Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1859-02-25
The African Slave Trade.


give il in lieu of anything we might say
ourselves. We listened TO the able Speech
orMr. Etheridse referred to, in the 3iih
Congress. and even a, this early day,
many OF his predictions are now "cOmins
70 pass" We are in a state OF "revolu.
ton " no less important 10 the cause OF
human freedom than ws that OF 20.
=" Three years ago, Mr. Etheridsc, Of Ten
ncsec. predicted that, before long, the rcSi'
val Of the African slave trade would be one
of the ayowcL objects Of the Democratic
party. lie made ihi. prediction notwiih'
standing the fact that the House had just
adopted with only cisht dissenting votes, a
resolution asain', that trade. Mr.. Eth
cridse understood we'll the composition and
inherent tendencies Of tie Democratic party
and ho dad not allow himself to be deceived
by temporary uppcarlnecc.
4" Great strides have been made since
1856. a. manifested in the proceedings and
debates in the llou.- upon the consular and
diplomatic bull. rwen,y.cight southern
members voted Tor the total eGci,ijn Of that
part OF the bill which made provision FOR
expenses lncurcd, under the law 1919, in
returning the rescued Echo Africans. \
more moderate proposition, to reduce the
provision - as not 10 iacludc u certain class
OF those expenses, received a It'll larger sup
port. hut twcnty.cight Southern Repre-
ssniatiycs were found, who voted against
any provision at all, and many Of them eat.
ried their opposition - Ear as to cndcayor
- dcica, the bill itself after having failed
to eliminate the feature obnoxious to them.
&" In the debate upon the bill, MSs.rs.
Seward aud Crawford Of Georgia. Mr..
Bark.dale OF Mississippi. Mr.. Miles Of
South Carolina, and Others, avowci them
selves, without reserve, a. the advocates
u African slave trade; while s,ill Others,
like Mr.. Clay OF Kentucky, although dis.
a,ovins that object ia words, plainly show.
81 their sympalhie' with it, by proposing a
mitigation Of the penalties denounced
against the slave trade, and by insisting
upon a withdrawal Of the squadron placed
upon the African coast TO prevent u.
And, in thi. connection. it is pcr,inen,
and important 90 observe that the thing 10
DO apprehcndcd is no, the actual repeal Of
the statues agalns, the slave trade which i
not at all likely to he accomplished, bu,
the practical notification Of those statutes
by indirect measures. With pablo opin.
ION m the Gulf States 20 denonlizei that
jurica will not punish men who land car.
goes Of slaves in open day, with our Arr.
can coast squadron Withdrawn, - that ear.
goes Of slaves may be Iebarked ithout hin.
drancc. ADD with the doctrine maintained
that the American hag is TO protect every
pirate. Of whatever nationality, Who may
choose To ily it, d, OF very lit,lc coh'o-
quence whether our statutes against the
slave trade are repealed, or not.
1t is impossible To mistake the signs Of
the times. It is Of little moment that many
persons at the south are now opposed to the
opening Of the slave trade. In the end, It
i, the violent and extreme men who will
control. aud after short struggle, will
yield. or be driven into private lite. That
will happen IN rcspec, TO the slasc trade,
which we are now witnessing in respect To
Cuba and Mexico. There is no doub, that
GOV. llammond's speech upon those sub
jec,s, 50 widely circulated las, summer. rep
resented the real sentiments Of large mum.
Der. n, the South but, as actually aIec.
ting results, 1t has amounted to nothing
The South is moving in solid column to Of
feet the very things deprecated by the South
Carolina senator, and he himself must bend
to the storm or be Frustrated by it.
" In all that portion OF the South which
buys and consumes slaves, the purchase of
them in the cheapest market IS certain to
be desired and to be insisted upon. Those
who want negroes cheap, are the over.
Nhclming majority and, wherever there is
q public interest and a public sentiment,
demagoguos will seize upon them as u
means Of riding into power. II there are
,.a..ns ,.,. Ia .,,.,,r..s. lr.,u, sIat ..att..f,
Of the country, who hesitate to come up TO
the mark there are plenty at home who
wish to get into Congress, aud who will
seize upon tho opportunity to supersede
them. The passions Of the South have been
inaamed so long and so violently 10y the
nullifor.. that ul,raism is the only pass-
port to southern favor.
AN additional difficulty in the case Of
the African slave trade Is. that the adyo-
Gates OF reopcning IL really have the best OF
the argument, upon the views which are
alone permitted to be avowed at the South.
Tha, Slavery is absirae,ly right and eco
nomically expedient, that i, is the normal
condition OF society, and that, indeed, 1t is
a divinely.appointed institution-all these
things arc maintained ut the South to be
50 Individually clear, and so vitality neccs-
sary to be insisted upon, that professors
are turned out Of colleges, and even citizens
are banished, for the offence OF doubling
them. On these Vows Of things, the Arr
can slave trade. admitted on all hands to be
less Objectionable than the domestic slave
trade, ought unqucssionably to be reopened.
There Is no escaping the logical result, Of