The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-10-29

convention. IL was a most noole gamer
ing OF men-the educated, caTnes., NOs-
| porous democracy OF the South come 10
/ deliberate for a week In a pending crisis
wRsn involved their all They fest deep
/ ly the awe OF the situation. They ar1ed
calmly
1t was at this great and decisive meet
/ ing that the memorable debate occurred
between Mr.. Roger \. Pryor, the young
editor Of The South, weekly, published
at Richmond, OF extreme southern rights
character, supported by William BuAard
Preston and Henry w. HilhaId, on our
side. and william Lowndes Yancey,
lawyer OF Montgomery. on the other SIDE.
The report of the committee from the
Knoxville meeting of the year before
was submitted by its chairman, J. ID. Il.
De Bow. editor OF De Bows Review,
South Carollnlan then domic.led in New
Orleans The report was favorable 10 the
re-opening of the trade. Just about that
time some five hundred Africans had
been landed from a SLAYER on the coast
o. Georgia. and prominent Georgian were
being pursued I'm the Federal courts as
participants In the crime OF Importing
them.
DE Bows report was debated and post
poned for action until the meeting of
1859. appointed for Vicksburg, Miss.
Referring to Mr.. Yancey's speech, or
rather speeches, tor he spoke the greater
part of two days, DR.. Mcclure says Mr..
Yancey. in an able and powerful speech,
urged that the African slave trade be
revived" DR.. Mcclure has fallen into
an error, not peculiar TO himself, but
one which greatly annoyed Mr. fancey
I'm his lifetime. and which'he studiously
d - -
/ Will relate one example OF his correc-
tons. In the Alabama secession conyen-
| ton Mr.. Yancey warmly supported res
olution Of instructions TO the Alabama
delegates to the proposed Provisional
Congress of the Con. ederacy, requiring
them 10 vote for proyiso Of the Consu-
tuition of the COnfederacy forever pro-
hibiting the African slave trade. He said
In that speech that he apprenended few
public men had been more industriouSly
misrepresented than himself on this sub
feet OF the resolutions; that he was not
and never had been TN favor OK re-openlng
the trade: that Virginia and Maryland
would continue % send all the negroes
20 the cotton States that It was desirable
20 have. (See Smiths Debates)
Mr. Yanceys position moy be briefly
stated. He conteuded that IL was ques-
tion for adjudication whether the consul
tuition gave Congress the right 10 make
piracy OF a trade for instance the
African slave trade, upon which the social
.sbric OF half the States was founded;
whether Congress had the right to declare
the particular trade piracy" which the
constitution specially forbid any hostile
LEGISLATION against prior to- 1905, twenty
years after the formation OF the govern
ment: whether the positive forbidding
bv the constitution OF any interference
with the African slave trade. specially
des gnated and protected trade prior 70
1878. left Congress free 20 forbid II aiter
that date: whether the forbidding ultl-
matelv OF an original constitutional guar
antee. existing In the form Of q compro-
rnise between the sections in an organic
law. could become valid under any enact
ment less than a constitutional amend
ment
Me-srs, Pryor and Preston, Of Virginia,
and Mr.. Hniard of Alabama, contended
for unconstitutional rejection Of De Bow
report favoriRs. the re-openinS OF the
trade
Mr. Yancey saw his opportunity 70 dis
cuss the encroachmcnts Of the Abolition
lists upon the constitution, in resisting a
summary rejection u the motion OF MI
PRYOR Hence the debate ard the nnal
Vicksburg convention.
DR.. Mcclure is bold and opportune In
denouncing the allegation Of Fiske and
other so-called historians who falsely pre-
tend that the South fought FOR the perpet-
nation OF slavery. As / have just said,
Alabama led in demanding that the con-
sti'ution NJ the Confederacy should forever
prohibit the African slave trade. That pol
icy once put into erect. time was the in
. A Frf.. al.
A property status could not possibly at
tract TO labor the moment the property
value became higher than the value Of
the products Of the labor Cotton could be
kept al ten cents by white producers and
by improved methods Of cultivation.
Negro slave cotton producers could not
be kept down 10 Sl000 per head when coal
mining. iron manufacture, railroad build
ing etc. came in 10 compete for NEGRO
slave labor In the Birmingham district
to-day are many coal mine and ore mine
operators who owned i'm 1860 a quarter
Of a million dollars In cotton field negroes.
Must they not have sold them by now TO
have invested In wage employing mines,
rather than retain them In the less profit
able employment Of the cotton field?
The record stands. General Lee. the
commanding General OF the Confederate
armies voluntarily manum'tted his
slaves Mr. Yancey. the oratorical agi-
tator OF the constitutional principles
which were attempted by the Confsderacy
was a leader in the policy Of rejection
by the Confederacy Of the African slave
trade. thus fastening the maturity OF the
institution Of slavery and provid ng for
the industrial economy which must have
worked out the final emancipation OF
labor from the status Of prosperity to the
status OF wages
DR.. Mcclure relates that President Lin
coin pronounced the Union lnd'ssolub!e
because the Southern ports on 10 per cent
duties would cut of this revenue OF the
port Of New York and starve the northern
nation. II IS important TO remember that
upon the organization of the Provisional
Government at Montgomery and the APP
pointment Of Mr.. Yancey al the head OF
the commission to go to Europe TO sue
for recognition Of the new born Republic
he asked to be instructed TO offer 10 the
commercial nations Of Europe, England
and France. treaty quite similar 10 the
treaty which Gen. Washington asked
successfully, the Congress TO negotiate
with France and Spain.
Mr.. Yancey. at the suggestion Of Mr.
Rhett. Of South Carolina, asked TO be
permitted TO offer European powers a
contract ~ twenty years' duration. fixing
the duties at all Southern ports at 20 per
cent. ad valorem.A bill was offered In Con-
eress embodyinc these views. but reduc-
ing the time to six years. Mr.. Rhett re-
fused 20 accept this reduction OF time,
and this bill failed. The commission 10
irope was thus doomed To failure and