Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-05-07
Communicated.
VIEWS

Offbe Benepoleni Society OF neI"""" !" u,
u,sIioyaiiag and improving me c0na'1'o" q '"e
People Of Color.
ON THE COMPARATIVE COST OF FREE AND SLAVE
LABoUR.
7, h,s beep too much the custom ofthose who
have treated on the subject Of Slavery in this
co,r,rv IN overlook the interests OF the master
and his pos,eri,y, while they have been contem-
Mating the deplorable effect it produces on the
slaves. We shall, therefore, direct our atten-
tion frs, TO the relative cost Of free and slave
labour. and the effscls Of each upon public and
individual prosperity.
The produc tiveness and economy oil la0our,
being the only foundation on which nationai
wealth can be established, il becomes an enqui-
nv of the first importance, whether the labour oil
freemen or oil. slaves is the cheaper 10 the en-
ployer9
at is" saws CIark.op, Gan old maxim, as old
as the DAYS of P'iny and Columella, and con-
frmed by Dr. Adam Smith, and all the modern
writer's on polite al economy, that the hu6our 81
6reemen is cheaper than The a6om of slgres .
1t is acknowledged by all persons who have
visited the different States Of this confederacy,
tina, the n-slaveholdirg states generally exhi-
bit a striking superiority over the others,in the
value Of their permanent improvements, IN the
cultivation Of their lands. aud In the industry
and general competency OF their inhabitants.
Their superiority in pecuniary resources IS al
so proven BY the great public works thew have
executed the large capital they have invested
in manufactures, and the great extent OF their
commerce. They are, therefore, richer IN eve
nv respect, than the southern and middle states,
and from whence does this superiority arise,
if not from the greater producIiveness OF Free
than of Siave labour? The soil and climate OF
the slase-holding states, are generally Ia" better
adapted for producing the necessares and com
forts Of life, than the bleak and rocky shores OF
New England; and at least equal in this respect
10 New York or Pennsylvania. Virginia has
also been longer settled than any Of these, and
ought therefore, to be further advanced In opu
lence and improvement.
II may, perhaps be replied, that foreign com
merce AMI domestic manufactures have enrich e
ed the eastern aud northern states; but why
should not Virginia and Maryland have equal
lv shared the advantages of these lucrative en-
ploymrnts! They have as fine bays, as noble
rivers, and as good harbOurs as the other states
They produce a greater variety and abundance
Of commodities for expectation, and OF mate
riais for manufactures. Water power Is not
wanting, and capital will always How where
profts NAV be reasonably expected. But the
cially where slaves are most numerous, is the
cause why we cannot compete, with the non.
slave holding states, either in navigation or
manufactures Slave labour is too dear TO come
into competition with the production OF free
labour without ruinous loss 10 the MASTER
The existence Of slavery has also the effect oil
driving away many Of the best Of the labouring
classes of whites, anG Of corrupting those who
remain, so that they are unfit for any useful EN-
plovment.
But foreign commerce is not absolutely ne
cessary to the prosperity Of state. Ohio has
scarcely any foreign commerce, yet the rapid
increase Of her population, the excellent culli-
walton OF her lands, the progress OF her Domes-
tic manufactures, and the extent OF her public
works, now in progress, announce degree oil
prosperity hitherto unexampled III so young a
state. and cali for the admiration Of all who
visit that peaceful and happy community -
Although al SO great distance from the sea-
bosrd. she already completes with US in one oil
our staple commodities. Her tobacco, Guilt
waited by free labor, after being transported 500
miles in, wagons, is sold in our markets, & at
fords a better prof, to the grower than is yield
ed TO the Maryland and Virginia planters, who
have market al their own doors. This Is, we
think. most conclusive evidence OF the greater
economy of free chan Of slave labour, and the
same state exhibits no less evidence OF the
moral effect Of free population in promoting
public enterprise, general intelligence, and Sir-
tuous habits
Within few years past a number OF manu-
e,e,or;es have been established in the neighbour
hood of Baltimore, which are almost entirely
carried on by free labour. The circumstance
of their employing free labonr in slave-hold'
ine country. shows that they have found 1t
more to their interest to do so. lthas no doubt
been found that they could not in any other way
bring their fabrics into successful competition
with those made in the Eastern states. But
sill il is found that some kinds OF domestic
do not flourish there to the same
extent that they do in the free states, and the
only reason that can be assigned for it, is; the
character Of the population The wages Of the
iahourer must always be- sufficient TO maintain
h;,, and in MARYLAND il costs him more to
maip,ain himself, than it does in New Englrnd;
because slavery has introduced into his neigh
borhood ,ha. wan, Of domestic economy which