Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1860-01-14

DWA, SATURDAY, ID
the clause Itself, on which SO much care
and discussion had been employed by the
members Of the convention, was an abso-
lutte nulitY from the beginning, and al
that has since been done under il : ne ere
usurpation. sa "A, ,ssat,s, st...ss..,,,r.,so
: I Ii was well and wise to confer this pow
er on Congress because, had il been left te
the States, its efficient exercise we'd have
been impossible. In that event any onl
State could have effectually continued The
trade not only for itself, but for al! the 9th
er. Slave States, though ever SO much
against their will. And why Because
African slaves, when once brought within
the limits of any one State, in accordance
with its laws. cannot practically besexclu-
ded from any other State where slavery
exists. And even if all The States had
separately passed laws prohibiting the i'm.
portatiou Of slaves, these laws would have
failed of effect for want Of a naval force to
capture the sslavcrs, and to guard the
coasts. Such y force no State can employ
in time of peace without the consent Of
Congress. .,' ,r. ~, -. ... -.
These acts Of Congress, it is believed,
have, with very rare and significant excep,
tons, accomplished their purpose. For a
period of more than hall century there
has been no perceptible addition 10 the
number of our domestic slaves. Daring
this period their advancement in ciyiIiza.
ton has far surpassed that Of any other
portion of the African race. The light
aud blessings of Christiary have been ex.
tended to them, and with their moral and
physical condition has been greatly i'm
proved. .a s..F ...s ...+t ... .a...
Re-open the trade and it would be diff
cult TO determine whether the effect would
be more dsleterious on the interests Of the
master or on those Of the native born
slave. OF the evils to the master the one
to be the most dreaded would be the in
PRODUCTION of wild, heathen, and ignorant,
barbarians among the sober, orderly and
qaist slaves. whose ancestors have been on
the soil for several generations. This
might tend to ,barbarihe, demoralize and
exasperate the whole mass, and produce
nosi deplorable consequences.
The eject upon the existing slave wo'd
if p-sSibie, he still more deplorablc. At
present he is treated with kindness and
humanity. lie Is well fed, well clothed,
and not oyerworkea. His condition is
incompar&blv better than that Of the
coolies which modern nations of high ci-
yi,iza,ion have employed az n substitute
for African slaves. Both the philanthropy
aud the self-nterest of the master have
combined to produce this humane result
Bat let this trade be re- opened, and what
VIII be. the eject? Tho same. to con
siderable extent, as on ncighboring is-
land 1.-The only spct now on earth where the
African slave trade is openly tolerated -
and this in defiance Of solemn treaties
with power abIniantly able a. any mo
-ment to enforce their execution, There
the ma ,ter, intent upon PRESENT gain, cx-
torts from the slave us much labor as his
physical powers are capable Of enduring
knowing that, when death comes TO his
relief, his place can be- supplied at price
reduced 10 the lowest pont by the compe
tition Of rival African slave traders
Sloulu tnlS ever DC lhe case IN our COun-
try-which ! do not deem possible-tbe
present useful character Of the domestic
institution, wherein those TOO Old and too
young to work are provided for with care
and humanity, and those capable of labor
are no. overtaskea, would UNDERGO an un
fortunate change. The feeling of reel
procal dependence and attach Mt which
uow exists between master and slave wo'd
be converted into mu,ua, distrust and hos
tility.
But We are obliged as Christian and
moral ua;ion to consider what would be
the effect upon unhappy Africa itself if
We should reopen the slave trade Thi.