The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-05-01
AN INTERESTING : LfscTuRE,s q

The south on the receipt Of o: lecture de.
llverad in Cincinnati by 1stwood Fisher
Esq, exhibiting in q very eble manner
the progress and prospects Of the northern
and southern sections Of the Union, like.
wise the form Of civilization in each, and
showing, by unanswerable facts and sta.
tistics, that the southern is the most pros.
porous section, under all its supposed dis.
advantages Of climate and domestic insti.
tuition. Little notice hos been taken Of
the address at tho north, but it is eyiien.
that the facts have occupied a considera.
bic portion Of public, attention, and proba.
blysome ofthenfure explainable, although
there is no attempt TO misrepresent or fal.
sify any thing. Mr.. Fisher shows that
the south is superior.to the north in woalth
in proportion to the number of white non.
ulation Of the two sections, and this is
shown by population, by assessed value
ofproper!y, and by the superiority of ng.
ricultural wealth. He clearly proves by
facts that thero is not shadow of truth
in the oft.repeatcd declarations that the
south is undergoing the process Of i'm.
poverishment, depopulation, and decay, or
that there is the least ground for the in.
crcasing impression that idleness, cruelty,
ignorance, and pride prevail in that sec.
'ion, owing 10 her slave population, or that
there is any necessity to emulate the north
in enterprise, industry, and civilization.
The ground hos been frequently assumed
that, rs the accumulation of wealth il the
highest proof Of civilization, the north in
this respect is far beyond the south; md
yet The statistics Of this lecture show that
in proportion 10 tho number Of citizens
(and that's the true test the south is great.
ly superior to the north in point ofwealth.
This will DO startling declaration 10
the norll,,' and will be 'strenuously dispu.
ted; and yet this fact is sustaina6le, tina,
when there hos been at intervals decline
in manufactures and commerce at the
north, the agricultural wealth ofthe south
has been steadily on the increase. This
fact is apparent when we refer 10 the com.
mercial ambarrassments Of lS36-ihe
bankruptcy Of the first mercantile and
manufacturing houses, numerous and up-
Palling in numbdr-while the south stead
lily maintained its credit and position, even
with the low prices of agricultural pro-
ducts. Take two states-Massachusetts,
always model state, and Maryland, both
possessing about the same extent Of terri
tory. The census Of ls4O gave 10 Mas.
sachusetts population Of 737, 500, and 10
Maryland afree population Of 3sO, ,2s2; and
yet in ls47 the property Of Maryland was
assessed nj 202, ,272, $50, while in the same
year the property Of the extremely rich
state Of Massachusetts, with nearly double
The population of Maryland, had an esses-
sed property Of $500, 100000, making
Maryland 25 per cent the richer state
Take two important states, New York and
Virginia, the latter called, in consequence
of her slave population, "poor, idle, mis-.
cradle, and decayed." New York, the
proud Empire State, l,nd population,
according TO the census of ls4O, of Q ,42s,
92l, and the poor starving state of Vir-
ginia had only 790,slO free inhabitants.
The property in the state Of New York,
with her grand canals, her great inland
seas, her thousands of fourishing towns,
cities, and villages, is assessed at $685..
699,993, while the property ofthe decay.
ed state of Virginia is valued at about
5000, 100000, giving an average of S75s
10 every white man, while in New York
it is only s26O-a little moro than one
third. So the comparison runs with sew.
cral other northern and southern states.
But it will be said you include slaves
Us property. So they are considered and
reckoned by the laws Of the United States;
and il is asserted that the white man Of the
south is poor, even with his slaves. Put
them together and make the average
But the truth is, the south is richer, cal.
culating the slaves as persons, and no.
property. The southern states, with such
staples rs cotton, tobacco. sugar, indigo,
and rice, in inexhnustable qunntities-
equivalent always to gold-tog gether with
abundance corn, grain, and cattle, may
we'll be considered the richest section Of
the Union contrasted with the fuctua-
tions OF commerce and the occasional de-
preston Of manufactures. The lecture
is very curious and very interesting one
10 the whole Union, and the south should
print and circulate millions Of copies oft,
and present it to the north as friendly
relation, us well as gentle admonition 10
the thousand Of abolition pamphlets which
we honorably and Hospitality transmit to
the south.--1imes and Messenger April
22nd.
JUSTICE TO JOHN C. CALHoUN.-At the
meeting in Western Virginia, the Rcso.
lutions of which were drawn up by HEN,
RY A. WISE, the following was one Of
the number:
'Resolved, That the expression Of cur
gratitude be tendered 10 John G. Calhoun,