Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1832-05-17

support Of labor. is not in fact destroyed by
the extinguishment Of slavery, nor even inn
paired, 50 FAR as concerns supply, unless the
labor II now supports is cheaper and better
than that ~bieh would occupy its place This
bring US to the question. and the sole ques-
ton, whether free or slave labor is 20 be pre-
ferred, which has been too often settled both
byreason and experience forus now 20 debate
Here we nigh, leave the question, bu, that
our high respect for Mr. BIS speech and the
great importance attached To it bs our adj
yersaries, induce us to give this main srSu
meni a more thorough examination. Seal the
attention of our readers TO another view OF this
subjectwed do not remember to nave seen urged
in the course ofthis discussion but which strikes
us with force What is It which constitutes
the value Of the slave? We do not mean the
object for which be is valuabied, as Mr.. b.
and ourselves agree that it is his labor; but
we mean the materials, $50 TO speak, which
enter into the composition OF what we will
call his intrinsic valueP Surely the cost of
production, in the case OF the negro as of eve.
~ thing else. The expense of supporting
the mother in sickness, OF feeding, clothing
and rearing the negro in the long interval be-
tween the cradle ana the age al which he can
support himself, is so much of The surplus
product thrown into the shape OF slaves This
goes very largely towards making up the hum
dred million of dollars of which we have heard
so mitch, aud certainly is so much capital de
voted to the support of labor, by keeping up
the supply of iaborers. We have already
answered Mr. BIS objection. that emercipa
would leave us destitute OF laboreFs,
and now we answer the other. that IL would
also leave US destitute OF means of supporting
labor The surplus now directed to the rear
ing of negroes, rs they were removed would
constitute immediately an active fund for the
support Of productive industry, and "a il Iii
miaished in one shape. would increase 10 The
other, until finally as it cease entirely in the
oidtlC "a Slaves II hOulil DtNbIit COihHNAtut
to the support OF free labor. TINS we find,
at least a very large portion of this
500 600 900 which constitutes so formida
bic an array OF figures against us, would only
its character from a fixed to an ac
capital. with how much benefit 10 the
community we shall endeavor TO shew in re
another part of Mr.. BIS, speech Add
TO this. that had We TO hire all our labor we
should find that the same qlantum row. done
by 10000 slaves. might in fact be perform
ed by a much smaller class Of laborers, and
much useless expenditure, in The sup
port of improbable hands aud mouths, might
be applied more productivity We have
families Of ordinary slze, eve in our
with from 10 10 90 negro men, women
children on the lot, whereas to the north.
family of equal size, nay we doubt not the
Indentical families, could live in equal, nay
more comfort, with three servants, and occa
hiring a hand to do some particular
Jobs.
But we must draw our re maIks upon this
part Of MIR. BIS speech to a close, although
in truth facts ana arguments to support our
press upon us in such numbers that
we can scarcely persuade ourselves to break
oft We will only remark that Delaware
more nearly resembles US in locality and cir
than airy other state in which
emancipation has been tried. 10 1880, her
whole population was 50 900. OF which near
5000 were slaves, besides several thou
who had already been em~ancipated.
market value Of these slaves must have
been about 400. 900 Slavery is nearly
extinguished there, but viii any one persuade
Us notwithstanding her continued increase in
population, manufactures and agricultural
that this small community has actu
ally sunk 81, 200, 0o0. and her whole means
Of supporting labor? VIII we not rather
find, hat her means of doing 50 have muir
piled immensely? New Jersey, the nnmter
Of whose slaves was by no means inconside
BILE, would afford another example. But we
must have done.
A POSTSCRIPT from the National Intel
l~igencer dated nine O'Clock, Moray ev:
saws: eve stop the Press to announce
that the House Of Representatives has just
the question on Mr.. Houston's Case,
4 - 49,