New-York daily tribune., 1859-09-29
TOOnBs ON TIE sLAvE.IRADE.

Mr. Tooulbs, in bis speech recently delivered al
Augusta, of which at length, We have Ill report
seeks among other things, to prevent the question
of the revival of the African savetrade from being
introduced into the pending Presidential canvass.
Yet. as if to tickle the reyyslists, in the history
which be gives of the constitutional provision under
which the trade was abol she'd be 'eeks to cast all
the oblcquy lie can upon those engaged IN IT. lie
ydmps up the old suggestion admitting at the same
time that it was likely enough SANDER, that the
zeal of the delegates from Mary land and Virgins
against the continuance OF the saye-trade was
on IN to their desire to secure market aud good
price for their home raised slaves; while he lnsn'
yates that the final consent of Massachusetts,
against she wishes of MsyIan and Virginia, to
the continuance of the slave trade for twenty years
in such States as might choose TO submit to
il. was influenced by the consideration that
as Massachusetts, owned ships which might
fud employ mebt bota in the transportation OF labor
from Africa and Of is products from America ID
Europe, she herself might make good thing out OF
its continuance Commenting on these allege mo-
tiyes Of Massachusetts and Virg MIA, he rensrAs:
Z" at that day the States we're very poor, hard
pressed, and sorey tempted to get little materal
" advantages" This We suppose Was just as tue
OF Georgia ard South Carolina as it was OF the
other Sts'es; but instead # using 1t as Al apology
fJr them, be eulcgizs, tteir Insisting upon buying
slaves from Africa as "emnently practical" TIE
deb,tes, however show what the real motive was
in Massachusetts and Connecticut in sgreeiog to
the permission to continue the slave trade on
which Georgia and South Carolina insisted In
that wsy they secured the votes of Georgia
and S,uth Carolina in favor of co nmerc al
regulation by q majority instead Of twothlrds
vote-s point on which the navigating and the
planting States had different views, and concession
which Mr. ToOmbs incorrectly represents as having
been bartered of for the provision respecting the
rendition of fugitves from labor.
Agsin, as if to render palatsbe as possible the
Act of 1907 abolishing the slave trade, Mr. Toombs
represents that when it was passed the slave trade
was in fact extinct and Unlawful in every State Of
the Union by State legislation. Here again he
falls into an error 1t is true as he states, that
Georgia suspended the slave. trade in 1898, and
that South Carolina did the ,sme four years after.
But two years after that this suspendiDg act was
repealed, and the slaye-trade in full blast in South
Carolina at the moment Of the passage of the act Of
Congress.
Mr Toonbs is very severe upon the act Of l52O
declaring the slave trade piracy, which he de-
pouuces as in direct violation of the plain mean
ing of words ard the Constitution of the United
States" If that is the case We suppose that ne
will exert binre for the repeal of tina. act, though
he seems inclined to let the act of 1907 stand, on
the ground that it was and is 10 harmony with the
Judgment and sentiment Of the country, and that
the agitation for its repeal at this time will produce
evil.
Good reasons, no doubt; and yet BY his own
showing in this very speech, not always conclusive
with Mr Toombs SO the Missouri Compromise
of le2O wss in harmony with the judgment and SEN
timent of the country aud its repeal was calculated
to disturb the pubic peace. And yet Dir. Toomo'
gories greatly in the share he had in repeating it,
He insists that, though the Missouri prohibition
waswell enough as long as there was no idea Of
settling the country embraced in it, the moment it
became practical matter its repeal was imper'
ative. We shall yet see Mr.. Toombs going for the
repeal of the slsye-trade prohibition on the very
same ground.