The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-04-25
NUMBER17., r,

s6OO,ooO,eOo. The population in New
York in ls40 was 2,52s, ,92I and in is47
her property was assessed at $685.. .699, ,9s3.
The average property Of q free white per.
son in Virginia is $3.50; ia, New. York lis
only $3.50, or little more than one third,
"V,rginia, instead Of being paor and in
need of the pity Of the much 9poorcr popu-
ation OF the North, is perhaps The richest
community in the world. a. The average
wealth Of The people Of Great Britain may
be abJut The same, bat il is not near 81 pro-
ductive. and think it dennnstfable thar no
peopFeon earth live in condition Of greater
comfort and enjoyment than those OF vr-
ginia. Nor is there any reason To fear a de.
cline in her wealth. According to the cen.
sus returns Of ls4o, Virginia, with a-popu-
laton of less than one.thifd Of that of New
York, and arapi,"l something less, produced
from The various branches df her industry
more than half the product Of New Yprk;
and asslle total population of Virginia. slave
and Tree, is only about half that Of New
York, it is clear, that deductirg the annual
consumption Of both, Virginia viii hayera
larger proportional surplus remaining ~
aDgnent the stuck Of her. permanent prop.
erty, mas n ,,7 ze.iisasS.
"If now we examine the relative condi-
ton of the new States, the same results Is
apparent. The States Of Kentucky and
Ohio lie side BY side, and are Of similar eli.
mate, fertility and extcnt-the proportion of
rich land being, however, less in Kentucky.
Their age also being nearly the same, Ken.
lucky having been admitted asa State about
eleven years before Ohi,. Ohio is consid-
cred the most prosperous State in tho West.
and is continually contrasted with kenlucky
fer the purpose of illustrating the bligh,ing
effects of slavery on the latter. Let Us sec
with what reason. ,s..-.. .,~o =. ..e..,7.
"ln 1910, Kentucky had a free popula-
ton Of 597,570. and her properiy ,amounts
according tD her tax assessment Of il64S, IL
about 272,s47,696. Ohio, in 1910, had
population Of l,5l9,457, and her assessment
last year was 52E067 .99l. TIE average
value of property belonging to, each FREQ
person in Kentucky is $3.50; in Ohio Is only
S276, or more than one.third less and the
population Of Ohio is now still greater in
proportion to that Of keniucky than N 1910,
The difIerance in favor Of the latter is still
more. ,ss,
Nothing is more common than the opin-
ion that the price Of land in Kentucky is,
in consequence Of slavery, much lower han
in Ohio have examined the Audltor's re-
ports of both States, which present in detail
The valuation of all their lands. Ia, Ken.
lucky the average value is about seven dbl
lars per acre--in Ohio. Il Is about eleren
and am very confident that the qualify Of
OHIO land Is to that extent superior, as IN
Kentucky there is large mountain region
for which Ohio has nothing equivalent.
Thus then, it is manifest that the Tree peo-
pie of The slavehoidmg states,e of shose
States which are uniformly regarded ss the
victim of poverty and ruin; are all skter,
much richer, than those of the RolSsSave-
holding States which have been asualsy con-
sidered as the most anurishing members Of
this confederacy, and the most prosperous
communities the world ever saw. Suehat
least is the testimony OF official dscaments
on the subj ,ct ; the highest authority that ex-
lists. For | have taken nearly an shese
statements of the property OF the several
States alluded to, from the assessments Rades
by public officers, for the collection Of iaxesss
Of the accuracy of the valnalianss . usq
course impossible to speak from PcEscS
knowledge; but those Of Ohio andsk6E
lucky are accordingto my opportasites of
observation, as nearly correci as bced be
desired. And as to the other Stases, the
chances uf error are perhaps as greaf . one
side as The nlber. s
ain the sIaveI,"lding States, slaves sre Of
course included in the property, This is
sometimes objected to, but think wah.ut
reason. The question is which is The most
profitable investment of capital in taDt and
saves; as is usual III the slavehs'ldint States
-.or in land alone, or commerce and manu-.
(aclurcs, as in the Northern Statesf And
this question is ain 'st universally d .cided III
favor OF the latter. In the South, according
to its laws, the slave is as available to his
owner for the purposes of property, as any
other property. The North has held. how
ever that this peculiar species OF property,
instead of being profitable TO the owner,
has been impoverished and ruinons And
in contradiction to this, have sh"Wn that III
every community where exists. their
wealth abnunds to far greater extent than
in the States from which il is excluded.
whatever may be their climate. soil. or ter
rilory. BuI even if the assessed value of all
The slaves in Kentucky. Virginia aud Mary
land. were left out of the schedule Of their
property, The white people Of th"se States
would remain wealthIer. on an average. than
those of Ohio, New York, aud Massachu-
sets.
"By others again il is cnntende3; that in
estimating the average wealth Of inriividuals
a community, the slaves ousht to be in