The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-02-11


The federative Convention. or Conorass ,
the seeded States Of South Carolina, Georg
Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisian
In session at Montgomery, Alabama, has q,
compiished the task Of organizing Provisions
National Government, and the details thereo
80 far as ascertained, are before our readers
First. constitution has been adopted to col
| tinue in force one year from and after the il
| auguration Of the Provisional President electe
under 1t, said constitution being substantial
that OF our United States II embraces, how
ever, q section expressly forbidding the Afr
can slave trade, provision giving to its Con
gress the power to prohibit the introduction o
slaves from any State not member of the con
federacg, rigid provision for the reclamation
OF fugitive slaves, and provision for the sci
tlement OF all matters between the States OF TN
new eonfederacy, land their late confederate
OF the United States, in relation to the publ,
property and the public debt" of the lat,
Union, at the time Of the separation respective
iy Of the former States from the latter.
These are important and very suggestive,
constitutional stipnlations. This prohibition
OF the African slave trade, for example, dss
pates that industsieasly circulated Northern
ant'-siavery idea, that the great incentive, OBJ.
Ject and purpose Of these seeded States has
been and is the revival Of the African slave
traffic. Now it is to be hoped that our repub-
lean agitatorS Of this dreadful scheme will be
relieved Of their apprehensions. II these radi-
cal cNffaa Gfatou in IL a
re-establishing this African traffic has been ad-
vocated, seize the first opportunity unanimously
to repudiate it, surely we need fear no. dan
ger Of the repeal of this organic law, with the
absorption into the new conrederacy Of the
border slave States or any OF them
But the power with which the Provisional
Congress OF this Southern confederacy il in
vested, ITO prohibit the introduction of slaves
from any State not q member OF the confede-
racy," involves very significant stroke OF
policy. 1t is simply Q warning to the bevder
slave States, and to North Carolina and, Ten
nessce, that in making their election between
the general government at Washington and
that at Montgomery, they must act upon the
alternative of losing OF retaining the rrofita.
BILE market for their surplus slaves which they
have thus far possessed in the cotton States All
the Southern States still remaining in the
Union, excepting Arkansas, are producers of
slaves for sale. We believe that the proceeds
of the annual sales Of slaves in Virginia alone
to planters in the cotton States exceed, twenty
millions Of dollars. Maryland, in the same
way, disposes of still larger number in pro-
portion to her slave population, as is indicated
in the diminution of her slave aggregate &C
c0rding to the late census. Missouri has, also,
become large exporter southwark of slaves,
the increase in this class Of her
population during the last ten years. North
Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky derive also
considerable margin of solid profits
from their sales of slaves to the cotton and
sugar planters of the seeded States.
Our slave producing States, therefore, are
now reduced to this nice alternative OF mar
ket or no market for their surplus negroes
We apprehend, too, that the result will be tina
accession to the Southern con'ederacy of SAID
States, in order to revan all the advantages thus
offered them and TO secure the mutually pro.
tective benefits Heterogeneous institutions. Be-
tween the suggested exactions Of this Southern
coufederacy ard the anti-slavery power of the
North, what other course, for instance, can V,r-
GINA take in default of new securities from the
North, broad and full, than the bleaai"~
cou,,,,oa ,,;,,, .hoa. =, :. .s OF her
rar--' -~o Soulerh cohieuc
---~Js
But, again: The provisional constitution in
question provides that the Congress thereof
"shall have power to lay and collect taxes,
duties. imposts and excuses, for revenue Reees-
sary to pay the debts and carry on the govern
ment of the confederacy." The Congress thus
e,,,o.vArad to act il that which is now in ses-
sion at Montgomery. To renuo. ..~ 'Apisia''Se
powers conplete and effective, it has elected
Jefferson Davis, Of Mississippi, and Alexander
H. Stephens, of Georgia, the Provisional Presi.
dent and Vice President Of the confederation
In lieu of Cabinet the President has been
authorized to appoint Congressional comm,t
tees on foreign, financial, military, naval anc
postal affairs so that from this little Gle
mentary Congress we find that all the depart
ments ana officials Of compact republican
government have been extracted, and the whole
system has been put into practical workin.
order.
There i. is: The systematic initiative gov
eminent of an independent Southern confede
racy, Org anized, located and in practical opt
ration within fifty days from what was cons
| dered the ridiculous secession ordinance Q
South Carolina. In Thu government six State
are embodied. Two others-Texas and Arkar
sas-wiil shortly join it; but if this enterpris
threatened to go no further, we might fee
comparatively sure of some satisfactory n
construction OF the Union, Southern col
federacy and all, in good season. But Virgini
| and the other border slave States exceptin
| Delaware, may be lost to the North. They ar
only awaiting the issue Of compromise or n
compromise from the present Congress. VIVA
will &c the RESULT We apprehend it will b