The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-01-25

laws, able usually TO overpower the master apc
prevent his recapture.
stood from the fact. that the number Of runaway
slaves now in the North Is stated as being thirty
ti1ousa andworth, at present prices, little short oi
fifteen millions Of dollars, Suppose that amount Of
property was taken away from the North by the
southern States acting against the Consultation:
what complaint would there not be!--what memo
rials, remonstrances, and Legislative resolutions
would come down upon Us! How would this hall
ed e.. LOBBY %hyg here 70
the border counties in the slayeholding States have
been obliged to give up their slaves almost entirely
II was stated in the newspapers the other day. that
a lev lew ccuntic. named N Maryland had, by the
computation, lost one hundred thousand dollars'
worth of slaves. gentleman of the highest stand
ing, from Delaware, assured me the other day that
that little State lost each year, at least that valae
OF such property in the same way hundred
thousand dollars is a heavy tax TO be levied on a
single Congressional district by the Aboitionists.
Suppose proportional burden was inflicted on
the northern States. How would Massachusetts,
bear the loss annually OF one million ono hundred
thousand dollars, not only inflicted without hw,
but against an express provision of the Constitu-
tion?--we may infer from the complaint she has
made Of q slight Inconvenience imposed on her by
that regulation of South Carolina which prevented
ship p-captains from carrying free negro servants to
Charleston. ss ttt
This whole action on the part Of tho North is
not only in violation of the Constitution, but
TO be purely wanton, or originating in malice TO-
wards the South II is obvious that they do not
want our slaves among them because they not
only make no adequate provision for their comfort,
but In fact, in many of the States, have forbidden
free negroes to come among them ON pain of inn
prisonment, &c. II cannot be desire to liberate
slaves, because they have never, 10 my knowledge,
attempted to steal negroes from Cuba Brazil. II
is true. however, that having the right now to
l.xII -. -
greater advantages and immunities. For If they
went into foreign country, they would incur the
risk OF being shot or hanged as robbers and pirates
usually are
Of slavery, they have not at least affected he
North. During the days of the slave trade, which
las formerly had occasion to remark) was con
tinucd down to 1908 by New England votes in the
convention, the northern ship-owners realized
large profits by purchasing negroes on the coast Of
Africa Mt thirty or forty dollars per head, and sell
ing them to southern planters for several hundred
dollars. The bringing in of these slaves caused
large tracts OF the southern country too unhealthy
to have been cleared by white men, to be brought
under profitable cultivation. The price of cotton
has thereby been brought down from fifty to ten
and even 1--WE cents per pound. An immense
amount ofcapital and labor is employed prohtably
in its manufacture at the North. In England also,
not less than six hundred millions of dollars is thus
invested and vast population exists by being en-
ployed in the manufacture. II is ascertained that
at least five millions of white persons, in Europe
and this country, get their employment, are fed,
The cheap southern production Of the raw material
not only Is the of thus giving subsistence TO
a great portion of the population of this country
and Europe, but Is clothing the world ut cheap
rate In addition to cotton, rice, sugar, coffee, to-
bacco, and various tropical productions are sup
piled at cheap rate for northern consumption.
On the other hand, our slaves seldom come in com
petition with northern labor, and are good con-
~u,f,f xl..
derived these great advantages, the negroes them
selves have not been sufferers. Their condition not
only compares most advantageously with that of
the laborng population of the world, but . in ad-
vance of the position they have been able, at any
time, 70 occupy at home. The researches of Gid
don and other antiquarians show that four thou
sand years ago in Africa they were slaves, and as
black as they now are. Since then, in that coun-
where from their peculiar constitution, they enjoy
the best health, they have existed only savages.
They there continually made slaves Of by the
men Of more intelligent and cnterprising races.
Nor have they ever gotten out Of the tropical parts
of Africa, except when they were carried as mer-
chaudise IL remains to be proved, however, yet TO
the world, that the negro any more than the HORSE
can permanently exist, in state Of freedom, out
Of the tropical regions Their decay at the North,
as well ss other circumstances which have not
time TO detail, adverse TO the proposition. And
yet, sir the journals Of the North while they deny
that the French and the Germans, the most en-
COnuucntdl
capable Of freedom stoutly maintain that the negro
is-the negro, who has never any where, when left
to himself, gotten up TO the respectable state OF
barbarian which all the other raccs have attained,
not even excepting our Indians in Mexico and
Peru.
= While the people of the northern States and the
negroes have been benefited, I am not prepared TO
admit that the South f injured at all) has suffered
n generally supposed. The influx Of foreign emf
grants, and some other circumstances 10 which /
wi bov in mi
North greatly ahead. But II you deduct the for
eign population which goes chiefly TO the North
the little We get not being equal to that portion Of
our own people who go TO the northwestern States
II you deduct this, say, IL will be found that the
white population of all the savcholding States has
increased faster than that OF the free States. Owing
70 the comfortable condition Of our population, II
there had been no emigration from abroad, the de-
scendants Of our portion Of the American white
family would be more numerous than the northern.
Nor Is IL true that we the poorer: on the con-
trary, il TO take the valuations Of property
in the different States as asscsscd by the public
officers, IL appears that the slavehodng States are
much richer in proportion 10 their population than
the free. Even IL you exclude the negroes prop
erty, and count them in the population, II appears
that the citizens Of virgniathe Oldest Of the slave
States-are richer per head than the citizens Of any
of the free States. II will also appear that the
slaveholding States have vastly less pauperism and
crime than the northern States. Looking, there
fore, at all these different elements, viz: greater
tuCftast OF more Wctitus anu pof-
crty and crime, have reason 10 regard our pco-
pic as prosperous and happy.
Sir, / have not, for want of time, gone into de-
tails ON these points, but contented myself with
the statement Of those general views which every
candid inquirer will, I am satisfied, find 70 be true
do not seek 10 make comparisons that might be
regarded AZ inyidious, unless by way Of defence
against habitual attacks ON us; but regard IL NJ
right TO say this occasion, that whether consid-
cred with reference 20 the physical comfort Of the
people, OF a high state Of public and private NOR
ais, elevated sense Of honor, and Of all generous
emotions, have reason 10 believe that higher
state Of civilization either exists elsewhere,
has existed nj any time in the past than is pre-
scnted by the southern States Of the Union.
When VIC look TO foreign countries, these views
are confirmed and sustained. Brazil, with popu-
lation Of two slaves TO one freeman, is the most
prosperous Of the South American States, and the
only one which has stable political system. Cuba
is greatly in advance Of the other West India
islands, though ST. Domingo and Jamaica once
cqualcd her before the emancipation of their slaves
Besides the expense Of maintaining her govern
ment at home, Cuba pays Spain a revenue Of near
ly fourteen millions. This is a greater sum for bcr
population than two hundred millions would be for
the United States. Could our people, in addition
10 the expense Of our State governments, pay sir
tmcs much the Federal Government has ever
yet raised by impost and taxesl That Cuba should
be able 10 bear this burden and still prosper is evi
dencc Of the high productiveness OF the system.