The Arkansas advocate., 1830-04-07
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 When the gentleman from Massachu settsadopts and reiterates the old charge of weakness as resulting from slavery, must be permitted to call for the proo of those blighting effects which he as .cribes to its influence. l suspect that when the subject is closely examined 1t will be found that there is not much force even in the plausible objection oI the want of physical power in slave holding states. The power of coun- try is compounded of its population and its wealth, and in modern times, where, from the very form and structure of so- ciety, by far the greater portion of the people, must, even during the continu- ance of the most desolating wars, be employed in the cultivation of the soil and other pursuits, 1t may be well doubt ed, whether slave holding states, by req son of the superior value of their pro ductions, are not able to maintain a num- Der of troops in the field fully equal to what could be supported by States with a large white population, but not pos sessed of equal resources.
 1t is a popular error to suppose that in any possible state of things, the peo- pie of a country could ever be called out en masse, or that half or a third, or even fifth part of the physical forces of any country could ever be brought into the field. The difficulty IS not to procure men, but to provide the means of maintaining them, and in this view of the subject, it may be asked whether the Southern States are not source of strength and power, and not of weakness to the country!--whether they have not contributed, and are not now contributing largely to the wealth and prosperity or every State in this Union2 From a statement which 1 hold in my hand, it appears that in ten years, from ISIS to 1897, inclusive, the whole amount of the domestic exports ofthe U. States was s52I ,SIl,0 ,045. Of which three articles, fthe product of slave labor viz Cotton, Rice and To- bacco, o,amountedto S339, ,203, ,232; equal to about two-thirds of the whole. It is not true as has been supposed, that the advantage of this labor is confined al- most exclusively to the Southern States. Sir, am thoroughly convinced, that at this time, the States North of the Po- tonaac, actually derive greater profits from the labor of eHr slaves, than we do ourselves Itappears fromour public do cuments, that inseyen years from 1921 to 1927, inclusive, the six Southern States exported Sl99, 23s7 ,22sI-and imported only S55, ,646,50i. Now the difference between these two sums, (near $40, Ooo,O00,) passed through the hands oi the Northern merchants, and enabled them to carry on their commercial one rations with all the world. Such part of these goods as found its way back to our hands, came charged with the du- ties, as well as the profits of the mer. chant, the ship owner, and host oI others, who found employment in car. rying on these immense exchanges. and for such part, as were consumed at the North, we received in exchange North 5 ern manufactures, charged with an in creased price, to cover all the taxe which the Northern consumer had bee compelled to pay on the imported art cle. It will be seen, therefore, at
 glance, how much slave labor has cor tributed to the wealth and prosperit
 of the United States, and how largel
 our Northern brethren have participates in tile profits of the labor. Sir, on tlii s::hsjsctt, ! will quote an authority, wilicl will, doubt not, be considered by th
 Senator from Massachusetts as entitle. to high respect. It is from the grea Father Of the American System, < hon est Matthew Careyn-no great friend