Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-04-04

live IN condition OF greater .Coilio'
and enjoyment than those of Virginia
Nor is there any reason to fear decline
in her wealth. According 10 the census
returns of 1910, Virginia, with a popu-
lation of less than one. third of that OF
New York, and capital something less,
produced from the Various branches OF
her industry. more than half the product
of New; York; and as the total popuIa.
lion of Virginia, slave and free, is only
about half that Of New York, It's clear
that, after deducling the annual consump.
lion Of both, Virginia will have larger
proportional surplus remaining 10 aug
ment The stock Of her permanent pro-
pcrty. -
"Ifnow we examine the relative con.
dilion of The new States the same results
are apparent. The States Of Kentucky
and Ohio lie side by side, and are Of
similar climate, fertility. and extent.
the proportion of itch land being, how
ever, less in Kentucky. Their age is
also nearly the same, Kentucky having
been admitted as State about eleven
years before Ohio. Ohio is considered
the most prosperous State in the West,
and is continually contrasted with Ken
lucky for; the purpose Of illustrating the
bligh,ing effects of slavery on the latter.
Let us see what reason.
"In,lS4O, Kentucky had free popu-
lation Of 597,570, and property amounts,
according to, her tax assessment.of l84S,
TO about a72, 2,847, ,696. Ohio, in 1910,
had q population of l,519,457, and her
assessment last year was S421, ,o67 ,9el.
The average value of property belong
ing to each free person in Ktn,ucky is
s456-in Ohio it is only $275, or more
Than one third less; and as the popula>
ton Of Clio is. now wsfill greater in pro-
portion to thai Of Kentucky than in
lS4O, ,lhe difference in favor Of the latter
is still more. -. 81,
''Nothing is moe common than the
op,nIon. tliat a,s.ss,r;: iiianezof land ins Ken.
iilucky is, III consequence s'HrerTr''
much lower than in Ohio. have ex.
anincd :he Auditors reports Of both
S,ates, which present in detail the valua-
ton of all thoir lands. In Kentucky
the average value is abont seven dollars
pcr acre, in Ohio it is about eleven, and
| am very confident that the quality oil
Ohio land is 10 that extent superior; as
in Kentucky there is large mountain
region lor Which Ohio has nothing equiv
aIert. Thus, then, it is manifest that
the free people Of the s!a7cholding States
of those States which are uniformly
regarded as The victims OF poverty and
ruin-are all richer, much richer. thar
those of the non -slaveholding Stale:
which have been usually considered az
the most llourshing members OF TIM
conrederacy, and the most prosperous
communities the world ever saw. Suct
at least is the testimony Of official docu
menls on the subject-the highest au
lhori,y that exists. For l have taker
nearly all these statements of the pro-
perly of the States alluded 10, from TIT
assessments made by public officers, lo'
the collection of taxes. OfIhe accuracy
of the valuations, it is Of course mpos
sibc to speak from personal knowledge
bu, those Of Ohio and Kentucky are, ac
cording 10 my opportunities Of obsciva
ton, as nearly correct as need be de-
: sired. And as 10 the other States ,h'
chances of error are perhaps as grea
/ on one side as the other.
, "In the slavcholding States, slave
/ are of course included in the property
. This is sometimes objected to, but
p think without reason. The question j:
t which is the most profitable inves'mer
of capilal-in land and saves-as
usual in The slaveholdiug Slales-or i
$ land alone, or commerce and manutat
d lures, as in the Northern Slates3 An
II this question is almost universally dec
ded in favor of the latter. In tho South
a according to lis laws, the slave is +;
d available 10 his owner for the purpose
t. Of property, as any other property. II
:, North has Held, however, that this pect
e liar species Of property, instead Of belr
n profitable to the owner, has been in
IS po4eriskiig and ruinous. And in cor
/, tradiction to this | have shown that
,r every community where il exists the
.e wealth abounds TO far greater ex'e
al Than in the States from which. it is e.
Us cluded;, whatever MAJ; be their clim't
L. soil, or territory. But even if the a
s.; sessed value of all the slaves in Re
" lucky, Virginia, and MARYLAND, were lt
IN on, OF The schedule oftheir property, Il
1, white people of those States would r
s. main weaIthicr, on an average, 'h
re those Of Ohio, New York, and Mass
r. chusclts.
ly SPY others again it is contended, ii
in estimating the average wealth OF
nd dividuals in community, the sla'
er ought 10 be included as persons, and
he Out as property. This, think, is al
he an error, for the reason before state