Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-04-03

i've abolition of slavery; dceming it all sufficient
to provide means for the removal of those now
free, and such as, with consent of thcr owners,
shall hereafter become So and leave il to future
events to determine whether any and what lepisla.
tive enactmcnts may DC found necessary to eradi.
cute from State this stain upon hor otherwise
bright escutcheon.
1t may be thought that the committee bave re-.
| commended great expenditures, but they homo i,
will DO considered not only that great evil will be
redresscd, but also that dollar thus
will be returned ten tolG to the wealth of the Stat,
Laying aside all those great considerations, that
would justify far greater expenditure, oven if the
money never i'll any way to be returned
and bringing ourscl, es down, TO look at il as
mere question of profit and loss, wo shall readily
discover that more judicious investment of CAPT.
| tai could not be devised. If wo examine the yau
| alton oflonds, made by authority of the different
States OF the Union. We are struck with tho great
disparity i'm value between the lands of tho FREQ g.
the slave States; this difference is, to every in
stance, against the slave States, it cannot be ac
counted for, OH any other principle than the con-
tinuancc of this unfortunate population in the onc
| and its removal from the other A valuation of
| lands in the United States, was made in 1899;
and again in 1914, which enables us to see the rate
of increase in tho value of lands in tho several
States This gives us similar result, and shows
that the free States increasing far RAPIDLY
not only in population, but in the annual value Of
| their lands. Thus the lands in Maryland will be
| found to have increased in smaller ratio than
those in Pennsylvania; and between Virginia and
IchnSyNahla the difference is still more striking.
Virginia, with 40 millions of acres, having gained
an increase within these Is years, of 81 millions
| OF doliars-whilc Pennsylvania, with only % mil
lions of acres finds increase in the value of her
| lands, OF PA millions of dollars. No reason can
be assigned why the average value oflands of Mary
land should not equal that of the lands of Pcnnsyl-
vania-nor why they should not increase in the
same ratio, except that one is free and the other
n slave state. Let this distinction diappcar-lct
Maryland transfer to her southern border the line Of
separation between the free and the slave States
and, in addition TO all the vast benefits moral and
POLITICAL which she will have gained, the
increased value of her land alone will repay, and
far moro than repay all she may have expend
ed in accomplishing the change. Maryland has
nearly nine millions of acres of land If the aver
age value of those lands shall rise nine dollars Dol
acre, SO as to equal those of Pennsylvania, there
will have been gained in the aggregate wealth of
the State, nearly 81 mlons-a rise of but one
dollar an acre, will give sum more than sufii-
Gent to accomplish the object
| The gain to be thus realized, great as it undoubt-
edly would be- scarcely deserves to be reckoncd
among the multiplied blessings the State would de.
rive from eftecting such purpose-when all her
natural advantages of climate, soil and situation,
are considered, the rich extent and variety of her
mineral and agricultural products, who can tell
what limits to assign to her improvements?
There Is another point of view in which this
subject must bc considered as vitality affecting the
interests Of Maryland. Her climate, soil and pro-
| ductlon, her magnificent estuary, noble rivers and
immense water power, all offering incentives and
promises of reward to industry and enterprise, en-
title her to exhibit population increasing in ra-
tho equal to that OF any State in the Union Let
her increase III this respect be compared with that
OF the neghboring State of Pcnnsyva MA a S! ate
inferior to her in all these advantages-At the
first census of 1890, Maryland had 3l9 1913 inhabi.
tants, and Pennsylvania 34,373 showing diff.
| ference of only lis, 345-now by the last census
1t appears that Maryland has 446, 9l3 and Pennsyl.
yania BAT, 672, the difference now being 900 759
30 that IN 4O years, while Pennsylvania has added
to her population 9l3,279 inhabitants, Maryland
! has an increase of only 1877, l65.-Similar results
are shewn by comparing Kentucky with Ohio and
all the states where the evil are contemplating
exists, with those that have been relieved from it
so that no other cause can be assigned for this sri
KING difference, IL it is put beyond controversy, that
that which rotaTds the of increase in the value
OF our lands rctards equally that which constitutes
the true strength OF state, the increase of our
people. Constituted government is the
continuance of this evil must sink Maryland to the
| lowest rank among the states of the Unon-ts
removal Will elevate her in proportion to her terri
tory and Its advantages TO a level with the highest.
10 this 1T may be added that this all blighting cause
operates to the injury of the state, only numer
really but in infinitely more important respects.
IL dimnishcs not only the numbers but the
strength and happiness, the virtue and intelligence
Oh her people; wherever it appears it presents
perpetual barrier i'll the way of almost cvery
species OF Improvement. The existence of slavery
amongst us, is a leading cause to the emigration
OF the laboring whites from our State and our con-
''ducht sparse Whlte population presents
PciaDic obstacle to the extension and consunma.
ton OF that system of free schools which former
legislatures have been endeavoring to establish
and which have been operating so beneficially to
the north and east of us.
When our lands shall have become peoplcd with
whites and our population thereby rendered more
uensc, That obstacle to the march of mind at once
Will bo removed. And who can say that Mary.
land Will not equal the favored and exalted of
er sister States, not only in population, prospect.
" ana wealth, but in the higher and more noble
endowment of intellectual and scientific attain
ments?
The people of Maryland are therefore invited
ny every consideration that can animate cnlght
ened community to make this effort to place their
otae In the high and happy condition that a kind
providence seems to have destined it to fill Not
ohy are these great inducements presented to them
Out the peculiar situation Of Maryland gives fac.
ties to the efforts she is so loudly called upon to
make, TO accomplish this purpose. Her position
near the free States, will enable her to make the
| change contemplated in her labouring class, with
ease and success. The FREQ white labor of these
states, the overlooking of which now turns ano-
'her course, will be gradually poured into her ter.
rtory, and as the slave retres from her fields they
VIII smile In renewed uxuriance, under the labor
of the free man.
Wmle the committee for the reasons they have |
gwen, decline proposing any scheme for abolition
present or future, they would nevertheless suggest
the Proprety of closing all the avenues by which
inc slave population of the State may be increased
with this view, they recommend a repeal of the |
various savings in the present Acts of Assembly !
whlch admit that class of population to a residence
III the Statc.-The citizens of other States cannot
complain If we do not desire, and will not admit |
however otherwise we might be disposed to well |
come them,) cmlgrants who may among us
attended by population, we are labornp to re- |
move Nor is it unjust to our citizens who may
acquire property of this description in other States