Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-03-09

as applicable to that SipclcS OF property, VIII
then be more fully explained, and the conse
quence5 Of this policy in their bearing upon The
destiny OF this institution, traced.
We have now in the Southern States about
three and 8 half millions Of slaves. If tLs
trade from Africa was re-opcned, how lone
woul it be before that number would be dou'
bled In Western Africa, wlica contains Q
population of 10 or so millions, slaves are sold
u, e. or 93 head. The supply which that
entire country would furnish IS incalculable
and inexhausiible. The vast profit Of the trade
considering tile difference i'll their value here.
and the cost OF their purchase of kidnapping i'll
Africa, and their transportation liithcr, would
make it the most lucrative trade in the world,
and would consequently enlist in it vast means
of importation. The kidnapping rropen>tieS
Of New England would return to her, with an
accumulated shipping capacity of half centu
ry, and with IN appetite increased III proportion
to the advanced value of the negro. She would
undoubtedly reap her full share of the trade.
She is skilled in the arts of the business, having
practiced it long upon the negro property Of
her sister States. Her conscience is prepared
for its horrors, having long been scared by fa-
naticism as with a hot iron. Aud as long as
there was dollar to be made in the traffic. she
would cling to it az her merccnary soul cngs
to filthy lucre How long would it be before
the number Of slaves in the South you'll be
seven millions, instead of three and half?
Even tue feeble state of Drazl imported, prior
to 1850, about 10000 slaves Il year from Africa,
rassments of British squa Iron on the African
cast, which opprcsse and coerced her traders,
as Great Britain will ever do weaker power.
ability of this country to import than that of
Brazil And great as the demand now is in
this country for slaves, tue low prices at Which
they could be imported and soil, would mani
festly tend, at first, to expand the demand, by
bringing negro property within the reach of a
larger class Of purchasers. So that it must be
admitted that it would not be many years be-
fore the slave population would Le doubled.*
At that point If increase, le. us examine the
result. Of course the productions of slave labor
woalI be doubled. How would that Affect the
price of tho,e staples? Suppose should put
the question to every speculator and every COM
mission merchant, ami every farmer engaged in
tue business Of cotton-whit effect would it
have upon the price Of The article to double the
quantity Of the crop, is there one who woull
not say that it would reduce the price We
are accustomed to calculate with much concern
the probable amount Of the growing crop, with
view of estimating the chances Of good price.
And yet some lnen will stand up ani iact tie
plain bu,ine>s men Of the South, and deny that
this Increase Of the cotton crop would Affect Ill
juriousIy the price OF c tton. II lh,y dO MT
deny it directly, they Go Indirectly. They deny
.*aoincreass oLAlaHe.+ ab,'r, by. the p1licy
ul1cr co III leIat;on, would result in this rcduc-
tion Of price in proportion to the increase OF
the crop produced. THIS report to the South
ern Convention, which, with due respect TO the
patriotism AMI ability of it distinguished au-
thurS, | must say, seems 10 me, to 7et at dsti-
ance all established principles, Asserts that "it
is not suppNsahle That The foreign Sar,. Traie
will much rriuce it," THY wrull dnnbtie>s
a limit, il the vlll,y Uf lh: A'naz.n MES sud-
deal about to be converted into cu:ton 5rnw.
Ing province, and supp led with II Laf million
negro labpryls from A!rica-So that Il million
bales woull br added to The cntton production
OF the wurl,l-tiat the price Of our cotton would
be affected iljurioIsly by it. But the same re-
suit, worked out by the other process, they ab.
surdly reject. We Were jealous enough OF the
experiment made by Great Britain, to produce
cuitui, in the Indies; and Of the experiment
how being made tu promote the growth ol cot.
ton i'll the western portion vi Africa aud OF
the culture Of cotton III China. We really ad"
init that the Cotton grown out Vf our limits,
which is about one-thir,l Of The amount CON-
sumel III the world. an If e,icll all inferior
quality that it must he mixed with American
cotton to make it available, has the inevitable
ctuct of keeping down the market value ut our
own product, tU q degree corresponding ~ the
quantity and quality IF the foreign article. and
yet this plain law of political economy, some
are ready in tie zeal Of the;r enthusiasm, to
deny, when maze applicable to the question In
hand. Reduce the quantity ul the crop one.
hall, and it is easy ~ perceive that The price
would RISE Double that crop and the price
will fall, by reason Vi the converse operation uf
the same principle.
1t may be replied that il this reasoning is
correct, it proves that the fewer negroes we
possess, the more We would make by their la
Dor; and, therefore, it would he expcdlent to
lessen tue number in order to enhance their
value upon this principle. 1t is undoubtedly
true that the reduction Of the number would
enhance the value Of those that remained; but
tae conclusion does not follow that there would
he expelency, goo policy, or practcability in
destroying one-half OF our property to enhance
Cue Fuluc VI luC feSl. IuC NdluC VI Luat
remained, wh,n thus enhanced, could only be,
at most, equal to the whole, and then nothing
would be gained by the process of diminishing
the number And, on the other hand, it is to
be remembered that the reduction of the value
Of negroes, by m over-supply of negro labor,
and ol reducing the value uf the staples pro-
ducsl BY lh., Iabur, in preparation asit apprnSi-
nEles tlat piii,lt ui cIearils'a NJ WNtu;l irSe
labvr cal ba Iullst economically uinr!nFml. cls-
dmger3 the eSlsipilce did reepetuit} ID lit ".
latiVl Vf slavery, aS an institution. Ncr wnuld
tho principle abure mentioned, make it proper
Or polite leycn if possible to cut off that nal
ural increase Of the production Of our STAPLES
and increase and growth of negro property,
which is the gradual and natural Development
of tue existing order and condition Of things.
But very different thing it surely is, when we
discuss the expetliency OF disturbing that natu-
raj order and condition of things, of society,
property, production and prices, by such policy
as re-opel,ing our ports to the unusual and un-
natural supplies of slaves, in which, before they
are introduced, no interest is invested and no
property existing.
1t may be further replied, that the reduction
: OF tho price of cotton by the increase OF slave
labor and the consequent, increase ui crops,
would be compensated by the reduction Of The
cost Of its production, which woull aise from
1 the fact that it was produced by negroes in
whom less money was invested, and consequent
" could be sold cheaper, with the same per
cent. OF profits upon the capital empl'yed IN
its production. This would doubtless be true,
to some extent. But the question is, what
would be gained by policy which cheapened
81 Professor Tucker estimates that the stnvc p"pu-
latiua Of the Untc'l States, from natural llere".,
nccordn 10 tn. ratiu of its past multiplicati"n will
be- in 1920, about thirty-nne millions. 1t inns oo
true, there will be ut that tme negroes enous" ir