The Yazoo Democrat. [volume] (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1858-18??, 1859-01-29
THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE.

0"tO y. Cuo oouln anu staO Mt her greatest
institution The slave States are all, by experience
and study, converted to the doctrine that the
negro race il essentially and naturally inferior to
the white, and originally intended to fall under
its dominioa. They are conyCrtsto and advocates
of the doctrine that slavery is the normal condition
Of the African, and that iu no other is it possible
for his weak reason to be educated from its imbe
cility to humanity and usefulness They agree
that the Great Architect Of the world OBVIOUSLY
designed his creatures for mutual happiness and
for mutual assistance in clevating the world from
barharism and Ignorance; and that He unques
tionaby intended each race to contribute its quota
Of exertOn in proportion to its capacity towards
the moral and intellectual progress of mankind.
If this be true, they say that negroes only con-
tribute to the advantage and Advancement Of the
world in a state of ssrVitudc. This position is
abgndantly proved by their condition in Africa
and the evident tendencyof American free negroes
to. the same barboric level, BY their greater nu-
merica increase as slaves, and by their superior
ityin morals, industry and usefulness, in those
portions of the globe where they are held in
perpetual bondage. 'n ~
While experiments have proved their utter in
capacity for self-government and voluntary labor
or self support; by placing them under the direc-
ton and control Of task masters, they readily
support themselves and two thirds of the commerce
and manufactures of. the world, and at the same
time are by Far mole contented and happy than
those Of their own race who are free. To sustain
this position. the most overwhelming testimony
has been and may be adduced, and testimony,
too, which is not furnished by speculative argu
ment and abstract reasoning, but by the palpable
aspect Of the world, .,a ID.
II then, slavery is right, 'it follows as the night
the day" that the slave trade cannot be wrong
But those who oppose the repeal of the law may
say that its being morally right is no proof of its
expediency In a great majority of instances
moral right, humanity and expediency 60 hand in
hand More especially is this the case with the
slave trade than probably any other branch of
commerce. Philanthropy calls loudly for the
re-Opening of the traffic. because the subjects Of
importation from the African coast are most gen.
orally the prisoners of those barbaric tribes from
whom they are bought and whom our gold, not
virtue nor moral suasion, would prevent from
butcheripg their luckless captves They are
brought from the field of battle to the barracoon,
where death or speedy sale to the white awaits
them--or what is worse than either, condition Of
servitude under some brutal barbarian of their
own instincts and color:
With these facts patent to the world, how can
any sane mar characterize the traffic as inhuman?
1t can only be SO called by fanaticism or by igno-
rant folly. Itis not inhuman, but wise and phil
anthropic.
Now, as to the ezpedieacy Of repeating the law
against it. What is the present position of the
Southern States We see the price of negroes
continually advancing, and there is little prospect
efany depreciation of the present exorbitant value.
What Will be the consequence-the almost newt
able result? We will eventually see this species
Of property confined to comparatively small
portion of our citizens-an aristOcracy of slave
owners. We will see, in time, the wealthy owning
all the slaves and all the land. The few will
WELD all the influence and dwell in palatial man
siOns, while the great body of our people will be
driven to poverty and huts Unable to buy negroes
and land they will be practically the slaves of
capitalists. Here then will be virtually nobility
and a eaaalIs Discomfort, mobs and revolutions
will ensue; and this fair country experience the
very same troubles and the same changes that
Rome suffered from exactly similar causes Pot
the price of negroes to figures beyond the ability
Of the majority to purchase and it will quickly
follo hat M al ola lsav
and will be forced to sell to wealthy neighbors
until finally we will have an aristocracy as Op-
pressive as France or even Russia ever had--and
the last named country would have felt dozen
revolutions if the masses were possessed Of the
same intelligence and the same knowledge Of
freedom with ours q"
All this is mot speculation nor unwarranteble
apprehension. 1t is well founded fear, and war
ranted by numerous analogous instances in history,
which might be elaborated if space allowed. A
repeal of the law against the slave trade would
prevent the evil by placing slave labor within the
reach Of all. But there are men who say that a
re opening of the traffic would overflow the South
with Africans-the cotton market would be glut-
ted aud masters find it difficult to support their
own slaves, Such persons forget that the same
fears were expressed by many at the invention of
the cotton gin, and they thought then that plant
ers would starve. when cotton,fell below rs cents
per pound But twill be found nearly impossible
to produce more cotton than will be consumed.
New manufactures are constantly springng up IN
countries which a few years ago bought not a
pound Of the raw material AS the cotton crop
grows, theuumber Of consumers will increase, and
England viii fad herself at last with mhny rivals
in the manufacturing interest Cotton win always
bring remunerative prices, and the importation Of
slaves can do US no harm so long as 1t win pay
slavers to bring them. Cottonis destined to be,
If it is not now the great interest Of the world and
no race except the black is adapted to its cutiva
ton. The cotton heldisthe true and only sphere
of the negro for this he was intended, and in
this alone can he assist in revolving the wheel
of progress. - 80.
Let uS not be stinted in slave labor, but again
begin its importation. Let enough be Radt4O
cultivate Our,OEn fields and those Of the new slave