
unable to spare the capital for purchasing negro
Mt monopoly prices, when cottun is high, and
they prefer tu hire cheaper white lnborer t.
either hiring, or buying negro in competition
with cotton plantsre. Hence IL s that rLitc house
and body servants are taking the place Of negroes
in private families throughout the border States
are doing it in the mountainous portions of the
cotton States, and arc doing it even in the good
City Of Charleston. I Gull upon tho Charleston
papers to say if white servants not expelling
negro domestics from both the Hotels and Private
Houses there. ask them also to cay if such
state Of things existed previous to 1850, except
when negro labor has been higher than white lu.
Dor by great rise in cotton. Charleston and all
the Cities in the Cotton States are being slowly
but surely nbulitonized by cheaper white labor
ousting tho neS;oes. Our cotton Cities arc going
over 10 the enemy like Baltimore, Richmond.
Louisville and St. Louis. By selling their ne.
y
tho cotton Cities may build ships and ftctorirs-
lnay grow in commerce and engage in direct trade
in the course of "time," but will the institution Of
slavery profit by it?
White population in its efforts t. 60 Southwurd.
will never cease to war on slavery Us long slave
labor shall continue more valuable than white Ia.
Dor, and the demand for more labor at the South
is so enormous, that without some unforeseen CO.
lamity, perhaps negro labor and white labor
will about remain on par for the future, as
general rule unless We revive the slave trade. Tos
l,nce abolition either at the North, South negro
labor must hold its natural value Of being cheaper
than white labor. That arch fend Seward is not
at fault when he says that two systems Of labor
are struggling for the mastery in tho United States.
Those systems do have a terrible conflict every
time cotton rises, so as to make negro labor more
valuable than white labor. Negro labor is now
the higher of the two and honce the crusade against
slavery. Nor will that crusade stop until the ustu
raj relation of the two kinds of labor shall have
been restored. Yet Senator HAMMOND says South
ern industry rests on the "secureSt basis"
-o,I1 he haitian for fbs Soutb ~ ANNA oths,