Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-05-29
Movement Of the COlOred Race iu the United
States.

with three -fiflhs of the slaves. This center
is now on the Muskingum River, moving, in
| the direction of Dayton, TO the northwest
IL will probably be DETECTED still farther to
| the northwest after it shall have passed
Ohio.
| We now turn TO another problem of even
| greater interest than that, viz the Increment
of the center Of The coiored population. This
movement is fraught with practical conse-
quences of deep import, demanding the clos
est attention of statesmen and philosophers
In the investigation Of this problem, we must
disregard the distinction of free and slave
colored people, and consider the whole, MS
an entire race, without regard to their ciul
condition. On the very threshold of this
problem, we must notice the fact that the
mouement of the colored population is depen-
dent on their physical characteristics, and not
on their civil condition. II arises from the
fact that they ure physically better calculated
to endure the labor of hot climate than the
white man. That this is SO, we shall see in
the sequel. In the first place, what is the
Increment of the colored race? Let us take the
oen'ers of the entire cOlored people-fr free nnd
and slave Sintes-at the epochs, IN 1870,
1920, and 1850. The centres of the entire
colored population, at these periods were
very nearly as follows
In l790, the center of the colored populn-
ton was about Staunton, Virginia, lat. n. 80
deg. 10 min. long W. 2 deg.
la 1870, the centre of colored population
wos tbout the point where New River in
tcrsects the boundary of North Carolina, lat.
n. 80 deg. 30 min., long. W. 4 deg.
In 1850, the centre of colored population
was about Franklin, in South West, North
Carolina, lat. n. 30 deg. 10 min., long. W. 6
30 min.
We thus see that the center of colored poD
uldtion has moved three degrees of Latitude
South aud degrees 30 minutes Longitude
West, since 1900. In other words the mass
Of colored population lns moved in 60 yrs.
$50 miles due Southwest In this course,
il has followed precisely the direction of the
Of the Allegheny Mountains, having com.
menced at Stanton, in the valley of Virginia,
and being now in the same valley, on the
Southern line of North Carolina. The
movement Of about sir miles per dnnum.-
The tendency hereafter will be little loss
South, aud rather more West. The grand
result Of this whole movement, and TO which
statesmen aud philolososhcrs should look for
the solution of their problem, that the black
population is rapidly concentrating round the
the Gulf of Mexico. The census of 1850.
shows that the tendency of even the free
blacks is to The Southwest. and that while
this tremendous movement is going on with
such power, the whole number of fugitive
slaves were about 1000 per annum-u mere
drop in the ocean!
Not nll the legislation of Congress, nor all
the efforts of Aboitionists; nor all the vain
squabbling Of politicians, have had the slightest
effect upon the movement and destiny of the
blacks. The laws of Nature are working their
own way with rcsistlcss force. Tho colorcd
race is tending to the tropics. and every law of
Its being accelcratcs tho movement
The great question of tho colorcd race is not
how to catch, nor what to do with fugitvcs, but
what is to be the destiny of either white or
black race, when ten millions Of blacks shall
be concentrated in the Southwest That, too,
is question in which no amount or kind of
political controversy between the North and
South will avail. The North will have no po-
litical advantages to gain by meddling with it.
The South will have no political aggression to
resist. Compromises will sink into insignif-
cance, before the great question of iohat is to be
done with this immense scrvilo raccs In fact,
nothing is more insignificant or contemplate,
than the little, minor grounds about tho boun-
daries of New Mexico, and the catching of fu-
gitivcs, compared with that tremendous qucs-
| ton of what is to bo done with the vast accu-
mutation of blacks, twenty, thirty, or forty
years hence. What is there in Fugitive Laws
to prevent that accumulation What is there
in compromises to prevent the center of Negro
population being in 1870, one hundred miles
southwest of where it is now. What is there
in all the devices of Congress to prevent the
translation of political power from the slave to
tho free Statcsi What is there in any scheme
| of political balances, which can outbalance the
laws of Naturei Whoever looks upon the vast
Delta of the Mississippi, and its valley from
Cairo to New Orleans, viii be impressed with
the fact, that there is room enough and sol!
enough for one hundred millions of people
there. And who can look upon the constant
movement of the Negro population, without
forcsceing that millions on millions of that race
must live in that valley, unless this question is
met by bolder and broader measures than have
yet occupied the attention of Congress-
Our purpose. however, is with facts and not
discussions. We have stated two momentous
facts that should demand more profound atten-
ton from statesman of the South, than all tho
Compromises and Fugityes Laws in existence.
The center of Representative population is
moving to Northwest, and tho center of color
cd population to the Southwest. What can he
fear from a statesman of the North, who has
only to fold his arms and lot his movements go
on Nothing What Northern men may say
or do, in reference to fugitives, is thing of in
significance to him, compared with these greater
problems. 1t is for him to solve the destiny
and condition of the colored population, and to
know that his own destiny is mixed un In the