The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-02-03

In 1870, Virginia had population o
TAO, 900, Pennsy lvania 430, 900, and New
York $4,000. In 1910. Virginia haC
100000, Pennsylvania had 100000
and New York 2,4OO, 900. 1t thus appear'
that in the fifty years ending in 1910. Vir.
ginia increased her population only 6s pei
cent, while Pennsylvania increased hers
800 per cent. and New York COG per cent.
A comparison of their wealth and the yield
Of their industrial pursuits is equally TO the
disadvantage of Virginia. In 1900, Ken.
lucky had population Of 100000, Ohio
$4,000, and Indiana 1890. In 1910.
Kentucky had 100000, Ohio 1870, 900,
and Indiana 660,000. The increase Of
kentucky was only 255 per cent. while
that of Ohio was 1928 per cent, and Of
Indiana IA, 067 per cent. AT the late Pre-
sidental election Indiana cast some 10000
more votes than Kentucky. A compari-
son Of Kentucky with her Southwestern
sisters would further develope the truth,
that, from her geographical location and
climate, she is not suited to negro slavery
and while she is deprived of the advantages
of free State she cannot even prosper as
other slave States. Take one instance
from 1880 to lS40 Tennessee increased
her population over % per cent. Kentucky
increased hers in the same period only some
thirteen per cent.
Does all this signify nothing, or will it
be suggested that population is not wealth
and prosperity? We presume there is no
one so blind as not to see that aggregate
or national wealth is in direct proportion 10
the number OF people engaged in making
ito the number Of hands employed in
bringing it out of the earth and creating it
in the almost countless forms of manufac.
ture. For no one will dispute the propo.
sition that every healthy man will produce
more than he can consume. But how does
population affect indiridual wealth? What
is it, we ask, that gives value to every
species Of capital that man can possess,
(which he does not personally consume)
but the demand for it, that is the number
of human creatures who want Il. For ex-
ample, il there were thousand more peo-
pie in the county Of McCracken than now
are, would not land and houses bring better
prices would not all commodities sell more
rapidly? would not mechanical labor and
professional services he more required In
word, would not all kinds Of business
improved We can froesee the intelligent
and overwhelming reply which many gen
tlemen wall make to these questions, Oh,
you are an abolitonisi! We could easily
show that under the system proposed, no
one would be compelled TO sacrifice his
negro property, even making no allowance
for the enhancement Of every other kind
which might belong to him. And IT would
be as easy to show that the dreaded bug
bear Of large population of free blacks
settling in our midst, is Phaatom Of the
imagination; but our limits forbid us to
discuss these points, and we can only CON-
mend TO the perusal and Study of our rea-
ders the document referred To, in which
they are fully examined. We will not,
however, forbear to remark, that If the
evils apprehended are to be the real conse-
quences Of emancipation, We had better
bring on the catastrophe at once, for II
would be more tolerable now than at any
future time; and that it must come sooner
or later is as certain as the progressive i'm
provement of the human mind and the
onward march Of Christian civilization.
Ii an enlightened selfinterest does not
accomplish it, the advancing spirit of the
age will. ....
The change which has within the last
few years taken place, and is still rapidly
going ON in the public sentiment OF this
State in favor Of it, is alone sufficient
guaranty Of its ultimate consummation.-
Revolutions seldom go backwards, those
which are driven forward by great truth,
never. The question, therefore, is not
whether we will perpetitate slavery here,
but how long will we permit it to continue,
and we cannot perceive the propriety oil
postponing an inevitable event for the sake
Of avoiding its alledged consequences,
which every hour Of delay must make
worse. Whether the day to which the
signs Of the times incontestably point. has
yet arrived we do not know; but it seems
TO us that rational creatures would scarce.
" require more proof of the paralysine
and whitening influence of negro slavery
in our climate and soil than the undisputed
facts which stare us in the face. The
feeble and stinted growth of our own State,
the rapid advance and gigantic proportion:
of the free States, which lie by our side
less favored by nature, in all the elements
OF prosperity and strength than we, afford
plain and humiliating demonstration o
this truth. But it is, perhaps, most visible
in the decayed grandeur and melancholy
decrepitude Of that once pre-eminent ole
Commonwealth, which we are proud to cal
our mother, and whose natural condition
corresponds so nearly with our own. L
any warning could preserve us from tn
balefuI curse, which has struck down tn
power and blighted the fortunes Of Virginia
we might hear it in the hooting Of the ow
from the windows Of her deserted cabins
and see it in the return of the wolf and tn
yulture to places that were once the habi
tations of men.
We have, however, digressed farther thai
we intended from a simple reference to III
leading points Of the address. which is tn
subject Of these comments. Alter exhibit
ing the comparative progress in populatio
OF the States, we have named, it propose
convention Of the friends of emancipatio
to assemble some time in the spring for tn
purpose, first 10 ascertain whether the pro-