Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1859-08-30
The Revival. of the Slave Trade

The Revival of the Slave Trade
Fifteen years ago, he who would have
advocated the national sanction of that
which the united voice of civilized ua' ions
has pronounced piracy, would have beer
regarded as scarcely worthy of a better
fate than the pirates doom; while he who
should have suggested that such would
ever become the policy of a class OF party
in this country, would have been treated
as gross slanderer Of his fellow citizens,
or, at best, as fanatic. and suitable
target for rotten eggs. We are fallen now
upon different times. Each year, the
South, enlboldened by the success which
has attended all her schemes for self
aggrandizement, has advanced in her de-
mands upon Freedom as the price OF
Union, and now there is impending the
startling lssue ShoN tile Slave Trade be
reUived?
We confess profound admiration for
the policy of the South, in the conduct OF
the long and wearying warfare between
free and slave labor, which has been wa
ging ever since the formation of the Fed
eral Union, and which may yet endin its
dissolution. Patient, watchfuI, devoted
and self-reliant she has keptsh one aim
the Naturalization of Slavery s.eadily
in view, and while accepting Whatever
momentary or partial triumphs, or correla
ative issues, have presented themselves,
has never been elated or seduced by sue
cess i'll the one, nor discouraged or di-
vided by defeat in The other. Carefully
measuring Ter own strength, and wisely
calculating the endurance of her antago
mist, she has never ovelstepped the bounds
prescribed either by the one or the other.
Thus she has steadily gained ground. for
concession invites aggression" and ac.
quiescence begets subserviency. United
by common interest and purpose, she has
ever had the balance of power against any
section Of divided North, and she has
not failed 10 avail herself of the shameless
ness of willing tools who h: We taught he
that there is no limit to the degradation OF
political place seekers, save that which the
place giver 6nis it desirable to impose
History mentions no movement so saga
cous, so united, so persistent as the ma
tional policy ofthe slave power The revi-
val of the Slave Trade is but another step
to the absolute dominion Of the country, of
which we have in our time Witnessed. as
other and preparatory steps, the Mexican
War, the Fugitive Slave Law, the Kansas
Nebraska Bill, and Il e Dred Scott Decis
ion.
We are aware that it will be difficult to
persuade others, as we have ourselves been
reluctantly persuaded, that such an issue
will soon become living and practical. and
yet the proofs are too strong anG direct to
be resisted. While the subject was dis
cussed only by "whippy- swamp orators,
on their hus,ings before election, men Of
the North might be pardonel for indul
ging in "conservative' Indifference. Blu
when such leaders of the Democratic
party as Douglas and Stevens express. the
one his apprehensions and the other his
advocacy Of the scheme, we can no longer
have any excuse for idleness or iuatten
tion.
We have already published the letter Of
Hon. S. A. Douglas, declaring that he
should decline the Charleston nomination,
if the revival OF the Slave Trade was made
apart of tie ploDorm. The Ion. Alex
ander H. Stephens, late leader of the lower
House of Congress, has actually delivered
speech on the subject of the contest be
tween Freedom and Slavery, to his con.
stituens, of which we find fall report in
a late number Of the, National Intelligen-
Ger" After recounang the victories
which the South has won during the Pc
rod of his Congressional career, he closes
with an appeal on the subject Of the Slave
Trade. He warns them that all their We
tories will be Of no avail, so far.as increased
of territory and prepondemn"e Of influence