Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-04-04
From The. Columbia Telegraph.
COMPARATIVE PROSPERITY OF THE
NORTH AND SOUTH.

NORTH AND SOUTH.
We alluded some days since TO the
remarkable results obtainedby Mr.. Fish
er of Cincinnati, from a comparative
estimate Of IT.. production, population.
and prosperily:of The different sections,
drawn from The statistics Of the respec-
tive States. We append 10. day a por-
ton only of 'Iose proofs which. must,
work convictiiaupon the eminds of those
hitherto the m5st: despondent and des'
pairing as 10 oar actual position.
AS tile calculations of the Northern
man no suspicion Of unfairncss eau ats
,acll to ,hem-for he is apparently one
who If he loves his own section. much,
loves truth and fair dealing yet more.
Ii is high tIle for the Southern mind
10 be disabused Of lhe, great error which
has weighed down3upon it like a night
mare So long: 81, S.. *.
Alter alludilg.io the universality Of
the false impl tssion North and South,
Mr.. Fisher thus breaks the bubble, 3
"The first object Of civilized life is 10
accumulate. wealth, as on that depends
Improvement j. science and the arts, and
the supply. of-zlhesmuliplied wants Of
society inthats,ate. a.e.
"And hcncs,.it is that tho South is.
declared to, be falling behind the civil.
zation of the age, and is advised to
abandon her peculiar institution in order
10 avoid the disastrous condition of fig-
norance and. barbarism that awaits her.
Snow in am age like this. .,ofpre. emf
nenl intelligence, with the schoolmasters
all abrcad-with the universal diffusion
CT the press, and The post, and on
question like his, Of The first magnitude,
and the least complexity, and whilst the.
people Of the two sections are continually
travelling amclgst each other, and en-
gagged in discussions with one another
in stages and STEAMBOATS,, in cars, in
hotels, or 11lc !S;ump, and in Congress
it is sc;lrce:y ;redible that q; ~ universal
mistake pfe: Jas sess..-: 8
Iln:opposid01hI 10 tile rxisting opinion on
the suEecl,1 maintain that the South
is gfcslly the superior Of the North in
wealth, in proportion to the number Of
their citizens respectively; and this will
appear by comparison and progress Of
the wlrie people of the respective Sec
lions. The North; and even many in
South, have assumed a decline in manu-
fac,ules and commerce, TO be a decline
Of general prosperity. This is an rrror.
Tie policy Of the Federal Government,
and the domestic Institutions Of the
Southern States, have indeed been un-
favorable TO thc latter in those pursuits,
but the agriculture Of the South has
maintained and advanced in prosperity
beyond that Of any other people.
"Lct US first examine the condition OF
the white people Of the two sections.
1.-THE Stale Of Massachusetts, for in
stance, is generally regarded as one oi
the mos. successful and Aourishing ol
the North; and is constantly referred 10 10
by the newspapers as model Tor all
the others, and very frequently as a laun'
to the Southern. If, however, we com,
pare this favorite of the North, with
Maryland, Southern State Of similar
territorial extent, and one of the leas
Southern States, we shall hhd the laiteI
TO be decidedly superior in wealth II
proportion to the number Of her citizens
According 10 the census Of lS4o, Mary
land had free population Of 9SO.2S2
and in 1S47 her property was assessed
, a, s202, ,272 $50. Massachusetts il
, iS4O had a population of 757 500, an'
, her property now is only $500, ,oco,O
r Taking these two assessments as lh'
f basis Of comparison, and it appears ha
the average property of free person II
Maryland was S5s1, whilst in Massa
i. chusetts it is now, in the paImiest day
she has ever seen, only S406 per hea
n tile freeman Of Maryland being abou
: IS per cent. the richer,
F., The States of New York and Virgin
j, are both Of great territorial extent, an
n not materially unequal in that respec
: New York is also regarded habltna!I'
y as one of the grandest products OF ire
u insliiulions-and the present con6Il'o
a of Virginia is continually referred to, q
striking and melancholy result ol sl'
very: Her poverty, her ignorance he
d idIeness, her decay, and her misery al
: the ,hreadbayc topics Of modern poll''c
o o philosophy here and abroad. Let
y now consider the facts. Her free pop'
d lalion in 1870, according TO The censu
was 7go,Slo, and her property is no n.
!, about 100000, 900. The populate
e Of New York in 1910 was 2,42S,92
'e and in 1S47 her property was asse
- sed at s6s2, 2,699,993. The aver1! ro
!, u property of q fee white person in VI
~ ~ ginia is 575s; in New York it is on
n $500, or Iilsle more than one-lhIrd.
le "VirginiaI instead of boing poor al
c. in need of tll le pity Of the much poor
population OF the Nor;h, is perhaps, =, !.