The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-24

New York, Monday, 10 go out by the Cailforma
steamer, announcing that there will be no extra
session called to make provision for the Post Of
fee Department. There is, consequently, much
speculation as to how the service will be main
tanned.
In quarters usually the best informed on
such subjects, it is said that the law authorizing
contracts will continue to be carried out, en-
lracing the issuing Of Treasury warrants as
nsual.- But as there is no money to pay them,
they will in the hands of contractors serve as
The basis of loans. Ii is not known that any
ether evidences or certificates Of indebtedness
viii be issued
A GREAT CHANGE COMING OVER
THE SOUTH DISUNION AND THE
SLAVE TRADE.
We have during the past month presented
our readers with abundant evidence of the
growing popularity in the Gulf States of the
proposition to revive the African slave trade.
The project seems TO meet with general favor
among the young and enterprising portion of
the people in that quarter, while the opposition
TO it is becoming feebler every day. tits worthy
Of remark, that the advocates Of the nefarious
traffic are, without exception, disunionsts. They
are in favor of the trade for its own sake, be-
heving that it would promote the prosperity of
the cotton andlsugar regions and they are also
prompted by political considerations to press
the measure upon the attention of the people,
as a new and paramount condition of remain
ing in the Union. If the North refuses to re-
peal the laws which prohibit the traffic, its
friends will insist on dissolution of the Union.
They are preparing the minds of the people for
disunion, by pointing out the advantages of
a separate slaveholding confederacy, which
would, they maintain, legalize the slave
trade, and thus reduce the price of negroes
from twelve or fifteen to two or three hundred
dollars
The scheme appeals with equal force to the
cupidity Of the masses and to the ambition of
the educated few. The latter know that they
have been driven step by step, by local rivalries
and efforts TO maintain ascendency at home
over the Ignorant and prejudiced shareholders,
into the avowal Of principles and sentiments
which must forever preclude them from the
highest honOrs of the Federal Government
While moderate counsels prevailed, they were
able TO keep the South united, and to dictate
terms to their Northern allies; but for the last
ten years the Black Democracy have not VEN
tured to put Southern man in the field as a
Presidential candidate, from thorough convic-
lion that no man of the party south of Mason's
and Dixons line would be available. They
have been compelled TO concede the highest
honors to their q Northern allies" whom at
heart they despise, while they have played the
part of interiors, and danced attendance in ante
chambers 10 men whom they had been accus-
TONED, immemorially, to consider as faithful
dependents.
This humiliation has been bitter pill to men
whose pride and ambition have been nursed
and stimulated from infancy by the habit of
commanding slaves, and yet even this poor
privilege, of controlling the Federal Govern
ment through the instrumentality of Northern
men with Southern principles, they see about
10 be taken from them. They see no prospect
Of change for the better. Slowly the Northern
masses are beginning TO understand that the
extension of Slavery over new Territories will
have the effect of circumscrbing, degrading,
and cheapening free labor. No man who open
ly avows himself friendly to the extension of
the institution can receive the vote of a free
State. And the ultraists have little faith in the
success of any Northern man whom they would
be willing TO trust. They have hence grown
desperate, and insist upon the necessity of a
dissolution of the Union, as the only escape
from the rule of men imbued with Anti Slavery
sentiments.
This traitorous scheme, for dissolution OF
the Union, we look upon as utterly harmless
because it viii be impossible of execution. The
slave trade may be revived, not by a repeal Of
the laws which forbid and punish the traffic
but IN consequence of the universally of the
sentiment in favor of the trade, from Charleston
10 Galveston, and the feebleness of the efforts
for lis suppression by the Federal Government
while-it shall be administered by the present
incumbents of office. If an active trade in AT
rican slaves is not carried on during the con
tinuance of Mr.. Buchanan in power, the fac
will demonstrate that the inhabitants of tn,
Gulf States are more law-abiding than thei
past history would lead us to expect. Thou
sands of negroes are yearly imported into Cuba
under circumstances tenfold less favorable tC
the traffic than those which impede il on on,
Southern frontier.
Cuba is a small island, on which there are
twenty thousand Spanish soldiers under tn,
command of the Captain General, who is sworr
10 enforce the laws. The coast line of the islant
is long, but the army, from central position
in the interior, could command every harbo
and inlet with greater facility than ten times
twenty thousand could command our coast lin,
from Charleston to the Rio Grande. 1t is :
well-known fact, also, that the British anC
French squadrons exercise a degree of vigil
ance around the island which amounts TO ,
blockade, so far as the traffic in slaves is con
cerned. This would be impracticable upon ou
extended coast, unless the squadrons should b,
trebled. Our American pirates would eniov
the additional advantage over those of Cuba
which is supplied in the superior power of oul
country over that of Spain, and the high Amer
lean spirit, which will not tolerate the search
of suspected vessels bearing the American fla 2
The exorbitant price of slaves in the South ].
another circumstance which strongly tempts the
cupidity of the traders to the violation of ouul
laws. The American prices are from fifty &c
one hundred per cent higher than those O
Cubs.
Here, then, is a combination of favoring Cur