{"id":84778,"date":"2020-03-03T02:35:48","date_gmt":"2020-03-03T07:35:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cw-chronicles.com\/blog\/?p=84778"},"modified":"2020-01-11T23:37:46","modified_gmt":"2020-01-12T04:37:46","slug":"sale-of-slaves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.cw-chronicles.com\/blog\/sale-of-slaves\/","title":{"rendered":"0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Warning <\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The following article contains wording that is offensive to many in the world of today. However, the article is provided unedited for its historical content and context.<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Natchez Daily Free Trader<\/em> [MS], March 3, 1860<\/p>\n

For the Free Trader.
\nCommunication.<\/p>\n

Editor of Free Trader:–<\/p>\n

The earnest appeal contained in the two columns of the Courier<\/em> in its issue of the 29th \u00a0inst., in behalf of the much abused negro traders, from its urgent character and potent reasoning, \u00a0has attracted the attention of all of its readers.<\/p>\n

The Courier<\/em> truly says Natchez has become drowsy and she may, with some little justice, \u00a0be termed “old fogy.”<\/p>\n

When we first commenced the perusal of the article so attractively headed, we fully \u00a0expected that some great scheme of improvement was about to be suggested, which was destined \u00a0to arouse the sleeping city from her lethargy. But “Mirabile Dictu,” what was our astonishment \u00a0to find the remedy prescribed for the somnolent patient was calculated to infuse into the veins a \u00a0deadly poison; in one word, the city of Natchez must be made a slave depot, or else sink into \u00a0utter insignificance. Rather than see her revenue derived from this source of commerce, the \u00a0majority of the people would unhesitatingly say, “let her sink into oblivion.”<\/p>\n

The Courier complains that the ordinance prohibiting the sale of slaves within the city \u00a0limits is still enforced. It argues that such traffic is not a nuisance or dangerous to health, and \u00a0consequently Natchez should, like other cities, allow and encourage this branch of commerce. \u00a0We assert that a slave mart in any city or anywhere else is a nuisance. Did any man of any \u00a0sensibility ever pass one of these slave depots without experiencing a sense of unutterable \u00a0disgust for the whole trade? we think not; and the experience of those living in cities contiguous \u00a0to these depots, would testify that they were nuisances, and grievous ones at that. Even driven \u00a0beyond the limits of the city, located at the convergence of two of the most frequented \u00a0thoroughfares leading to the city, it is a great nuisance; a nuisance to those gentlemen and their \u00a0families who are compelled to pass the tempting Bazaar, tastily arranged with the choicest \u00a0commodities of the slave dealer; a nuisance to the seeker for health and pleasure in his rides over \u00a0the best of roads in the county; a horrid nuisance to those living in the neighborhood of \u00a0“Niggerville.”<\/p>\n

If, then, it is a nuisance there, how much greater nuisance would it be to some of our \u00a0merchants. How think you they would like to be next door neighbors of a negro shop. Their \u00a0lady customers would certainly enjoy the contiguity in their shopping excursions. How think \u00a0you that the editor of the Courier would like to have one of these establishments adjoining his \u00a0sanctum. As to a sanitary point, no foresight could prevent the importation of contagious \u00a0diseases by negroes coming from all sections of Kentucky, Missouri, Virginia and Maryland, \u00a0even if we were disposed to impose the task of examination upon the health physician. We could \u00a0cite instance where diseases have been brought even to the Forks of the Road; and it would be \u00a0exceedingly dangerous to have importations of negroes, one or two hundred at a time, brought \u00a0into the heart of the city.<\/p>\n

