Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-03-05
BAD LOGIC.

All the advocates for the revival of the African
slave trade arc. we believe, without a single ex
ception, strenuous advocates for the icduisition Of
Cuba. Between stealing slaves on the coast Of
Africa, and stealing islands in che West Indies
or, if the parties concerned prefer that obraseol.
ogy, between buying slaves on the coast of AT.
RIGA and buying islands in tho West Indies
there is a sort Of aimilitude, both appealing alike
to nm unbridled lust of gain. which may easily
enable us to understand why those who 20 in for
the first should also dash headlong into the sec.
ond. And yet, if our advocates of the revival Of
the African slave'tradc would stop a moment to
consider, they would perceive at once that
the grounds on which they urge the revival
of the African slave'trade ought, if there is the
least particle of logic in them, to make them utter,
ly hostile to the acquisition of Cuba.
The ground upon which the revival of the Afri,
can slave trade is advocated is purely Democratic.
The project is based on a tender regard for equal,
ity, and a Democratic hostility to all monopolies.
The price of slaves, owing to the insuficiency Of
the domestic supply, has risen to such a hight ns
to render them a luxury, cngrossed by compare.
lively few, and utterly beyond the reach of tho
great body of the good Democrats of the Southern
States. Not only that, but Irish Democrats emf,
grating to this country experience u similar diff.
Guilty in realizing their visions of repu blican lib.
erty by becoming the owners of gangs of negroes.
1t is to remedy this sad state of things that the
revival of the African slave.trade is proposed.
By increasing the supply of negroes, it is expec.
ted to lower the price, SO as to bring them within
the reach of the great body of Southern Demo.
Gratis. Lot these enthusiastic advocates for equal.
ity consider for a moment what must necessarily
be the effect of the acquisition Of Cuba. Will it
not of necessity tend to enhance the very evil of
which they now SO bitterly complain ? Tho great
want OF Cuba, at this time, is labor. 1t is only
by the application Of fresh labor that those large
tracts of virgin land, of Which we hear so much,
can be put to any use, So great is tho demand
for slave labcr in Cuba as to sustain the African
slave-trade, in spite of its prohibition by law, and
the risks by which it is attended. Annex Cana
to the United States, and the Cuban p~lr.a,ers would
Immediately appear in all orr slayemarkets as
purchasers, and, with ,.nis new competition. prices
must OF necessity, 60 up higher than ever before.
icS annexation of Cuba might perhaps, realize
that anticipation of which Gov. Wise was aisap-
pointed by the erection of California into a free
State-it might carry up the market price of good
working hands to FIVE thousand dollars. In that
state of the market, what would become Of all the
projects for strengthening the foundations Of Sla-
very by giving to the great body of the voters o
share in its advantages and a personal interest in
its sustcntation Nor would the mass of the
non-slaveholders be the only sufferers by this en-.
hancement in the cost of slaves. 1t might DO a
q benefit to those who breed slaves FIR sale and
it was in this point of view, we suppose, that
Gov. Wise regarded with so much eagerness the
rising of tie Irice to five thousand dollars. 1t
might benefit a few idle capitalists, who live BY
hiring out their slaves. But what would be it's
effect upon the great body of the employers of
slave labor2 Nobody but the decidedly rich
would de able to invest for household service ff.
teen or twenty thousand dollars-and few respec,
table Southern households find it possible to get on
without at least three or four slaves while, in
every branch Of productive industry. the amount
of capital required to carry it On would be seri,
ously enhanced, and the cost of production cores,
pondingly increased. The difficulty in the way of
starting young men in life, already so seriously
felt in the South, would grow still greater and
the monopoly of slave labor, already SO close 90
to begin to be odious. would grow closer and clio.
ser. Even the rise in the value of slaves would
BIO more than set off by q decline in the value of
land throw out of cultivation by the high cost of
labor.-N. y. Tribune.