Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-02-09

69l The domestic products exported from the
five States above mentioned during the same pc
Rod amounted to 1881, 953, or about ono third
| of the exports Of tho Unon--with a population of
one fourth, their products were equal TO Que third
Again, tho population of PENNSYLVANIA il.
/ l,3I. 613 souls-that of rrin;, ia I0Il
212 souls. The domestic products exported from
the former in 1897, amounted to SO 3ol 99s
while those from the latter amounted to g.. Go
! i37. What do these results provo but that tina
| production Of tho slave States is greater in pro
portion to population, than that OF tho non-s y,
holding StatcSl And such is doubtless In, fact
Tho people of this State, white and black. labor
as advantageously, and produce much as any
equal number OF whites, elsewhere. Whv thcn ia
Virginia poor and in dcbi Not Sir, because she
has nothing for market, but because she is defr,ud
Cd IN the sa)o of hor produce and tho purchas.
OF her supplies from abroad. The course which
commerce has taken, from causes which il is I'M
necessary here to examine, is disastrous in tho
cXtrom", 20 Virginia, as well as the other South
"rn States. Daring the year 1899, tho impsrta
tons to the north of Mason s. Dixon's Ene
amounted to 500, Dol ,96l while those ia ,Lo
SoIih of it were only Sl4,1Sc 566-and yc, tho
products exported from the latter division durinc, tho
sumo period, already stated, exceeded tkos from
tho former, by nearly three millions of dollars. Hcro
lies tho greatest of all our rnisfor,unes. The
Northern States import all the goods and We of
the South buy our supplies from them. They &C,
both as merchants and carriers, and in that com
hihcd character, en.ross the whols commercial
proh,. II is this annual tribute to tho North sn
ERN
the South poor; and it is this same tribute winch
makes the North rich and builds up those splendid
mansions and cities of which we have heard 50
much i'll this debate.
Again, it is said that slavery retards the in
crease ct white population, and for proof OF the
position we arc referred to the comparatively ra-
Pid growth OF the Western States, which is ascri.
neu 10 inc non-existence of slavery in them But
! IT must DO mnfcst TO tho most casual observer
that this circumstance is owing to totally diiTe
rent Causes. Tho tide of emigration is aowino
in ono unbroken current to the wost. The qua ntty
Oh pubic lands thrown into market--tho cheap-
mass and fertility ofthe soil--the ca 80 with which
subsistence may DO there obtained, are objects
which have attracted immense crowds from svarv
direction. Tho drain has been chiefly supplied
by Tho Atlantic states, md it is perfectly in,clli
Si3le that they should remain stationary while the
west is rapidly doubling its numbers IL therefore
the white population of Virginia during the las ton
years has increased only fifteen per cent while that
OF rome of the Western States has been nco rly tw
hundred per cont. can it with truth be attribut cd
TO the influence OF slavery? The nly fair critic
ron is Il comparison between the slave holding and
nonslave-holdng States, similarly situated on
the sea board, and which may be presumed TO have
contributed alike to tho ,peopng OF the West
How will Virginia stand this test? The avcrnUc
increase of population in the u. States durinu
tbs last ten years. is abOnt 80 per cent OF all tho
old thirteen States, only two, Georgia and New
York; arc above the average. There is but a slight
difference between the Southern and the New
England States. The rato of increase of whites
in Virginia, is fifteen per ccnt.-In Delaware it
! is less than six per ccnt.-in New Jersey
fttcen-in Massachusetts sixteen, and in the far
famed Connecticut only eight per cent, Can
there be remaining suspicion, that slavery has
caused emigration from Virginia. or in any man
ner checked hor populatiom7
Even if it were desirable undor any circumstan.
ces to get rid of slaves, this of all others is
the least favorable period 1t is admitted that eve
ry thing is hurrying to the West, so that it is
scarcely possible TO retain poor man here in tho
East, and yet, at this very coniuncturc we are ur
gcd to commence the dcport alton of the whole la
| boring force OF the country. Why, even if you
would pay amply for these slaves, and we could
come into market, with full purse to hire white
lab ourers, it would be utterly impossible TO obtain
them. No, sir, must wait until this mighty yo
umc of population shall have rolled to the base
! of tho Rocky Mountains, and filled up the whole
intermediate Valley. When its refluont snraer be,
| gin to be felt again in the East, and population
becomes abundant, then, If ever, but not BEFORE
this work may commence The greater density
OF population may perhaps compel us to abandon
planting in order to raise the staff offc, and then
from mere calculation of interest," it may be
deemed cxpedient to part with our slaves.
Let us view the subject in what light we choose
there is cause to complain of the internal econ
omy and condition of Virginia. True sir we have
had vivid sketches of the beauties of the North
thor farms, their mansions, and their splendid CT
ties. We have had glowing descriptions too of
the magic change that has been wrought on the
face of the Western world: and then we have list
encd to the wocful tale of Virginia's dccaved and
ruined fortunes. But sir the contrast awakens in
my breast, neither despair, nor discomfort | adj
miro the thrifty genius of the North, and am
proud of the rising greatness of tho West. But |
envy nether-nor do love respect my native
State the less, because it is materially differ ent from
both. Her fields perhaps are not so grccn-nor her
forests so stately-nor her form. so smooth and
neat. Her soil, too, may sometimes be clad with
pines and her hills marked deeply with the track
OF the torrent. But still she has great and peculiar
ADVANTAGES I'm tbp iial mai &c,
lation and productions she Is keeping pace with
nearly all of the old thirteen States Let us cease
to complain that she does not outstrip them. Her
power and resources sufficiently ample to gra-
tfy all my national ambition. There is enough in
her political character-in the honors of the past
in the genius and virtues of her living sons
to salty all my national vanity.
But we arc warned that however happy our con-
dltion may be, can longer cpjoy it in safety
Tie slave population is gaining rapidly on the
white. We already in danger, and arc hourly
becoming moro in controvertng this PROPOSE
ton, must beg to be excused for offering few more
statistical views. l am by means satisfied with
those which have been exhibited. 1t is notorious
that tho free negroes in Virginia, increase with
twice the rapidity of any other description of per-
sons. Great misrepresentation has been caused by
blending slaves with free negrocs-calling them
the 'colored NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the ratio Of
Their combined increase, (Which is greater than
that of slaves singIy) and then using tho
result evidence that slurcs are gain
ing the whites. l discard the free nc
groos from my estimates. The only subject of
inquiry at present is, to the ratio Of increase
of SlHTeS. Tho number Of whites in VIRGINIA i'm
1920, G03,005, and tho number Of slaves
4SS, l53. The increase Of the former from 1920
TO 1880, 81 400 fifteen per cent while
the increase Of the latter, was 1851, or on
ly 10 per cent. The present excess Of whites
over slaves, is 224,7 But there are some who
insist that the East derives security from a po
Pulatlon west of the mountains. What, then is