The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-12-11
We shall now advert briefly TO the effects
of slavery upon
Common Schools and Popular EducG-
ton.


among people: the one is, to Judge by the
number Of children going to school, and
the other, to Judge by the number of grown
people who are unable to read or write
The last census contains returns OF all these
things.
/. The number Of scholars that attended
school during some part Of the year, was in
New England and New York, one to every
four and half white persons; in New Jer-
sey and Pennsylvania, one to every nine;
IN Maryland, one TO every nineteen; IN Viz
GINA, one TO every twenty.one; and IN the
Carolinas, one to every twenty-seven.
2. In respect to the number OF grown
white persons unable 10 read or write, we
have to remark, that the returns OF the cen
sus for all the States, are somewhat delec-
/ tive; for the Southern Sssles exceedingly so,
on account Of the great numbers OF this
class of persons, and their reluctance to
confess their ignorance. The school sys-
TENS in the North have made the number
very small, excepting the foreign enigrants
who brought their ignorance with them. In
the South, not only is the number known
10 be very large, but they are chiefly natives.
Hence il is only in the South, that the de
fects in the returns prevent us from forming
an accurate Judgment Of the amount Of popu-
lar ignorance, resulting from the want Of
an efficient school system. In the returns
for Virginia, there are eight or ten counties
/ in which few or none Of this class were re-
turned; and in many other counties, the
numbers returned are evidently far short Of
the truth. We ought certainly to ado one
third to the total return, to bring 1t near the
truth. The number returned for Virginia
is 5S,7S7: the actual number could not
have been under $4,000. But to be sure Of
not exceeding the truth, We put q to TO-
900. We also put North Carolina al Co.
600, and South Carolina at "a 900; which
exceed the returns, but certainly fall short
of the actual numbers.
By examining the census, we ind that
the adult part Of the population is about
one-half OF the whole. We compare the
numbers Of white adults who cannot read,
with the total number in each State; and
find that in New England, these illiterates
are as one, to one hundred and seventy: in
New York, as one to f(ty.three; in New
jersey, as one to iifty-fve; in Pennsylvania,
as one to forty-nine; in Maryland, as one to
twenty-five; in Virginia, as one 10 five and
a half in North Carolina, as one to foul
and a half and in South Carolina, as one
to five and a half.
We give these only as approximations tc
the truth; but they are sufficiently near to
4 show. beyond any manner of doubt, thai
slavery exerts a most pemicious influence
on the cause Of education. This it does by
keeping the white population thinly scatter
ed and poor, and making the poorer part
them generally Indifferent about the educa
ton of their children.
A similar difference between the free
States and slave States, appears in th'
West, when we compare Ohio with Ken
lucky and Tennessee. -Four times as largt
r a proportion of children attend school IL
Ohio, as in the other two States; while thu
proportion of illiterates is only one-fourtl
as great. On the whole, the evidence oil
this subject is complete and UNREASONABLE
The people in the slave States are not, ant
cannot be, half as well accommodated viii
schools as in the free States; and slavery in
ficts on multitudes Of them the curse o
ignorance and mental degradation througl
life.
Having thus briefly, yet We believe suffl
GENTLY, established the proposition tina
slarery is perniciouS TO The tceJdTe o
, States; we shall conclude the argument b.
establishing the particular proposition. tina
j SLAVERY is pernieiOus TO The ,oettdre o We'
| Virginia. This being contained in tn
> general proposition, does not need any sepa
rate proof yet, lest some people should lima
CINE that West Virginia is an exception
and has not suffered from slavery, We shal
\ demonstrate to you the contrary by plan
lacts-iacts derived from actual experience
ri the very best evidence which the nature c
the case admits OF. We compare the pa:
r progress and present condition of We:
!. Virginia, with the past progress and pre-
q sent condition OF the countries adj acent
!, her.
n Fellow-citizens, has it occurred to you
. notice the fact, that West Virginia is almo
: as large as the State Of Ohio! II the couI
ties Of Allegany and Washington, in Mar
. land. were added to her, she would be lart
1 er than Ohio. "0h, but Ohio is muc
E better country than West Virginia" Abol
= half the State Of Ohio il better, we grant
!, that is, it is better farming country--bl
h the other half is not Sd good. About on
. third Of Ohio consists Of dismal swamps an
poor hills. In mineral wealth our COUNT
is decidedly superior. Taking everything e.
, cept slavery into consideration, we So
s that West Virginia ought now to ha'
n had more than two-thirds as much pop
orl lalion and wealth as Ohio. Our gre
a valley is a comparatively old countr,
"A and naturally no; much inferior to the be
parts of Ohio. But instead of two-thrd
., we have not more than one-fourth OF h
n population and wealth. In proportion
IL our natural resources and actual population
,v we do not grow even one-third as fast
ia Ohio, and our lands in proportion to qua
N ty, are not on the whole more than half
g valuable.
: But West Pennsylvania furnishes COZ
~ parison free from all reasonable objects
mr. or doubt; for il is country in the sar
r. II o,,art,