Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1844-08-06
From the Democratic Review.
TIE RE ANNEXATION OF TEXAS
IT'S INFLUENCE ON THE DURATION OF
SLAVERY

One Of the arguments in favor of re-
annexng Texas, which was we'll repre-
scented by MIR. Walker in his letter, seems
TO have been overlooked in the more recent
discussions of the question. Even Mr..
Calhoun seems TO suppose that the peculiar
institutions of the South, as it is the fashion
TO call slavery, are TO be rendered more
durable by the annexation; and of the A bo-
litionists, as we'll some of the most ra-
tional opponents Of those institutions, OBJ
lect to the annexation on the same ground.
Both are wrong, absolutely wrong, and a
little attention to facts will prove the error.
So far from perpstuating slavery in the
United States, the annexation of Texas, or
OF the slayeholding portion of it at least,
gives the only we'll grounded hope, accor-
ding to all present appearances, for its ul-
innate extinction. This may appear to be
paradox bu, il is a sober truth, and fully
susceptible of demonstration LIE, US rea-
son coolIy and candidly about this matter,
without regard TO the opposite fanatcsms
which rage on both sides Of it.
Every one who has either thought or
read on the subject, is aware that the value
Of a slaves labor is never equal 10 that of
freeman, and that the expense Of his sup
port is greater. He has less inducement
to work hard, for he gains nothing by il /;
he has no inducement to be thrifty, for It
saves him nothing. He gets his food and
his clothing. whatever may be the crop or
the expenses of making it; and in any
event he gets nothing else. He is there
fore an unthrift, as all are who live from
hand to mouth and he only differs. from
other unthrifts in tbs, that he has no in
ducements TO reform. lie is unskliul.
too: he learns nothing: he has no occasion
to think. Whether he plough deep or shall
low, il is all one TO hlm. Besides, where
slaves are, white men will not work. La
bat is degraded there, and the white free
man is glad to excuse his natural laziness
by refusing TO wear what he calls the badge
of servitude.
The consequence Of this is, that Yam
kee farmer and his sons will live sad grow
rich upon the corner Of a farm from which
IA Virginia planter with his slaves has just
Eeen driven bankrupt. The Yankee
works himself, his sons work at his side,
his wife aud daughters are at work in the
dairy or the kitchen. They study to in
crease the products Of the farm and TO i'm
prove the farm itself, for il is their wealth.
or to be their inheritance.
Go down INTO old Fairfax, in Virginia,
Jus; beyond the Potomac, the neighborhood
ef General Washing on, formerly the gar
den of the South. Ten years ago it was
almost wilderness: like AcrTon dovoured
by his own dogs, the Ianiers have beon
eaten up by their slaves. First, came
mortgages on the proud old homestead ;
then mo tgagcs on the slaves 10 raise mo-
psev TO feed them AT last the sheriff and
lhe old fashioned Virginia gentleman who
used to import his pipe of VINE year and
dove his blood horses to the Springs, has
become julap drInker at the stage house.
or has struck out INTO the world to seek his
fortune. But the land was too good 10 be
lost. The Yankee has bought it. He has
put up the fences, and driven his plough to
the deeper soil, and turned in the clover d;
and old Fairfax is beginning to smile like
a colony of New England.
We have moved one step forward in our
argument for we are agreed now tha. a
freeman can support himself by agricultu-
raj labor where a slave cannot But there
Is another thing to be considered, and that
is skill. Now and then YOU will find in
the South smart negro, who has learned
his trade. Now and then, not often,
trades are not 10 be learned withou; aten-
ton, and few wIl! give much attention to
that which is not to repay them for their
trouble. A skill'Hl slave is worth more to
his master; bat he is worth no more 10 him
sell. II he even makes himself master
workman, he gets no wages; and 1t he is
the verieSt botch, he still gets his two suits
of clothes, his corn-meal and his bacon.-
The slave mechanics are therefore few and
not expert. The great mass of the slaves
ia all countries have always been, and al
ways must be, employed in mere labor, e
commonest labor of the plantation. Taken
as a Eody, they cannot support themselves
by any other agricultural occupations.
Now, agricultural employments require
more ground than any other. a shoe
maker can make his living on six feet
square, place just big enough for his bed
ami his bench. A thousand men can work
in IA single mandatory People who live
bv their wits, thank Heaven, are not ex-
pectcd 10 be great land-hoIders.
Freemen then can be slowed closer and
make a living, than slaves can. The ira
ders, manufacturers, mechanics, probes
Sional men. may be crowded into towns,
so that hundred thousand shall live com
fortably on a square mile OF land. The
slave must be farmer, or rather far
mers laborer, and lazy, unskilltul and
waSteful laborer to boot, who makes small
crops, and requires therefore much land to
raise enough TO clothe and feed him.
Remember this, as n second fact about
which we are not to have any other argu-
ment, let US go on to another topic.
In new countries, where land is cheap,
agriculture is careless. That is TO say, the
farmer picks out the best soil and negects
the worse, and works over The best some
what roughly. When an acre of new land
can be bought for a dollar aud Quarter.
people are not apt 10 pay much for manu-
ring an old one. In a new country. there
fore, population is apt 20 be scattered, only
the best soils cultivated, and those cropped
ha I'd, so as TO make the most out of them
s,r tho ,;p,a Whan thew are eyhausted