Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-09-13
Iar tho Spectator.

For the Spectator.
Thoughts ON the Renewal of the African
~ Slave Trade.
It is frightful sign of our timesi If we conside
the carelessness with which we behold crime
and calmly listen to pallations adduced BY thos'
who openly favor it's commission. 1t has ofteI
been observed that the eve of great revolutloDi
has been marked by such state of public ant
private morality as exists among us now. w
have not for good many years called things By
their right names. The vilest demsgoguery hai
now assumed the name of patriotism the evasion
of Just debt by sovereign State, or swart-
woutiDg in private life, is merely specimen o
fnancie,ing and murder in the open streets is
merely an unfortunate rencontrs-but it has
been reserved for the last five years to attempt
to revive piratieaI trq6b which has received
the united execration OF the world, and to en-.
deavor justify it upon political, moral, and O.
ven religious grounds.
Z The agitators of the reopening OF the African
Slave Trade allege that they are moved solely
by the consideration of Southern interests
They tell us that they are the onty party which
is true to the South. They have held CoBven
tions set up newspapers, and pressed their views
upon the people in season and ont of season
upon Virginia always out Of season.
Does man of these most earnest advocates
expect to land single negro in the United States
hgallg3 Not bit of it--they all know that
the Union will never allow the Trade to be re-
opened. They therefore intend to persevere In
their scheme, in order to split the Union as soor
as they can.
| The advocates of the Trade are for the most
part those who cannot get place and political
distinction in our Union-so they hope to sue
ceed in a Southern C0ntederacy. Accordingly
we find that the most distinguished among them
have been young men in search of Dotorlety, or
second and third rate politicians, who could not
upon any lawful issue obtain political distinction
even in their own States Yet these men have
produced some effect. Already do we find that
class of politicians OF much higher callber are
beginning to advocate the views OF their interl
ors to greater or less extent. The cause is ey'
dent; they are afraid of the small fry getting
the start of them fol already has the agitation
produced very great effect in certain quarters.
More higher class politicians will! be drawn in
after while, for the sgitators below them have
every thing to gain and nothing to lose by con-
tinuing to excite the public mind.
Ii was said in the last Southern Convention
that the non-slave holders in the Cotton States
are TO the shareholders as taoo to 0ne This Is
the secret of the strength OF this party. All
these non.slave holders wish to own negroes as
we'll as their neghbors They can never give
1880 for an able. bodied field hand; go they
wish to put down the price BY the importation
of savages from Africa. If the trade be re-
opened ON large scale, the slave-traders assure
US that wild negro will be worth only $l6O
Just one tenth OF what they would have to give
now for q field hand With such a tempting
bait as this reduction of price is it to be wonder
ed at that already the reopeniDg OF this COM
nerce is so popular2 One thing is certain-the
agitators have party sufficiently large to COM
mand great influence. 1t is said that they are
very powerful in South Carolina and Mississippi,
and strong enough to control the politics OF
Georgia. We shall, 1t is to be feared, have
great trouble with this faction. AS Consprators
against the Union know that they have not yet
the majority OF the South nor can ever obtain 1t
| by legitimate arguments, they have with great
craft endeavored to form new test OF devotion
TO the South-this test is their SlaUe Trade
Unless man gives into their views, they as :
sume him to be 'sunsound" ON the slavery ques.
ton, and affect to rank him with Seward and
Giddings. This inpudent assumption has had
its effect. Many man has had the cry OF abo-
litionist successfully raised upon him simply be-
cause he in his Judgment has advocated q more
conservative course than is profitable to the
demagogues of the day. 1t is reserved for our
times to hear that the State OF Virginia is CEN
sured on the question OF slavery, because for
soolh she does not wish again to see the flood
gates OF African barbarism let loose upon US.
We live in an age of wonders, and we should
be sstouished at nothing within the range Of
possibility; but we should be astounded indeed
| if any arguments based upon political reasons,
or any Others, should induce Virginia ever tc
consent to the reopening of the African Slave
Trade-we may as well expect the sky to tall OF
her everlasting mountains " be cast into the
Atlantic.
Virginia has still some respect left for the ter
Commandments. One Of them is "Thou shall
do no murder" 1t is O known fact that fol
every negro imported in the slave ships, te" are
slaughtered ID Africa, or die of disease 10 the
Middle Passage" She has always abhorred
lthis Internal commerce. Protest after protes
against it die our noble old colony send over tt
the Grown of England, all of which were treatet
with contempt, and at last we risked our all il
tue cause of the Revolution, our greatest griev
ance being this abominable trade. Virginia hal
not changed her views on this subject, and neyel
can. What was murder hundred years age
we look upon as murder still, and no appeals o
ambitions demagogues in other States can make
Us think otherwise. 81 even in moral poin
uf view-ttle as morality is regarded now-a
Idays-there is no chance Of the disunionists tt
occupy an inch of ground in the glorious olt
Dominion; she is not to be "bufted OF" by
charges of '.unsoundness" on the Slavery Cues
ton. She despises such charges, which come
with bad grace from those who in their he
port on the Slave Trade to q late Southern Con
vention speak respectfully of but one party II
the Union, viz: the BIaek Repubticans-utterly
repudiating any consideration tor the Democratic
or American parties, and treating them as packs
of wolves dressed in sleeps clothing, so as more
effectually to deceive and devour the South
Accordingly they empty the vials OF their wratf
upon them for both these parties profess to oe
devoted to the Union, in which "these smal
flies cannot be- heard to buzz"
Both the Slave Trade faction and the Blacl
Republicans play into each others hands, ant
both are working with all their might for one
object viz: disunaon.
1t is very strongly suspected that Black Re
publican leaders are secretly engaged in fitting
out the great number of vessels now in northern
norts known to be destined to land Africans on
the Florida coast. 1t is not to be supposed thai
those who will be on the shore to await the
landing of the human cargo will be ignorant as
to who procured it. -.yi
These "ventures in Ebony" serve double
purpose; they put money into the pockets Of the
Black Republicans, and at the same time they
serve to excite the northern sentiment yet more
violently against the south and her institutions