Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-05-29
}ss=aas ros THE AbreErsEEis
SEPARATE STATE SECESSION A-ITS EFFECTS
.ra.-s .k&sef 81. DYsEIYERY. -.


Having sought to show that South Carolina,
n, a separate State, will, by u moderate Tariff,
derive ample revenue for all the purposes of a
new government, and that she will BE- in con-
di,ion 10 maintain her independence and resprc-
liability, we propose now to consider some Of
wha. may be deemed the secondary effects O.
secession.
1t is urged, that, by insulating ourselves from
the other Southern States. we will cut off every
eutlrt by which we might get rid of our slaves,
and will thereby bring upon the State the gr, at
evils of u redundant and vaiuclcss slave popula-
ton. Let US examine the force of this argument
Every one knows that the institution Of slavery
is already restricted to the States in which it
now exists-haring been. for all practical purpo-
ses, excluded not only from California. bu, from
all the newly acquired Territory. The high
handed act Of injustice and oppression, by which
this object was accomplished, having been taniely
acqu;esced in, will continue us a stern political
law, unless resistance TO it b. yet made by the
Southern people. The other slave States, equal
ly with South Carolina. are prevented from car
rying their slisvcs into these Territories. Knuw-
ing then that they, also, have no outlet for their
slaves, will not these States BE- placed under the
over-population They will scarcely have less
wisdom or pr. caution than ourselves. But in
Se5-dcfence thy will, in short time, be driven
to prohibit all further immigration of slaves into
their borders; and that time cannot BE- remote ;
for many of the c-hnldin. States are very lit
tl' behind South Carolina in densrncss of popu-
lat"n. We have to the sqr. mile only about 90
inhabitants Georgia has about l6: Kentucky,
On: Tennessee, 81: Alabama. l3; Mississippi.
l3; Louisiana, 9; Florida 9; Tex: 8, /; Arkan-
AIS. 4. Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee may.
therefore, i'll point of numbers, he placed at this
time. on footing with our State. Alabama.
Mississippi and Louisiana will, in very few years.
have population to the sqr mile equal tn that
Of S"uth Carolina at prcst mt: and will be driven,
through fear of redundancy. to prohibit the
further Immigration of slaves. Florida, Arkau-
sas aud Texas will then b. til" only outlet for
'he supposed surplus slaves OF Virginia, North
and South Carolina. Georgia Kentucky and 9TH
er S'atrs. But with the tide likely to pour in
upon them from all these States, how long would
1t be before they, also, will be forced to adopt the
same law Of sclf-prescrvatk,n II is evident,
that when it once becomes fixed fact" that
slaves are to be permanently excluded from the
new Territories and from California, all the
Southern States. looking to this restriction and to
the future increase of their inhabitants will pro-
hibit the further immigration of slaves into their
borders; and this prohibition will certainly take
place, long before there will be surplus popula-
ton in South Carolina
Whether South Carolina, therefore, be in a
separate condition, orin aSouthern.C Confederacy.
80 long as slavery shall be excluded from the
Territories, she wthave TO provide for the future
increase OF her slaves. There will be no natural
outlet for them: Hence the argument as On OBJ
lection to separate State secession, falls to the
ground. ,.,...l-5
But tkc.evlss complained Of from the future
increase Of our slaves, while restricted to our
own limits. will not be. We think. so great as
pretended. For loEg while. at least. the in
crease will be productive Of the most beneficial
results. We have suffered greatly in wealth and
prosperity by emigration. A gradual increase Of
our inhabitants would hut restore us to h'al,h-
full state If advancement There is no danger
Of an nvcr-population for centuries. We have
seen that the population Of South Carolina to the
sqr. mile is only 20. This gives ahout 80 acres
o! land to every white and black soul in the
State. Now here is evidently y great supcra-
bundancc. THIS is entirely too much lind to the
population for high state of prosperity. What
dcnrcc of population is South Carolina capable
of supporting? BY the proper culture of her
SOIL and by the development Of all her resources.
it is fair to assume that she could sustain $50 to
the sor. mile England has 300 to the sqr.
mile; Holland 800: Belgium $50: and all the
German States, which are almost exclusively
agricultural and manufacturing, have from 100
to 800. Even the Chinese Empire. with its
l.640OOU sqr. miles, with scarcely any foreign
commerce. has over $50. Ancient Attica with
365 oOo, slaves. had a population of more than
700 to the sqr mile. With her great natural
resources-her fertile soil-her rich iron mines
her great facilities for every kind of manufac-
ture-and her extensive and growing commerce:
South Carolina will be able easily to sustain a
population of $50 to the sqr. mile.
This will make space, in the limits of the
State for about S,O0O,0O0 Of inhabitants. At
present, there are in round numbers $50 ,O00-
By natural increase, how long, then. would it
take for our population to reach S.O0o,O00?-
The ratio of increase varies in different countries,
and in the same country under different circum-
stances. spars.ly inhabited territory, for in
stance, with ample supplies Of subsistence. will
increase more rapidly than density PeoPled
country, where supplies are likely to be less
bountiful and where many causes eonspre to inl-
pede population. In most states of this C"nfed-
eracy, the population, including immigration, has
doubled itself every 25 years. The increase in
r.-l,, b,, hunn IN, an av.raup about