The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-05-27
sss. The country has been shocked and

approval of the design to reopen the slave
trade. The public suppose that an assembly
that proclaimed such views must have been
composed of reckless, selfish men, oenan'
of the moral sentiments and Christian splrlI
Of the country and age. In late 'iSi' 70
Mississippi, we met and were entertainer oy
Col. Davis, of Bolivar county, the author
and most strenuous supporter OF the mao
resolution for re-opening the slave trade,
over the passage of which he was exulting
as a triumph that was to do him honor and
confer substantial benefits upon the country.
Singular as it may appear to Northern men,
the author of that declaration is, IN all the
ordinary relations of.society, most up
right, humane and unselfish man and a sin
cere and benevolent christian. Never was
there stronger illustration of the truth OF
Buckles spothegm that mans opinions
are less the product of his own intellectual
opinion, than the impressions of circum-
stances and the prevailing spirit around him.
The resolutions that have excited the exc
crations Of the country arc defended by
their author, in O most sincere and earnest
manner, as a scheme of national prosperity,
9 measure of Christian beneyolence and the
surest means Of progress both for the white
and black races. He advances no sordid
views in their defence, but confesses that his
large wealth in negroes would be depreci-
sted by the measures he advocated.
Living in vast region of unoccupied
and uncultivated lands, he points to them
and says, we need but the idle and misdi-
rected human energies of Africa to open the
wilderness that surrounds us, and cover it
with products that would contribute to the
comfort and happiness of the world, and
carry forward our country in a career OF
prosperity and wealth, exceeding the dreams
of the most ardent patriotism. The sayages
of Africa, STEPPED in barbarism since the
origin of the race, from which they can
never emerge but by contact with the
whites would, by becoming bond servants
to the American planter, he civilized and
brought to an imperfect knowledge, at least,
Of christianity. And, as an illustration, he
who was ploughing in neighbors field,
within sight, who, he said, wasa few weeks
sgoa wretched savage, in an African will
derness, but now q useful man, learning
some of the arts of civilized life and the ru-
diments OF christianity. One years opera
ton Of the slave trade would be the means
--he sincerely believed--of converting more
heathens than all the missionary efforts,
the Christian Church for two centuries
In his view, coercive labor, imposed by the
necessities Of existence, or by master, was
the only means of overcoming the natural
sloth and Incidence of the savage, which
must be the first step in the process of his
civilization. The discipline OF plantation
would ciyilize more African savages than
the preaching OF christian precepts to them
in their benighied regions by all christen-
dom.
The members Of the Convention--he said
who supported the resolution did not ex-
pect ever to accomplish the repeal OF. the
laws against the slave trade. The strength
Of the North was too great to permit ,sucf
q measure. The discussion would prepare
the public sentiment Of the South to toler-
ate the trade; and if any large community
on the shores of the Gull would but sane
ton it for a period, the Government would
be powerless to enforce the laws against il
A few years would accomplish all the advo-
Gates of the measure desired. The result Of
the recent trials at Savannah and Charles
ton had virtually opened the trade The
experiment with the Wanderers cargo had
removed all the fears that the introduction
Of a large number OF uneivilized men upon
plantations might have excited. The Wan.
derer's negroes had proved to be docile ans
traetable, and, after a few days training
made good plow hands, and were as expert
with hoe, in a months use of il, as TIA,
native slave. Eight or ten of the newly
imported negroes had been sold at Memphis
and were now on plantations in Northern
Mississippi, giving entire satisfaction to thei
masters.
II Is evident there are large numbers il
the cotton States who approve of Col Davis
views; but large majority of the people il
those States reject them with adherence
and denounce them as mad and fanatical-
But it is to be feared that Col, Davis opin
ions are correct, that the slave trade is viz
tually opened; and that all that Is wanted !
the tacit sanction OF some Of the small com
munities on the coasts, to enable those en-
gagged in it to carry it on successfully, 1
defiance of the laws and government, Sew
eral of the Wanderers cargo have been sol
at Memphis, aud in every slave markt
south of it, andsre now openly pointed on
on the plantations as specimens of nativ
African laborei-. and no complaints or cor
victions follow. Impuuity in the traffi
seems now to be fully guarantied.r
- t.,e;.h ;.a,,, IN 49,