The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1859-07-13
Far ississippian.
The African STARE Trade.
El;tor MississiIppiiaa !:


:
D Editor MfssfssiPPaaa
Senator Brown has aSen; and we ca
now to certain extent, stand his pos
: : ton upon the great que'fpn of Slavery, !
1 connection with the reyF!ai pt the trade, II
0 directly, by means OF epeh o. the prohib
9 tory laws now in force. thsgulse 1t as W
will, the crisis has nov 1gzFed when mel
attached to the time-hfu1lA institutions {
: the South, must speak kuk must declare,
unambiguous terms. hesE Well-considere
: opinions upon this suoFct ind let the grea
mass of the people know AhVt TO expect {
them. 1t will not do 4 pall rte. or to com
promise the issue is Aon5 up for good 0
evil, and we must be psei aplineet y alk
) good men and true.
When Mr. Brown l5zii,z - Z. g.
could suspect him OF any fnawk kish, sentiInen
tai, sublimated, donblefefined philanthropy
J all eliminating in neg<o' we are prepare,
f to regard him as an honest E4ans one who's
opinions are formed upon what he esteems t
be broad, Union, platform, connected with
| strong procliyity to thematerial advancement
of the South, the development of its resources
and the elevation of its social condition. And
! therefore, we approach tie subject in hane
with no disposition to att6bute improper mo
tives or intentions
Mr.. Brown considers repeal of the law
prohibiting the African Slave Trade, as utterly
impracticable he apprehends that when tn,
question is put fairly before the people, it vii
have literally no friends at the North--tha
great diversity of opinion will exist in refer
ence to it at the South and he regrets tina
it has been thus early brought forward, mas
much as twill embarTass our conservative
Northern friends in their action ON othel
living and attainable issues on which we need
the aid they are willing to give US.
These "attainable issues we understand
to be: ga fair settlementof of the slavery ques-
ton in the Territories" and the acquisition
of Cuba. Such objections to the discussion
of the question cannot be regarded for mo-
ment; they are utterly futile. If the ques-
ton has arisen-as it undoubtedly has-from
a known want existing in our midst there
certainly must be very grave necessity fol
its full and fair discussion. We leave it for
the urbane and digniied Senator to say
whether anything is al attoinebe Issue in
which the question of slavery arises Is 1t
possible to attain a q fair setttemeRt'' OF any
such question The history of the last Con-
gress precludes such proposition, and the
| kUOWu UpGIdllOl Ol aAldlHlSIH TIE
world over is beacon light to guard us
against the shoals and breakers reflected in
the distance.
This attemnt tn ignore the issne cannot but
result calam;tonslv 10 tle trne interests of the
| Sonthern neonle II /. living a momen-
| toms ;seua. how far aost,ii,,oIJo;3 wa do NOT
Enor Tbare ara eoma4b;nos tbat l;e hur;ed
| ~ ,ha ,ror,,L os s,trn;t.- so doorI,r h;5doo
thot tba l,o, of .bo ,nos; as,nta and S,r soo;r,
cannot roach them W. sbaII hide our time !.
and in the interval nress the nroner consider
alton of tho sub;act
We understand Mr. Brown to he onnosed
IN n total raneaI of the .nt;.slave trade Law
,,,;.t,,t a. r,,het;.,t;o,, of g., -, =,
"n;sn,. nth ,ba Sontbe.n sent;nnnt onJ I.Ss
ofians;va To the Con st;t,t;on outbat ba would
favor s,,cb r,atar;aI n,ol;fcat;ons of oa;d Ia,re
as would nG,eL from them their st;no To
Southern honor and make them more con-
firm 10 tho Consf;trt;on os 4 i
We do not o,;to 1ndors,.nd tbe ,os;t;o,,
taken bv the bonorabe Senator His nro;ect
i u,;,bo,, roosor 10 S,sto;p n ;f Il IooI 10
a,,v,h;no. A. th.,s 80 s,tr;-,o.at IO,,- :,
sct 70 9 60 ',@ 10 49, or' ao.; sIsrs '.~ .s.da IL
law at ali wbv NOT rast cantent With the
,,...so.,t Sta.,,,.. IL s.,al,, NO ,.a.sa
against tlleir 81 thai ..sclk1Ss lIfr
trade piracy. If this declqyetfo,a Is neeessary
to carry the law into active sxercise. and to
check the wanton operafAns of reckless
tfafiicers in slaves, why surely it can be JUS
tified upon the plainest principles of common
sense If the object is to E-ecent the trade,
Congress, having the poacer 70 prevent, can
affix any penalty adequate to the end propos-
ed, and can as readily direct man to be
hung for it, as impose an onerous fine upon
him, call it piracy or not as you please. The
temptations to engage in this profitable traffic
are so great, that even the fear of death loses
its force. The cupidity Of man will defy
as it has from time whereof the memory of
man runneth not to the contrary''-as well
the fury of the stern and saTage penalty of a
violated law. This 80 called sting to South
ern honor" is fallacy. If we are correctly
informed, the South,-or at least the slave
holding States,-passed the Constitution as it
is and by their subsequent actions sanction
ed the policy now existing. That they were
not more enlightened we regret the so-called
sting has but recently been felt, and can be
readily accounted for. The sting" if felt at
all, is felt because Of the existence of any taW
prohibitory of that institution which is in
timately associated with our dearest interests.
We would respectfully suggest to Mr..
Brown that he could hardly substitute pro-
hibitory law more az unison with the Southern
sentiment until that sentiment can be ascer-
tanned and he has left US in worse than CT
merian darkness as to what that sentiment
is. He has said enough, however, to let us
know that he is in favor Of prohibtory law,
from motives of policy; tant he is in principle
against the slave trade; aud that come when
the issue may, he will cooperate with our
conservative Northern friends to engraft upon
our statute books other laws equally effica-
cious with those in being though less often
sive to the Constitution" and more in
unison with Southern sentiment" We sub
init that this language is somewhat Delphie.
But we proceed to consider Mr.. Browns
objections to a repeal his arguments in favor
of repeal being without solid foundation.
He is not IN favor OF throwing "open the
gates for an influx of "asl.tod millions OF wild
Africans" because the security Of the white
man would be impaired We do not suppose
that any one would be in favor of the impor-
tation Of untold millions7 Of slaves there
are not untold millions" tp import and we
do not imagine that there could be captured
and imported within the next tleenty years
enough of negfoes to affect TO any great ex-