Baltimore commercial journal, and Lyford's price-current. [volume] (Baltimore, Md) 1840-1849, 1847-09-11


soon doubt, The product of Louisiana, the
average product, for five years, from lo4o to 1915
inclusive, was, -,
III 900 hhds sugar, at $50 per hid %. s. 1900
5,S50,0OO gals molasscs, at % cts. i lO'uOo
$4,000 bales of cotton at 5 80 per bale, lOoOo,Vou
Making a sum total of...... ......S l9,o9U'V"u
This may cxtravagant; but it is the report OF
the Chamber of Commerce of New Orleans, in reply
TO questions propoundCd by the Secretary OF the
Treasury and is doubtless correct At present, the
greatly larger and the cotton crop small
or, than they here set down, though the pro-
creds Of the crops, in money, is about the same.
The annual expenditure for machinery, engines ket-
ties, mules, horses and oxen, is estimated, by the
Chamber Of Commerce, at Ss7O,OOO; but place 1t at
million, and then Louisiana draws an annual IN
come from her slave labor of s II 100000. Suppos-
ing the slave population of Louisiana to be 2OO,OOO,
during the five years from 1910 10 lSi5 inclusive as
the of $40 gave to her los i52and that cS-
innate makes the production of each slave in the
State, man, woman and child, amount to the sum OF
cighty-cight dollars and forty five cents
1t would be gratifying to me to be able to present
/ TO you some precise information OF the profits OF
slave labor in the Cotton States of Alabama and Mis-
slSSippi, but have not the necessary statistics and
shall not indulge myself with coniccturcs. As the
lands of Louisiana are greatly fertile than those
OF either of these States and the great staple sugar
and more profitable culture than cotton, the prohtS OF
slave labor doubtless much greater in Louisiana
In Virginia have, or had IN 1910, according 10
the census Of that year, AS, 9S7 slaves. The pro
duct OF their labor, can arrive at II from
such information as falls within my reach, may be set
down as follows:
Tobacco-44 500 hhds. at $40, is.......S $50
Corn-lSO,O 900 BUSH, consumed by 10000
slaves engaged in manufactures 10000
bushels, at 90 cents, .............,.. 100000
export. ........... .............. 1851 sos
Cotton, exported abroad and cOastwisc.. 453,iOS
$4,000 negroes engaged in mining and
manufacturing, at ! 40 each ......... 1,6S0,0OO
tpt al .Is Of u. l.,Ip in,
Virginia -. ....... ,.......,..... SS9,S2l ,io5
This calculation makes the average product OF each
slave in Virginia, little twcntytw dollars.
Thus, see, that the profit of slave labor in Louis
lana Is more than four times greater than its profits
in Virginia. / have been aided i'll these estimates
by an intelligent commercial friend of Richmond,
and though they profess TO be but approximations TO
truth, they perhaps enough to it for all
practical purposes. 1t may however be conceded,
that, in Louisiana, larger portion OF the negroes
are working hands, and some allowance should be
made on this account; yet after all, the difference i'll
the rates OF profit between the states is enormous.
But that there may be no mistake let us look at this
subject from another point of view. From personal
observation, aided by the strctcst enquiry believe
that hand on the good sugar lands OF Louisiana
will produce, average, six hOgshcads of sugar.
weighing 1000 pounds each, which at six cents per
pound, the present price, is ............. S3GOOO
And $40 gallons molasses, at % cents 6OOO
$4,000
From which, after dcducting for clothing,
taxes, pork, mules machinery, Sc. 10000
a slave for a year. ................. $4,000
| On the best lands in Virginia faircrop
to each hand, would be 1900 pounds of to-
bacco at cts ...,......... .... SIS 90
And 60 bushels Of wheat at 80 cts per bush. .54 90
1900
Dcducting expenses, such as taxes, tools,
medicines, &c, l5.OD; and average cost
Of transporting 90 bushels of wheat and
HID. of tobacco to market, HOO
making together, ............. 2gOO
Would leave profit for each efficient hand of $ 100.
This is far beyond the yield in the States of
North Carolina and Virginia, at least in sections
of them but may be assumed, and then the profits of
! the Virginia and Louisiana planters, to each
other in the ratio of 100 dollars TO 300 dollars. II
we were TO state the average disparity, in the ratio
Of three hundred and twenty TO scvcnty-livc, we
should be much nearer the truth.
The inference seems to be very clear, if there be
the remotcst approach to accuracy in these cacua-
tions that large portion Of negroes should be
sent to the Southwest. This removal should com
mence with the large Shareholder. who
works eight or ten hands, and lives on his land
with his family, gains considerable profit in having
his own wants supplied He consumes all his corn,
most Of his wheat, his beef his pork, and his lambs
His wool he makes up into clothing for his family.
In short, he has to all ntents and purposes, market
at home for his surplus produce after feeding and
clothing his negroes.
Such this would not, perhaps, better his
condition by the sale removal Of his negroes But
doubt whether every man who owns more than ten
working hands, would not be better off, by the sale
or removal of all beyond that number. But shall
wet may be said shall we part with so large a
portion of our labor, and leave lands TO waste;
Certainly if the labor be unproductivc, it folly tc
keep it. The slave adds nothing to the moral OF
physical strength of the country, and if his labor be
proftlesS, Of course he is nuisance, and the
we rid ourselves of him the better. His place will
soon be supplied by better population and in the
mean time the poorest lands will be thrown out Of
cultivation, and the labor remaining, be concentrated
! on those that more fertile. Indeed, am moi
certain but that in this way the exports OF the State
would not increase, instead Of being diminish he'd fol
the poorer lands in cultivation scarcely produc,
returns beyond the support of the laborcrs who cul
tiyate them. a fellow countryman and friend O.
\ mine, who has lately removed his negroes to the
Southwest, and Is plain, sensible practical calcu
y lating man, assured me that for time back, he
had lost the full value Of his land every year thai
he had cultivated it. That is, the difference in tn,
income from his negroes in Virginia, and the same
negroes on the Mississippi, equal to his estimate
Of the value of his land in the county of Halifax.
The great obstacle in the way of carrying out thi;
scheme of removal, is the rcpugnancc Of the Virgins
and North Carolina STAKEHOLDER TO parting from his
slaves ] respect this feeling But if the owner
would sell them in families, and the necessary
prccauton to procure good masters in the Southwest
doubt not but that they would be benefited by
removal. The negroes Of Louisiana get a half pound
Of the best sailed pork, half pint Of molasses and
an ample supply Of corn bread each day. ThciI
houses better, greatly better than in either of
States, and the clothing better and more comfortable
, The labor during the grinding rolling i.
very hard but it lasts but two weeks. For the res
of the year more labor is or need be required
than in the tobacco and wheat crops. So that the
of humanity, the negro is rather gamer thar
loser by his removal. The climate of the South
west agrees admirably with the African constitution
DOM ESTIC NJ RKETS.