The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-04-07
THE SLAVE TRADE.

THE SLAVE TRADE.
The Neao York Times undertakes to exon
crate the Administration from the imputation
of favoring the revival of the slave trade, and
at the same time rejects the idea that any con-
siderable portion of the Southern people desire
its revival. We are not prepared to maintain
that the President and Cabinet are favorable to
the foreign slave traffic; but there can be no
doubt that, from tmidity, from the fear of offend
ing the slaveholding class, the Executive is
making no energetic exertions to enforce the
laws.
That a strong feeling exists in the Gulf
States in favor of reviving the slave trade,
that it is the prevalent sentiment in that Sec
ton, there is no manner of doubt We have
not seen, for two months past newspaper
from any of the Gulf States which ventures to
demonstrate against the trade, while nearly all
speak out in its favor. The Times itself fur
nished, few days ago, the most unquestion-
able evidence of the prevalence of this senti-
\ ment in Georgia, and of the powerlessness of
the Federal Government to enforce the laws in
the face of it. We allude to the sale at auc-
ton of the yacht Wanderer, by the Government.
According to the account of the affair, which
we copied from the Times, the feeling in favor
of the slave trade was so strong that but one
man dared to come forward and bid against
Lamar, to whom the vessel belonged prior to
its seizure, and he was soundly drubbed for
his temerity. We again quote the editorial
paragraph of the Times, which fully sustains
the view we take of the matter. 1t is as fol-
lows
"One Mr.. Lamar, the original owner under
false pretences, of the Wanderer, appeared at
the sale, and claimed the negroes from the
yacht as his property The officers of the
law at Savannah with a remarkable disregard
of their duty, obeyed the mandate of this swim
der, and quietly transferred the Africans to
Mr. Lamar, who now detains them. AS for the
yacht, Mr. Lamar said that, it being also 8 his
property as matter of course no gentleman
would bid against him for his vessel. The APP
peal was so far successful, that no one in the
crowd took any part in the bidding, except
| Mr. Van Horn, who ran up to four thousand
dollars this splendid yacht, worth perhaps,
twenty or thirty thousand, at the least, and re-
ceived Immediately afterwards sound pun
melting for his pains, at the hands of the val
liant Lamar and some half dozen friends, and
in the presence of the law officers of the Fed
eral Government"
So strong is the feeling ia the Gulf States in
favor of revival of the slave trade that a man
could no longer strenuously oppose it without
mourning the suspicion of sympathizing with
abolitionists. We noticed some days ago
denunciation of this kind hurled at the head of
| Il: LII l l.
4" Democratic " neighbor.
When the proposition was first made to re-
open the slave trade, it was met with ridicule
Every intelligent man foresaw that the repeal
of the laws forbidding it would be impossible
and no one then seemed to think of revival of
the slave trade in violation of the Federal en-
actments. But public opinion has become so
excited in favor of buying cheap negroes, that
the laws are no longer regarded as a serious
impeachment. Three or tour cargoes of slaves
have been imported within the last twelve
months, and only one of them has been caught
and the negroes restored to Africa. The re-
vival of the slave trade is no visionary project
but reality; and we shall expect to see it
prosper, SO long as the Federal Government
shall be in the hands of men elected by the sham
Democracy. That party is mainly upheld by the
shareholders, and the men whom it puts in pow
er have neither the desire nor the moral cour
age to enforce laws which impinge in any way
upon the right of slaveholding.
We have reason to expect that the people of
the northern and middle slave States, inclu-
ding North Carolina and Tennessee, will come
out manfully against the nefarious traffic. They
have every inducement to do so. They have
negroes in superabundance, and export thou
sands every year. They slave producers,
and the foreign traffic would cut off this source
of revenue, and compel them to keep their ne
groes at home. The effect of this accommodating
surplus of slaves would be a rapid reduction in
their value, a reduction of the rates Of wages :;
and, as consequence, the white people who
depend for subsistence upon their own labor
would be reduced to the last extremity of power
ty, or compelled to emigrate.
The domestic trade in slaves has SO debauched
the public mind Of the South, that we cannot
expect much earnest and effective opposition to
the foreign trade, based on moral grounds. 1t
may be that well-meaning men in the older
States will avail themselves of the unpopularty
of the traffic, to denounce it as immoral and
criminal but its friends may we'll retort by
pointing to the home trade. 1t would be diff
fcut to deny the proposition that there can be
no more harm in buying savage on the coast
of Africa to enslave him in Georgia, than in
buying a Christian in Virginia for like pur-
pose. This argument must forever be an
estoppel to the defenders of the domestic slave
trade.
Criminal as this effort to revive the slave
trade is, we expect much good to result from
I it. 1t must necessarily divide the South, and
give rise to issues between Southern men which
may become fatal to the system of Slavery.
A SLIGHT MIsTAKE-The North British Re
uie,c, in an elaborate article on Slavery and the
Slave States falls into an error quite too serious
to pass unnoticed. 1t says
done peculiarly of the American laws is
not to be overlooked, as it forms the character
istic feature of the American system. The
! slaves are not entitled, by law, to holiday,
period of rest, nor euen to Sabbath This
peculiarly is one of the greatest hardships that
possibly could be imposed on the afflicted race,
one of the greatest obstacles to the slaves i'm
, provement, and an effectual barrier to self
emancipation"
Now, the truth is that the slaves are entitled,
: by law" to a weekly Sabbath IN eueyu slaoe
} State an the Union, with single exception,
Louisiana. Masters are prohibited by law
r fbair oil TX.