The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-04-28
MORALITY OF THE SLAVE TRADE.

MORALlI1 OF IHE SLAN T. TRADE.
The Southern Citizen, published in this city,
has the following defence of the slave trade. 1t
is worthy of the cause.
at is admitted that the negro slave in Amer
lea is being of higher order than the negro
in Africa-that he is elevated by the change
but if one purchase negro in Virginia, and
bring him to South Carolina, he is not elevated
or improved. Therefore, if it be right to dc
the latter, it is more than right to do the
former.
az The slave trade, if lawful, (you say is Sc
either by the law of nature-the positive di
vine-the law of nations, or fixed law Of some
portion of human society, capable of making
laws 1t is lawful by all those laws By the
law of nature, IF all the philosophers, jurists
and statesmen, in the world from the creation
down to some time in the last century, were any
judges of that law; and be it observed that ma
ture does not like our Congress) make nea
laws or unconstitutional laws.
"By the positive-divine law, if Moses and the
prophets Christ and his Apostles, understood
that code.
"By the law of nations, during all periods
of history, until the Congress of the United
States thought fit to name the trade piracy.
But Congress-, or the British Parliament Oh
both together, cannot alter the law of nations.
"By the fixed laws of every nation in thu
world for the greater portion of their history
and nop by the fixed laws of many nations
capable of making laws If we have foolishl,
and wickedly anfxed the righteous law here
we can fix it again. But, in truth, this last ap
peal to fixed laws has nothing to do with thu
morality of the question at ALL
"Finally, if the benefcent effects of any prac
! fioa institution a iOday Of itS
formity with the law of nature and divine
law, then we hold that of all trades and traf
fcs that have ever been carried on, by land o.
sea, the slave trade from Africa is the mos
righteous and most blessed.
We should wish our correspondent to in
form US: First, Whether he holds our domestic
| slave trade to be conformable to natural anC
moral law? Second, What is the difference il
point of morality between the domestic and tn,
foreign? And, third, Does he hold the in
stitution of Slavery itself to be right or wrong
Mind, we will not be answered with that mis-
sionary babble and British balderdash abou
slave wars; or about tearing men from thei
families, or the like. Slave wars are their natu
raj occupation, and have been since the food
And 40 African negro ever had a wife or a fam
| lily; seeing that every woman without excep
ton is slave bought for money; and ever,
negro keeps as many of them as he can afford
1t is only when living on the plantations o
white men, who cherish the family relation, tina
negroes (having strong powers of mimicry) &C
or ape the parts of husband, wife, and parent.
"Will our correspondent answer our thre
questions? If he do, he had better look sharp
for we do violently suspect that his answers will
prove him an Abolitionist In that case, w
shall cover him with the tar and feathers o
abuse, and ride him on the rail of Reproduction
and so leave him."