New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-04-26
The Praapeci. Of slavery.

From the NauonA FRA
What " MI be the condition OF the slsveho'ding
States at the end Of the present century, should
they maintain the system o. slavery In tue
year 1900. the free population In those States.
counting New York, New Jersay and Pennsylva'
nia as non slaveholding was ~ 900, the slaves.
100000. In 1850, the white population in the
slave States is g. 40 GOO; the slaves, 3,O15 600
We use round numbers The increase OF the
free population during half a century has been at
the rate Of 200 per cent OF the slave, sij per
cent Should the same ratio prevail Tor tho next
half century. the free population WILL amount 10
23012 eco the slave N, l05l3OOO This calcula'
ton assumes that al the States now holding
slaves, will continue slsvehoding till tho year
1900 bat this is not TO be supposed. Already
the free population is gaining rapidly on The slaves
in Virginia, Mary land, Kentucky Tennessee, and
Missouri; while the reverse operation is going on
in South Carolina. Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi.
and Arkansas. The following table shows the
tendency OF things strlSingly enough In virginia
1880. 1910. Increase zee
s.ss.:::::.:...::.s1ss9s 41sSsS ssss
Zee coorcd ......... tS75I 4e9n 1916
In Mary land the total population is as follows
4l2 SOB whites; s9,l7s slaves; and 13l3S free
negroes The total increase in the State since
1870 10 lO7,513 The free negro population Is now
1873, in 1910 it was $780, showing an increase
OF IL gel The total slave population 10 1910 was
91l9 il is now only e9,l75. being an actual do
crease Of 5fl in ten ears
On the other hand, In South Carolina and Mis-
sissippi the slaves have far outstripped the Tree
men. In the former in 1910 the free population
was POO 305 IN 1850, 2sJ 1877, showing an increase
OF Il 232; while in 1910 the slaves numbered
1921, o34, in 1850, 3s4,72O, showing an increase Of
$3.50 The ratio Of increase for the free 10 but
o. per cent that for tho slaves II o per cent. In
Mississippi the slaves numbered 10000 more than
the ireemen, la Arkansas the ratio Of slave In
crease for the last ten years has been 1875 per
cent free % per cent.
In view OF these facts, it is not 20 be supposed
that Mary land, Virginia kentucky, Tennessee
and Missouri will 6e savehodng States much
longer thar twenty. five years 20 come; aud IL Is
probable that States which now contain one half
the slave population will be free before tho year
1900 The whole OF the slave population at that
time, unless Slavery be sooner abolished, Will DO
concentrated 10 the amount 81 ten or eleven mil
lions within States which now contain a free pop
ustiOn Of only three millions; the Increase OF
which is de stlned 70 proceed Ia diminished ra-
to- while the ratio Of the slave increase cannot be
expected to fail of 10 any considerable degree,
Indeed, we may fairly presume from the facts
above stated and from the tendency OF slave labor
10 drive out the free aborer, that by the close OF
the present century, il Slavery continue, slave
popU alton Of ten millions will be collected within
a section Of country containing numerically In
ferior free population.
Within the last century slaves have steadily
improved In intelligence. nave tbo Causes vi snis
Improvement exhausted themselves, or are they
not working with increased power and through
addSiOnal channels
The next fifty years will witness changes In
their character which, considered in connection
with their great numerical force, must awaken
our goomiest spprehensions, should the hand OF
power continue heavy upon them. Bot, should
the South pass safely through the increasing per-
lis OF the next fifty years IL then dream OF the
possibility OF ten millions Of men, who have had
the benefit of white instruction and free example
so many generations, submitting much longer 20
the domination Of less physical force than their
own -,
And What then will be the condition OF the Save
holding section in other respects hecoiiec.,
Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, VIII not
be embraced within Il. Cursed with redundant
slave popu alton it's soil exhausted by thriitiess
culture its staple rivalled in the markets oil the
world by production now coming into notice, ana
which can be grown everywhere by free labor.
with diminished returns from It's crops, TO be
preyed upon by an increasing surplus OF laoorers,
who must eat or be decimated, with no more slave
territory 20 bring temporary repreve, the slave
holders would be compelled TO emsncipste their
slaves, or expatriate themselves. Let the alarm
iss paint the gloomest pictures OF the conse'
quences OF Emancipation his fancy can draw,
lar deeper gloom hangs about the tremendous real
tiles of the slavery that shall ezlst In the year
1900, il 10 be continued 30 long.