Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-03-20
Progress and Oppression of the South.

Progress and Oppression Of the South.
A recent article of the Charleston Mercury, In
which the prosperous influences of the institution
of slavery, were argued from The results of the
census of South Carolina, elected from our neigh
bour of the Petersburg Inteligencer, the follow
ing pertinent commentary:
"We publish this morning an abstract of the census
of the State for which Indebted TO the courtesy
Of the Marshal This statement is official presents
very gratifying result and is sufficient answer to the
which have become the stereotyped feature OF all
comments, by certain class of political writers, upon
this State. The increase OF population in ten years has
been more than seventy thousand and this while SCUM
Carolina affords an incessant emigration to the new
States and gains less by immigration than any State IN
the Union except North Carolina"
The particular paragraph cited by the Intelh-
gencer to illustrate the inconsistency referred to,
was in these words:
"Tbe greatest Inconsistency is manifested by the pc
ticans and presses OF South Carolina in regard TO fer
condition. When we hear OF their 81 eeches and
read some OF their articles should suppose such had
been the banetu influence Of the Federal Government
the State that her fields had been lett desoate and
her cities turned into abodes for the owls and bats No
paper has done thi impression thar the
Charleston Mercury; and yet late number of that pa
per furnishes most emphatic contradiction of the fact,
and proves that nth Carolina instead of being mise
rabe and desolaie, is emneny prosperous and thrv-
ing.
AS South Carolina is not the only quarter from
which we hear complaints of the excessive bur-
dens of the Federal Government, and as it is GER
tainly behind some other Sou thern States in pro-
gress of population, it may serve useful purpose
to exhibit more in detail the rationale of the Mer-
cury's demonstration of its prosperity. We copy,
therefore, from the Mobile Tribune another ad.
vocate of secession the following articlein which
the Mercurys views are adopted and supported as
being generally applicable to the slave States:
SouTHgRR POPULATION The full census returns of
the population OF South Carolina published in the
Charleston papers. There n the state 283,737 free
persons and 1884 720 slaves Total 66s457. In 1910,
The population was, tree 2f6 sos; slaves 1894. To-
tai. 594,i39
The population OF Charleston is 42,ol4 In 1910 it
was 49, 39.
These totals show that the increase of the state
within ten years has been "a 6ls than twelve
per cent.
If one could deduct from the increase of the most
prosperous states at the north the immigration from
Europe and elsewhere, we suspect that this exhibit Of
South Carolina would show at least much progress
any ofthem.
There several elements entering into the question
OF population, as measure of prosperity To saw
state prosperous because it rapidly filling up with
an alien popu ation is TO express an The true
measure ls the natural increase when that increase
nRpplDcSS
individuals composngit Ia other ords, true progress
is represented Only where increase OF power is ac
CURED by dmluuton OF the happiness aud comfort OF
individuals. By this rule, the older free states have
made no advance and should regret to the slave
states make any advance, as it is called to a point
where density Of population would be acquired by an
abrdg cement OF the facility of subsistence Excessive
population at best, is an evil, and II communities could
reach the true condition at prosperity and there stop,
social advancement would be complete for it must be
recollected that rapid Increase, If continued, must lead
pHoy. FtrtHsn
political evils.
Ga this subject tie Charleston Mercury ha. some in
teresting facts, which We copy below
-Four OF the New Eng land States, lit sa ys,) viz :
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and
Connecticut, OF the original thirteen who framed
The Coniederscy. The of these four States is 49,
III square miles ard their aggregate population at the
first census of 1870, was S27 ,S67 Their aggregate
population by the of 1850 is 1871 1884 The in
crease IL little less Than l22 per cent. in the sixty
years.
1.-The area OF South Carolina is "a eco square miles
or nearly the same the aggregate oil the four New
England States. Her population by the census of 1880
was249073. BY the census OF 1850 it is 66s,557. the
increase being little more than 1853 per Those
who wish to try conclusions 10 comparative influence
OF tree and slave institutions the advancement OF
population, would do well to solve this problem of an
increase in South Carolina during sixty years amount
ing to l6S per cent. while the four model States of
fIeesodom only show an increase in the same time OF
1872 per cent.
"And this census is especially favourable 10 New
England for three Boston having been during
nearly the whole years the terminus of the British
line OF steamships received constant tide OF emf
grants. The manufacturers during the same time
have been systematically substituting foreign in place
OF natve labor in their mills. And lastly, New Eng.
laad has been covered during the same period with a
network of Railroads nearly the whole labor of which
has been done by foreigners The returns show az The
result of these that 10 the city OF Boston the TO-
reign population is 60,CC0, and in the State OF
massachusetts,, il aIGornts 10 two-iiths oil the
whole.
Such causes have operated in but a very slight de-
gree at the South Our internal improveme and our
manufacturing establishments, are carried on mainly
by the native population, and entirely out of the
way OF the current Of European emigration