w
Orleans in 1855, McGimsey of Louisiana introduced a resolution
instructing the Southern Congressmen to secure the repeal of the
slave-trade laws. This resolution went to the Committee on Resolutions,
and was not reported.[4] In 1856, in the convention at Savannah, W.B.
Goulden of Georgia moved that the members of Congress be requested to
bestir themselves energetically to have repealed all laws which forbade
the slave-trade. By a vote of 67 to 18 the convention refused to debate
the motion, but appointed a committee to present at the next convention
the facts relating to a reopening of the trade.[5] In regard to this
action a pamphlet of the day said: "There were introduced into the
convention two leading measures, viz.: the laying of a State tariff on
northern goods, and the reopening of the slave-trade; the one to advance
our commercial interest, the other our agricultural interest, and which,
when taken together, as they were doubtless intended to be, and although
they have each been attacked by presses of doubtful service to the
South, are characterized in the private judgment of politicians as one
of the completest southern remedies ever submitted to popular action....
The proposition to revive, or more properly to reopen, the slave trade
is as yet but imperfectly understood, in its intentions and probable
results, by the people of the South, and but little appreciated by them.
It has been received in all parts of the country with an undefined sort
of repugnance, a sort of squeamishness, which is incident to all such
violations of moral prejudices, and invariably wears off on familiarity
with the subject. The South will commence by enduring, and end by
embracing the project."[6] The matter being now fully before the public
through these motions, Governor Adams's message, and newspaper and
pamphlet discussion, the radical party pushed the project with all
energy.

82. ~Commercial Conventions of 1857-58.~ The first piece of regular
business that came before the Commercial Convention at Knoxville,
Tennessee, August 10, 1857, was a proposal to recommend the abrogation
of the 8th Article of the Treaty of Washington, on the slave-trade. An
amendment offered by Sneed of Tennessee, declaring it inexpedient and
against settled policy to reopen the trade, was voted down, Alabama,
Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Virginia
refusing to agree to it. The original motion then passed; and the
radi