Year: 1859

IdE AMEhlCAN SLAVE IhAUEs


The Washington Union depores the revival Of
the American Slave Trade with Africa, because il
brings up an ugly question, and because, as is now
apparent, the administration dare not interfere, if
it would to prevent it, 1t blames the whole trouble
upon the people of Georgia. If, it says the public
sentiment OF Georgia were not in favor of tbisl
trade it would not be carried on ; it is, the pre-
vailing sentiment being against the enforcement
of the United States laws prohibiting the save
trade, it would be useless for the United States
Government to interfere. Its hands are tied by
the wful wronghcadednesss Of the people of
Georgia. and. therefore it do nothing but wiring
its hands with well simulated despair. IttLinks
the Slave Trade all wrong and bewas the fact
that the people of the South should favor it; but
facts are facts, and how can the government en-
force the law among hostile people2


There is little and but very little, plausibility
in this. If the government really desired to en-.
force the law, it would find no difficulty in doing
it. When Gen. Jackson was at its head he did not
suffer himself to be banked in this way and
when the fugitive slave law is disobeyed at the
North, the hostile public sentiment to it is never
taken into account. That law is enforced on every
offered occasion, at entire recklessness Of cost.
Boston was put in state of sege when a slave
was captured there the army and navy called out,
and $4,000 spent in the cndeavor to force an in
famous law down the :hroats of a reluc,ahtpeople
and we have lately seen the town of Oberlir (O.,)
invaded and score of her citizens marched off to
Cleveland to answer for the crime os aiding q fu,
give to escape, notwithstanding the fact that
ly every citizen OF Oberlin and of that portion of
Ohio is hostile to the Fugitive Slave Law. Why
cannot the same sternness and disregard of pub.
lie sentiment be shown by the Administration in
Georgia as In Ohio and Massachusetts The law
against the Slave Trade is humane law, and that
against Fugitive Slaves is an inhuman one. Adj
NIT thot each is alike unpopular in the respective
sections is the inhuman law, only, to be en-
forced 1t would seem so. The Government dare
not enforce the humane law because that is against
Slavery, and it is dilgent in enforcing the inhu.
man law, because that is in favor of Slavery. The
behests of Slavery must be obeyed by a party and
administration that lives by the sufrance of the
South, matter whether it is the enforcement or
non enforcement Of law that is required. The
difficulty is not really in the hostility of the people
of Georgia to the law against the Slave Trad,
but in the unwi,lingness of the administration to
offend and ALLEVIATE tho South by enforcing it. 1t
is the will and not the way that is wanting.


We may pause here, however, to inquire how it
comes that the'people of Georgia have SO suddenly
changed front on this question. Ten years ago
such thing the revival Of the 4 frcan Slave
Trade was not openly spoken of. No one in the
whole S,uth was bcld enough to propose it. But
now, according to the Union, the sentiment in its


favor is so wide spread that the arm of government
is paralyzed by it. Whose work is this2 We
answer, it is tho result of the base con
cessons Of the Democratic party to Slavery
for the purpose of curr,ing favor with the
South Finding that it was steadily losing ground
at the North it has sold ITSELF body and SOUL to the
South, just rs in legends we are told some desper.
ate men have sold themselves to the devil for the
possession of certain enjoyments for a limited
time The party has, like these ultimately unfor.
tuate men. been LED on from one concession to an
other until it finds itself utterly debased. 1t re.
pealed the Missouri Compromise and conceded
the principle of Squatter Sovereignty took it
back as not going far enough, and conceded the
Dred Scott decision is preparing now to concede
Slave Code for the Territories, and will soon
yield the repeal of the laws against the African
Slave Trade. One after another of the defences
set up by the fathers against Slavery have thus
been swept away, and there remains but li::le to
be done to give Slavery absolute dominion in this
government. That little the present administra'


ton, backed by the party it represents, is prepar.
ing to do, and the first step is to familiarize
the public mind with tie idea that it is inn
possible for the government to prevent the re-
vivai Of the African Slave Trade we must sub
nit to it, the Washington Union argues, inevit'
able. however much me may regreth


No fact could demonstrate, clearer than this, the
necessity for rescuing the government from the
hands of the locofoco party. If the old landmarks
arc not to be swept away-if the public mind is
not to be debased with the logic of the barracoons
If this once proud and noble nation is not given
over to the sway Of fllibusters and pirates, the
government must be rescued from the hands of the
party which now disgraces il. If We had Pres
ident who regarded his oath to enforce the Cons


tuition and Laws, we should have no paintve To-
mentanons from government organs about pub


lie opinion standing in the way Of their enforce
ment. Pray Heaven the opportunity for making
change may not come too late.-Ifas. Gaz.


All that is charged above to the concessions o


the Democratic party is just. Its members are