The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-07-14
THE SLAVE TRADE-MR. STEPHENS


suits the convenience of certain branches of the
Sham Democracy to pretend that no serious
purpose of the kind is entertained by any con-
siderable portion of the Southern people; but
it reminds us of the vain efforts of the victims
of consumption to reassure themselves of health.
The fact is now incontestable, that the great
mass of the Black Democracy in the Gulf
States are favorable to the nefarious scheme of
reyiving the slave trade. They are daily be-
coming holder, and are enlisting in their SER
vice the ablest and most ambitious politicians
In those States.
The most valuable accession which this new
party has yet made, is that of Mr.. Stephens, of
Georgia, an able and experienced politician,
eloquent and popular
Mr.. Stephens has recently made speech to
his constituents at Augusta, professedly with a
view to take leave of them, and to retire TO pri-
vate life; but it would argue shallow expert
ence with the history of public men to take him
at his word. Even his friends win not make
that mistake, and he would not thank them for
doing so. His real purpose is to retire from
the biennial scuffie for place in the House of
Representatives, to the more permanent and
dignifed repose of the Senate chamber. Mr..
VERSIONS term expires on the 4th of March,
and Mr.. Stephens, with great deal more talent.
reputation, and popularity, will quietly step
into his shoes. But, in order to do so, it was
necessary for him to place himself in the front
rank of Southern patriots Georgia is an in
tensely Southern State, and its Representatives
must be intensely Southern men. Mr. Iverson
himself, at the last session of Congress, with a
fearful looking forward to the ordeal of new
election, took occasion to make pyrotechnic
display, which was highly acceptable to his
constituents. He would not hesitate to dissolve
the Union at a moments waning, in the event
of the election of Republican President. This
was then regarded as the highest possible bid
for the popular suffrages in Georgia, but, in the
progress of events, the question of reopening
the slave trade has assumed an interest and
importance far beyond the barren, not to say
perilous, scheme of disunion. The former is
proposition to make every white man in Geor
gia STAKEHOLDER and gentleman, by bringing
down the price of negroes to point attainable
by men of the most moderate means. Mr..
Stephens has seized upon this popular demand
for cheap negroes, and will infallibly out-travel
poor Mr.. Iverson, upon his disunion hobby, to
the portals of the Senate chamber.
But Mr.. Stephens, while broaching the new
proposition, has taken care not to do sudden
violence to the more conservative portion of
his constituents. He is not frank in the state
ment of his opinions, but insinuates his long
ings for more Africans, rather than avows
them. He is by necessary implication in favor
of the trade, and yet he hesitates to say so in
so many words. He is in favor of territorial
expansion, of annexing Sonora, Chihuahua,
and other Southern regions; but he admits
that these countries cannot be converted into
slaveholding States without more African slaves
The following extracts leave no doubt as to
what Mr. Stephens means. He SAYS;
II UeIIeved truth would triumph all the
South wants is decision, union, patriotism He
believed in the power and omnipotence of
truth, and would ask for nothing wrong. The
great principle to be carried out is expansion
the right of the people of the South to 90 to
the Territories with their slave property, pro-
tected by the Constitution, on a platform of
equal rights.
"He had been asked, what are the prospects
for the future; what is to become Of the Anti
Slavery sentiment of the North, and whether
Slavery is as secure as it was?
GAS he said in 1885, he would repeat now
there is very little prospect of the South set
Ting any territory outside of Texas; in fact.
little or no prospect at all, unless we increase
our African stock.
" This question his hearers should examine
in its length and breadth he would do nothing
more than present it. But it is as plain as
anything, that unless the number of African
stock be increased, we have not the popula-
ton, and might as we'll abandon the race with
our brethren of the North in the colonization
of the Territories. 1t was not for him to ad-
wise on these questions, he only presented
them the people should think and act upon
them. If there are but few more slave States
it is not because of Abolitionism or the Wilmot
Proviso, but simply for the want of people to
settle them. We cannot make States without
people; rivers and mountains do not make
them and slave States cannot be made with
out Africans. | am not telling you, he said,
to do it, but it is serious question concerning
our political and domestic policy; and we do
not want voters and disclaimers so much as
thinkers and reasoners."
The Southern Citizen the Washington organ
of the slave traders, is with good reason iubi-
liant over the accession of Mr.. Stephens to their
ranks He is undoubtedly an important acqui-
sition; and we predict that his example will
prove contagious.
The Slavery propagandists ofthe Gulf States,
in consequence of their ultraisms, have lost all
hopes of attaining to the first honors of the
Federal Government, which are conferred by
all the States acting together; and hence there
is fierce rivalry between the politicians of
that region for local popularity. Mr.. Stephens
has bowed to the circumstances by which he is
surrounded. He is not naturally an ultraist,
but he must be ultra, or nothing, and he chooses
to be ultra. He commenced his career as a
Conservative Wing, with Anti-Slavery leanings
He at one time declared Slavery to be an evil,
and looked forward to emancipation; but with
the progress of Pro-Slavery feeling, he gradual
ly lost his AntiSlaveryism. His progress down
wards has been gradual. He has kept pace
with public opinion. He chung to the Wing
party until it had fallen into general odium in
the Southern States, and then abandoned it for
the Democracy" In the ranks of that organi-
cation, he has always been as ultra as the oc
casion required, but not more so and it is on
this principle of action, viz: of always looking
to the main chance, that Mr.. Stephens now
cautiously avows himself in favor of the in
famous slave trade.
In no other portion of the world is there so
little moral independence as in the Gulf States