The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-02-10
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MIR MILES ON THE SLAVE TRADE

An item "t Sevrhty.hvc Ihunsand Dollars
for tie education of the returned Africans b..
came Il subject Of discussion in CONGRESS, Hon.
PoRcnER MILES is reported to have spoken ;s
follows
Mr. Chairman. have perhaps. listened will,
more roget TO this discussion tfnn any On. .lsn
upon the floor, because | entertain t,-cuIi,r scr
tonal views. For nm, ! nu*t frankly confess.
that iildr"nS ihinG, US lt$ccns to men OF NIL mr.
ties, n sectional man. stand here Il Southern
man, and Representatives. IN part, of u sov.r
cisn southern State. That South, that State.
are OF The weaker section, and We cnnu,, Inn
be sectional because we must be united in ord..r
10 MAINTAIN ourselves Sir, do not class rrys.lr
III the great national lcmoc .atic ranks Twill
act with the demncrntic party faithfully. honest
~. truly. and heartily, where I can do 50 con-
scienti"isly aud consistently with the rights and
nonnr OF my Stat. and section. When they call
on me 10 depart one ,"ta, the half Of u hair 5
breadth. from that course, turn nv bac, uron
them and leave them iucvcr. Yes sir. am
willing to avow myself Il sectional n,al. | com.
here 10 represent, in pnrt, the State of Soutl,
Carolina, and her ri glls and interests are tirsl in
my estimation and forcmos, in my heart ;t al,
times.
], SIR. nm not prepared L" advocate the re open.
ing ol III" alnrc-trad", but am prepared to adj
vocnte with all my niinl an.! strength, the swrrn
stamp The people Of my section as pirates, and
put Stigma upon their institutions 1t is i'm.
possible 10 escal'e the inevitable logic which tn.
senior member from Oho Nir. Gi,!,!inrsl be-
!ieve, uses: it the s!avcr:dc br now piracy. il
always was piracy # the sIavrtradc be now IA
crime a%nins' nmality and religion, il always
was; and The pirates that you would hang to-
day stand on the same footing with nv fore
fnthcrs who employed AMI encouraged their pre-
deccssors. l will nrver Consent, II I can helm
II. to allow tins stigma to remain which de-
grades and puts Il s'ur upon the people of nv
part oi the Ccniederacy. | believe, Mr. Chair.
man, that these are questions that ought to be
lcf as gentlemen have said, to time, and to he
controlled. moreover, by tho Sovereign States
themselves have very grave and serious
doubts about the conslonalitv Of the laws for
the suppression Of the sHve trade. have very
grave and serious doubts whether the consti,H.
uonai power " define an.l punish piracy" gives
Congress the right To say that ....vin- els. sl.,
he piracy than what the Ia ws -: ua.,"n> |, al pre
vlously made SO; nnd the wo,d define" I
think it may be very forcihy argued was only
intended 10 do nwny for the future with am
blGmity, MS to the precise definition Of piracy. us
commonly, but perhaps somewrat vaguely un.
derstood at the lime of the adoption of our
Federal Constitution.
say sir that AIN not prepared to advocate
the re-opening of the save-iradr. do not know
that will ever come TO that conclusion. II is n
purely economical, nnd not d moral or RELIGIONS
question. II England and France continue
covertly to carry il on, may he forced in self
defence, to do The same thing and whether YOU
call it the " coolie system" o. the " involuntary
emigration SYSTEM" l. as one bred and reared
where slavery IL in fnil vigor aud Thoroughly or
gan'zed, know that our system is infinitely mere
humane. Infinitely more gentle, infinitely more
Christian, than the coolie system ever can be.