Now let us look at the arguments of the Courier: No. 1, The editor of the Courier<\/em> \u00a0anticipates a large increase to the city revenue, say in the sum of $3000 or $4000, by the tax on \u00a0sales of slaves in the city, which sum would gravel and keep in repair all the streets and pay the \u00a0gas bills of the city. Now, we beg the editor’s pardon, he being City Printer, one of the City \u00a0Fathers and Chairman of the Gas Committee, for differing with him; we would, however, call \u00a0his attention to these figures. He must certainly have seen the statement made by the City Clerk \u00a0of the expenditures and liabilities of the city for the year 1859. In that we find the expenditures, \u00a0on account of roads and streets, to have been $9318 46; on account of gas, deducting the price of \u00a0lamps, $3808 70; total, $13,127 16. The $3000 or $4000 would, it seems, fall short of the \u00a0required amount, particularly as Natchez must renew her youth and be a little faster in future. \u00a0Again, we would ask the editor of the Courier<\/em> if he has ever glanced at the Auditor’s tabular \u00a0statement, found in his report to the Legislature, November 7th, 1859, for the year 1858. The \u00a0Courier<\/em> asserts that the amount of slaves sold in the county, per annum, is upwards of two \u00a0millions of dollars. By reference to the Auditor’s report above referred to, he will see the amount \u00a0of sales of slaves, horses and mules reached the sum of $25,985.00. That this return is correct, \u00a0we will not venture to say, but, as these injured slave traders [who are so mercilessly driven into \u00a0shanties out of the city] make their returns on oath to the Assessor, we must take it for granted it \u00a0is correct. Certainly there is a great discrepancy between the Courier’s<\/em> statement and the negro \u00a0traders. The revenue then to be derived from these sales, at an assessment of three-tenths of one \u00a0per cent., would amount to about $77 95. What becomes of the Courier’s $3000 or $4000. \u00a0Where is the revenue to be derived. “O Tempora! O Mores!” figures will not lie.<\/p>\n

No. 2, The editor argues that, by receiving and encouraging these slave depots in the city, \u00a0a great convenience would be afforded the purchasers. True, it would be just as easy to step into \u00a0the shop and buy a negro as it would a cigar or a drink. We take it that too many facilities are \u00a0already given to the trade.<\/p>\n

No. 3, The editor of the Courier argues that by taxing the sales of slaves with an \u00a0additional city tax, would reduce the price. Now, we should like to see the editor’s text book on \u00a0political economy. It is a new principle of that science which teaches that taxation reduces the \u00a0price of an article.<\/p>\n

No. 4, The Courier argues that the sales of slaves in the city would stimulate business, \u00a0encourage mechanics and the business portion of the community. We venture to assert that not \u00a0one cent’s worth of trade or building would accrue from this contemplated change. Probably a \u00a0few shanties might be built, but the merchants sale would not increase one dollar.<\/p>\n

No. 5, The Courier argues that, if the ordinance is not repealed, these useful migratory \u00a0tradesmen that bring so much wealth with them in the Fall, and take away so much more from us \u00a0in the Spring, will be driven off. We say we would gladly see them go. Then our people would \u00a0only purchase for themselves at the prices the negro traders buy at. We would not then act \u00a0contrary to the policy of the South by draining the border States of their negroes and thus weaken \u00a0their interest in the institution of slavery.<\/p>\n

The whole traffic is wrong; I am, Mr. Editor, no freedom-shrieker, as you well know, but \u00a0a native Mississippian, zealous for the interest of the State. It is against the policy of the extreme \u00a0Southern States to withdraw the slaves from the border States and thus abolitionize them. We \u00a0increase our slave population, but not our votes in Congress.<\/p>\n

In conclusion, Mr. Editor, we beg pardon for our lengthy letter. The article in the Courier \u00a0has astonished many, as we considered the editor of that paper an anti-slave trade man.<\/p>\n

Yours, &c.,<\/p>\n

A Planter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Warning The following article contains wording that is offensive to many in the world of today. However, the article is provided unedited for its historical content and context. Natchez Daily Free Trader [MS], March 3, 1860 For the Free Trader. Communication. Editor of Free Trader:– The earnest appeal contained in the two columns of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":84774,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-84778","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news-of-the-day"},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/www.cw-chronicles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/natchez-Daily-Free-Trader.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cw-chronicles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cw-chronicles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cw-chronicles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cw-chronicles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cw-chronicles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84778"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.cw-chronicles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84778\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cw-chronicles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.cw-chronicles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cw-chronicles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.cw-chronicles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}