Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-01-26
Discussion on the Re-opening Of the Afri-
 can Slave Trade.


 Sometime since We published letter from, Mr. J. ?. Humphreys, Sate Senator from the counties of Franklin and Crawford, which t appears has been noticed in the Southern Citi- zen. Mr. Mitchell, it Is well known Is the en- bodlment of ultraism. He knows no halfway ground-abhorS conservatism. When the de- mocratIc party does not go to the full length of indorsing his views he abuses the party as roundly as any. This question has eHcited much debate and both sides should be freely heard. We have not seen the article in the Citizen referred to in the following letter from Mr. Douglas, the able senator from Madison and Benton counties but are told it was sarcas- tic. We commend to the editor of the South eren Citizen these his own words used on ano- ther occasion:
 One of the primary lessons to be learned by public writers is 10 do justice to the motives Of those who are not yet entirely up to that mark which ls perhaps the political Ideal of the writer
 For ourselves, having no concealmeut on this or any other question, we believe the question 10 be one merely of expedency. However, we freely give room 10 all expression of the views Of our friends thereon, and the Citizen should remember that the opinions of Messrs. Hum. phreys and Douglas, who are southrons and fully acquainted with the interests of their State and of the south are as much entitled to respect a, those of fore sner, albeit he is dis posed to eat fire like very juggIer and cult. yates an intensely southern feeling We took occasion, lately, to refer to the ability with which that paper was conducted, and of its in dependence of all parties, though its tendencies were democratic. There is. however, conser vatsm about the democratic party that the Ci- tizen rejects. But we will no longer detain our readers from the letter of Mr. Douglas:
 Little Rock, Jan 20, 1859.
 MEssRs. JOHNSON & YERKEs-
 Permit me through the columns of vour extensive and popular paper, to return BY thanks to the editor of the Southern Citizen. D. C., for giving to myself and fellow senator, Dr. Humphreys, world wide fame by show Ing our position, although sarcastcallv, upon a resolution introduced by that senator in oppo- Siton to the re-opening of the African slave trade and which was sustained by him and myself alone
 That editor will please to recollect that, in showing our position on that resolution, he places us along side of very great men, even the President of the United States, the Governor of Florida, and others. In the article alluded to, Dr. Humphreys is styled "some highly con- scrvatve Mir. Humphreys" Now if the term highly conservative" is applicable to the in- troducer 1t will also apply to the supporter of any resolution, but for myself, can freely say. that have no special objections to its appIica- tion tp me, especially ill these days of uitraism and fanatcism.
 The said editor would do us further favor by giving notice in his extensively circulated paper, that counter resolution was afterwards introduced in the senate instructing the deleya- ton ot Arkansas to use their influence in favor of re-opening the African slave trade, and was voted down, mainly by the efforts of said '' con- servative Mir. Humphreys" who made a very able speech on that occasion It is perhaps pro- per to state here also, that many 0f those Sena tors who voted against Humphreys resolution, did SO, not because they were ill favor of re- opening the slave trade, but because they were oppose ito any agitation of that question in our body. VI am in hopes that 1 will be excused in
 
 solutions was occasioned, not only by sense of duty, but by the warm interest which felt in the welfare of my fellow-citizens of the south. and especially those of south western Georgia. amongst whom lived for many years The re-opeuing of the African slave trade wonld as believe, seriously cudanger the permanance of |. the Institution oi slavery itself; for if the blacks of the southern States continue to increase for the next hundred years as they have for the last hundred any sane man will, in my humble opi- nion, say, at the end of that time, that they are numerous enough for the convenience of their owners without introducing more
 Those of us here in Arkansas, who differ upon the important question of the African slave trade, do not differ in our object but differ as to the means of obtaining that object Able politicians and sound democrats. whom many of us have supported for high and important public offices, aud whom we are still willing to sup. port, take different grounds upon this question.
 Very respectfully, your ob't serv't,