The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-02-10
REVIVAL OF THE SLAVE TRADE.

As public journalists, deslrous OF keeplh
our readers correctly informed upon all the III
portant movements of the day, we have ha
occasion frequently to advert TO the propose
revival of the African slave trade; and froIh
week to week have given from the Southerr
newspapers such evidences of its growing Oh
waning popularity as have come to hand. Tn
til recently, we confess that we had been led
to hope that the advocates of the nefarious
traffic which the laws of the land Justly brand
as piracy, were confined to the class of des
perate and INSCRIPTIONS demagogues who have
everything to make, and nothing to lose, by rails
| ing the new issue. The developments of the
last few weeks, however, are beginning TO elu-
cidate the matter, and TO make it clear that the
idea of reviving the African slave trade is pop
ular in all the States south of the Both paral-
lei; and although the more intelligent and
thoughtful in that section may oppose the
| scheme, the masses Of the people are favorable
to it. Apart from other evidence, tins TACT
might be inferred from the discussion which
took place in the House of Representatives
upon the subject, two weeks ago. Several
members from the Gulf States intimated pretty
plainly that they approved the foreign traffic IN
slaves and not one from that quarter uttered
word in censure of il. 1t was quite evident
that they we're only restrained by the fear OF
damaging the " Democratic party, from pro-
claiming the new dogma of free trade in ne
groes as an essential right Of the South, guar
antied by the Constitution, and by the " reso-
lutions of 1913" 1t is very evident that the
Black Democracy of the extreme South are
coming up to this issue, and we fear that the
opposition in that quarter will not be able to
stem the current of popular opinion, by resist
ing the dshonoring and suicidal policy.
! 1t is said that the large Shareholders are
generally averse to the revival of the foreign
slave trade. They are already too much inter
ested in the institution, to wish to cheaper its
value. Their interest is rather that of sellers
than buyers and they would be affected by
the importation of Africans, which could be
sold at fifth of the prices now commanded by
"prime Virginia negroes" just as the Ameri-
can manufacturer is affected by the importa-
ton of the products of the cheap labor and
abundant capital of Europe. They therefore
demand protection to their homegrown com
modify against the foreign importer; and for a
converse reason the masses of the enterprising
people Of the South, who have but few slaves,
or none at all, demand free trade, in order that
they may stock their plantations at paying
| prices.
| The following statement, which we find in
the Washington correspondence Of the Phila-
delphia Inquirer, will throw light on the sub
ject:
"a gentleman lately from Mobile informs
me that it is not the large planters of the South
who are in favor of opening the slave trade, for
they have, generally, as many negroes as they
| desire but it is the peOpte-those who, from
the high price negroes have attained, are un-
able to purchase or hire them; and who have
! consequently to do their own plantation and
house work, since no white laborers can be
/ hired, when labor itself is considered degrading,
and only to be performed by the scrvile. lie
said that he found the utmost unanimity off feel
ing on this subject. Every one said that ne
groes they would have, and would import in
spite Of all the laws declaring it piracy, and in
spite Of all the power of the United States,
! Great Britain, France, and the whole world
"And when he suggested that they were
/ pursuing a course calculated to unite the North
/ against them, the prompt and uniform answer
was, What need we care We intend TO go out
of the Union anyhow, and we care not how
parties may be formed at the North, or how
soon they drive us out But suppose, said he
| MARYLAND. Virginia. North Carolina Tonnes
see, Kentucky, and Missouri, should refuse to
join you? I'VE care not was the reply, we
shall go out at all hazards, and with Cuba we
I'LL Al 4 IL
globe, as it will include the whole cotton, sugar,
and rice producing region of this continent, to
wit South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Ala
bama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas,
Mexico, and Central America. And if the
! slave States you have named do not choose to
Join us, they will form a slave Gordon between
! us and the d abolitionists of the North.
and prevent them from stealing our negroes
u stated, some time ago, that this was the
scheme of the Southern League, whose head
quarters are at Mobile, and in which are en-
| listed many of the most prominent men of the
South. The fact is now openly avowed, and
the slave trade is virtually reOpened, and will be
prosecuted in defiance of the Government. No
grand jury will find an indictment against any
man engaged in it; and if any one should be
indicted, no petit jury will convict. How
then, are the laws to be enforced? 81
The above statement comes from response
bic source, as We happen to know, and IT may
be relied upon as the result of the observations
Of an intelligent gentleman. 1t exhibits de
plorable state of public and private morality in
the portion of the South described. What must
we think of community in which the whole
sale slaughter attendant upon the capture and
expectation of the poor Africans, and the super
added horrors of the middle passage are justi-
| fed
But we will not stop to moralize upon the
wickedness of the project. Our object is to eX-
pose the stupidity and ignorance in which it
originates. For, regarded as measure of
policy, designed to strengthen and develop the
South, We can characterize it in no more cour-
teous language. We can understand that the
individual cupidity of the most depraved men
will prompt them to engage in the most Grim
inal enterprises, at any cost to the public veal
but that whole people should be so blind to
its own welfare, is one of those marvels which
can only be explained on the hypothesis of ju-
dicial blindness Whom the gods mean to
destroy, they first make mad"
The revival of the slave trade is fraught with
evil and danger to the South, in every point OF
view, save one and that is the one which It's
friends would most deprecate. The attempt
may and probably will, have the effect of pre-
cipitating the overthrow of the Slave Oligarchy
and of placing the Government in the hands o
the friends of Liberty Should this be the re
suit of the enterprise-and we have much rea