The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-06-02

from Eve 10 ZEN times the amount for which =
they are now anxious, but unable to SELL am
aware that changes in habits, of thought, and q
action, in every community must be gradual, a
bat II seems to me that the glaring imPoliey Of
continuing the slave system in your State must {
already be apparent to every rejecting mind
hence / anticipate with confidence the dawn Of
a brighter day for Old Virginia
D."
The author resumes "l think that there
can be no doubt that the change Of pol
icy indicated in this letter would promote
the true interest Of Virginia in every point
Of view" ain order to accomplish this OBJ
iect, there is no need Of sacrificing the inter-
ests of individuals-the expense must be borne
by the community; for when a people are to
be benefited, every individual ought to share in
the burdens that may have TO De imposed and
If the resources of the State are not sufficient,
the proceeds of the public lands could not be
applied TO a better purpose"
| l now proceed TO give some extracts from
Mr.. Siablsr's first letter to fellow citizen,
Warrick Miller, Esq, who had written to him
for information touching the comparative value
of lands in the slave and free States.
'"About 90 miles North from Baltimore, land
held by shareholders years ago sold for from "a
to So per acre. In some cases nothing was paid
for the land beyond the value of Improvements
by members Of the Society Of Friends, who
bought IT, under whose system Of labor il has be-
come worth from SIS 20 $40 per acre" Slime
stone land, under slave cultivation, 20 miles frcm
Baltimore, is not worth over S25 to $50 per
acre. The same quality in Chester county,
Pa, is worth from $50 to 500 per acre
A" Limestone land in Washington and Freder-
lex counties, Nd, cultivated by Germans, sells
for from 500 10 $50 per acre. Better caleariOus
soil, more convenient 10 mark ct, held by slave
holders, will not sell for one-third Of these
prices"
The following is a copy of Mr.. stabIer's sec
ond letter to Mr.. Miller:
ALzxASDMA, Va, 4th Mo-, 25th, l849.
Esteemed Friend Warwick MiHsr:-Sinee my
letter of the Sd month, 2lst, l have been wait
: ing for the information which / then expected
on the comparative value Of lands in the free
and slave States. | am disappointed in not re-
ceiying very exact informaliOn.; but what l
have received will probably afford satisfaction,
and ! therefore proceed to lay il before thee
The persons with whom / have cOrresPOnded
are all men of reputation and integrity.
The FIRST letter is from Friend residing at
Waterford, in LoudOun county, in this State, in
d a ReghbOrhood Of Friends. He says: The
: German settlement in the Northwest part OF
this county, has, until quite recently, been
without slavery; and at the PRESENT. time the pro-
c pTistors, well as the renters, work with day
= aborers. II is true there are some slaves hired
d and owned in the neighborhOod, but the infiu-
ence Of slavery is little felt, and property il
high. The farms have but poor improvements
e on them, and yet they sell for $50 and upwards
b per acre. In the neghbOrhOOd of Waterford
!, also, the price Of land is $50, while at Goose
Greek, another settlement of Friends in the
same county, where the influence Of slavery ID
II less than in any other part of LOudOun, land
It sells at from $50 to $50, and even in some in
= stances higher, although further from market
than the lands already spoken Of In the Hills
: borough neighborhOod, considered equally pro-
y ductiye with those above named, lands com
;, mand only from S35 to $40, and in some in
: stances SIS, making the average perhaps les
than $40 ; and here the influence of slavery !,
u much greater than il is in either Of the Othel
N sections. In that portion of tine county Dor,
re dering on the Potomac River, and East Of ths
Catoclin Mountains, mostly limestone lands
and lying nearer the railroad and canal, though
~ considered as good, IL not better soil, the prc'
es is from $40 dOwnwards, making the averag,
i $50, and perhaps less. In this neighberhOOS
~ there is much more slavery than in eithe
of the others, and its baneful effects are NOR
Al apparent That portion Of the county Eas
and South Of Leesburg has been worked out BY
az slavery, and has therefore only nominal value
+. About Uppervie and Middieburg, too, althoug i
u the land is pretty good, still il sells at low rate
rs not averaging over SIS, and in all probability
rs much less
IN "a The second letter received from anothe
person residing in the same neighbOrhOOd, VIII
6 cOrroborates the above views, and thinks theI
e, ought to have their influence on every Amefi
re can stakeholder, and particularly upon ever
4 kentuckian.
A." The third LITTER refers to that section, which
was particularly the subject Of thy inquiry
e. namely-the contiguous neighborhoOds in Mar
al yland and Pennsylvania. The writer says: 8
have conversed with several persons, both Il
this State Maryland and Pennsylvania, VIII
- all concur in the opinion that lands Of equa
re natural advantages usually sell at double tn
sum in Pennsylvania which they would brin,
in the saveholding portions Of Maryland
One Friend informs me that he has owne'
> farms in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, ant
Ne now owns one in the State Of Virginia; 9TH
latter farm is about nine miles from Alexan
dria.) He thinks the Jersey farm hardly equa
ie in fertility to the Virginia farm, and but It'll
h nearer to the market, yet it sold for pearl,
1g three times the price per acre
h. " Limestone lands in the great valley 10
Pennsylvsniag, passing through York and Ian
ae caster eonaties. and depending on Baltimor
and Philadelphia markets, at an average distanc
Cd oil oO TO 80 miles, VIII bring from SO TO SlO
per acre for fnll-s sized farms. Limestone land
in Baltimore county, (Maryland,) at an averag
- distance Of - to 20 miles IRON market, canno
be sold for more than from S35 to $50 per acr
of for agricultural purposes. i speak in genera
n. terms; perhaps some particular farm, under sx
- ira good management, or from some peculiarit
er Of situation, may have brought $50 or SO pc
SIS acre, though | know Of no such case /; but Of
la the other hand, do know Of land in the vicin
ity Of York, in Pennsylvania, which has With
the last seven years been sold for $3.50 pc
c. acre, TO be used exclusively for farming, wit
VS. buildings upon IL of moderate value. / hav
:, long been. of the opinion that the laborin
whites Of the slave States are, as a mass, niue
70 more to be pitied than even the negroes; an
that il they could see the importance to them
'p- selves, Of making labor honorable, they woul
In be strenuous advocates Of freedom
{" can state, from my own knowledge, ths
there is now residing within - miles Of Alex
oil andria, on a farm Of $50 acres, farmer froI
10, Duchess county, in the State Of New YorI
ed The land he left behind him, sold, think, fc
: 500 per acre, while that which he purchase
here, the greater part possessing higher naturl
C. fertility than the New York land, having ais
good Improvements upon 1t, and less Of vast.
vs. cost him but Sl7 IS per acre.
THE fourth, and last, is from an aged FrienC
Y who has been much interested in the cause
IN emancipation. He procured, some years az,
a budget Of valuable Information on this 50
IL ject, but his papers were out Of reach when
n wrote, and he could only give me some Of IN
z L -