The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-07-03

the land. But the reverse oil this is the cas-
with reference to the free labcrer. He
under the necessity OF feeding and clothin
himself, and consequently, so far from bcin
a charge upon the landlord, furnishes MAJ
ket for the products OF the soil.
This proposition is predicated on tn
known fact that nearly ali The slaves in tn
United States are employed in agriculture
or by agriculturis,s as domestics. OF tn
few who are owned by persons unconnect
ed with tillage, the proposition is not true
because the owner must purchase Of the far
mer whatever is necessary to the mainten
ance of his slave; and the wants Of tn,
sieve, therefore, contribute 10 a market fo
agricultural products. But the number thu.
situated is too inconsiderable 10 affect thu
general principles above laid down. 1t i.
10 be remarked further. that if the planter
Or farmer, employing slaves, fails to main
tain them upon the products Of his own soil
he must make up the deficiency by purchas
ing from other agriculturists; in this way,
the wants Of the slave affords encouragement,
to the agriculture of the State or dstric,
whence their support comes. But this gain
to agriculture i, counterbalanced by the loss
it sustains in the State or district where the
slaves are thus supported.
The proposition above stated, that the ne
necessity of feeding slaves is a burden to the
soil, while the wants Of the free laborer are
conducive to agricultural improvement, will
become evident by cOnsidering,--frst,t that
whatever the free laborer eats ne pays for;
and secondly, tina, if he eat nothing, ii he
were mere machine, the necessity Of pro-
ducing whatever he consumes would be dis
pensed with, and consequently the market
for the products of the soil would be in that
degree narrowed. II the merchant, the me-
chan;c, the professional men, could live in
society without food, il is evident that the
farmer could never employ their services,
for the reason tina, he would have nothing to
pay with. Therefore their wants Eold out
an inducement to the cultivation and i'm
provemen, Of the soil But the laborcr paws
no less than the merchant or LAWYER for VIVA,
he consumes: therefore the supply OF his
wants is equally conducive Of agricultural
improvement In effect, the merchant, me-
chanic, and professional man, are as much
the employees or laborers of the agricul,ur-
lists as he who ploughs his field-they do what
he bids them for consideration: so docs
the common laborer 1t is Of course not
the interest Of the sgriculturiss 10 paw Wa
ges; but. having TO pay them, ii is to his al
vantage that the laborer, in common with
the community at large, is consumer Of
the products OF the soil In like manner,
ii is against the inleres, OF the farmer 10 pay
for the services of the physician or lawyer;
but such expenses must be incurred ply
sicians and lawyers are necessary, and they
must be paid; and they are in that way a
necessary evil, drawback upon the resour.
ces of the farmer But as consumers Of the
products of the soil, their presence is bene-
fetal 10 the farmer. and raises The demand
and the price Of whatever he sends TO mar.
ket. The same is true Of his dealings with
the merchant and the mechanic. The pay.
ment of their bills is contrary to his inter
est, but, as consumers, their presence add,
10 the value of the land, BY enhancing the
value of its products. And in what partic
ular differs the case Of the common !laboreri
He is under no more necessity 10 work with
out wages than the lawyer or physician, the
merchant or tradesman, and he equally pays
for what he consumes; therefore, the mar
ket which his wants create, is equally bene
fetal TO the farmer, and equally promotivt
of agricultural improvement, as that which
is created BY the wants Of any other class o
society. The slave, on the contrary, labor:
from compulsion. He swallowed no wages
and the necessity Of feeding him is so much
loss 10 the master, which it is his interest e
dispense with as far as possible The slav,
lives at the expense OF his master, and o
course, what he consumes can hold out NJ
inducement to improve the soil, but on I'll,
contrary, mus, retard improvement. Th'
free laborer lives at his own expense. AMI
therefore, what he consumes mus, promote
improvement.
The former who employs free labor pre-
fers boarding the laborer, for the reason tina
he thus discharges a large part Of the wage
without advancing money. II the lahore
boards himself his wages are hi CHER. Henc
his wants, like those OF other classes, com
bine to make market for the products O
the soil. But it would be greatly to the ad
vantage of the STAKEHOLDER il his slave coul
maintain himself; in that case, the maste
would reap the whole wages Of the lobors
without any drawback. 1t follows fror
hence, that the abolition Of slavery in I'll
L. States would disburden the landed int
est Of the expense of supporting two and
half millions of people, and at The same tim
would add TO the value of the lands, by opel
ing market in the wants OF two and
half millions. The necessity Of feeding ar
clothing the slaves is drawback upon Il
Improvement OF the land and the abolitio
of the system, by bringing into existence a
equal number Of freemen, who would
under the necessity Of maintaining lher
selves, would be an encouragement to IL
provement. Thus the free population
the Southern States, by the census Of lSi
amounted to four and ,hree-quarter millio
the slave population to about two and
half millions; and, consequently, the
ducement to improve the soil is made up
: these circumstances, viz the prohtab
, ness of growing cotton, tobacco. and otf
: articles for foreign and Northern marke
together with the domestic market, which
. wants Of four and three-quarter millions
: free people create, diminished by the wal
!, Of two and half millions Of slaves, viii