Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-12-28
virginia State Agricultural Society,

Virginia Agricultural Society, IN The capitol on
the influence Of domestic slavery or manners and
society," compared with the effects Of class slavery.
Owing to the inclemency of the weather there
was but a thin audience in attendance upon this,
the annual meeting. & % !
Mr. r. First alluded 10 the painfulfact that the
majority Of the members of the Agricultural So
cety had failed to take that in its success
which they should; that they had but little ald
from the agricultural community generally anu had
not even been noticed by the Legislature OF VIZ
ginia NotwithStn nding this want OF countenance'
howeyer,t the lecturer earnestly upon theieW'
active members of the Society 10 contTlbpts their
individual useful know ledge and ,exeTtIons an ad-
vancement of the great and important objects q
| the Society. go, -
Mr. r! then proceeded to consider the influence
OF the institution of domestic or individual slavery
OH manners intellect and morals, and on the wei
| fare OF both masters and slaves, compared 10 tue
influence of-the slavery OF class to class, wLlch,
in one or the other form, now prevailed, or SOON
would ocpur in every civilized country where 10,
mestic slavery was not found. The lnsututlon ol
domestic slavery its ELECTS, influences, and propa-
BILE consequences, constituted the oil absorbing
subject of discussion at the present nme' OF ae-
| fensive and too often of apologize argument III
the Southern States, and OF aggresslonal and herce
denuncation throughout the Northern states OF
this contederacy. IL was pIoau anu oaIr
QUESTION; and he would first make some remark
upou the influence Of the existing institution OF
| African slavery on the social quanues, manners
aud welfare of the agricultural class IN me SCUM
ern States. The first question he would supolYHIe
into two Others the comparative pecunlary proht
of slave labor, and the social and moral adVan-
tages and disadvantages of the system. AS regard,
ed the pecuniary advantages OF slave aoot' ne hau
no room for statistics winch woula clearly prove
| the fact; but would takeit for granted that the
| fact was universally admitted in the Southern
States that slave labor was, in our circumstances
more profitable TO the employers and TO agriculture
than could be any possible substituted labor.
H.. 1t had been fertile subject OF defamation a.
lnong the opposers OF slavery, that its existence
operated to corrupt morals and manneIs. The
PREMISES or SO called facts brought 10 bear against
the institution, if not entirely false or Impossible
as was generally the case, were the exceptions TO
general rnles An economical objection to slave
labor was, that the fear of punishment TO the
slave, was less potent to stimulate him to work
than the pressure of want and desire TO gain,
upon free laborerS. Hence the slave labored less
ardLouxly than the white labOrer. Another was,
that with loss of effort, still the labor OF slaves
was so Profitable, that their owners thereby were
led to he indolent and wassetul. Now these were
effects that everywhere followed similar causes.
Their existence was certainly detraction from the
profits of Southern capital; but they proved that
the labor of slaves was lighter, and the profits OF
masters greater, than Of corresponding classes oil
laboIerS and capitalists in Europe anu the North
ern States Thus refuting the spirit oil the obec-
tons. mich was wanting among the agricultural
class of the Southern States in education and men
tai cultivation, want caused by the necessarily
dispersed residences Of the superior class OF P0pu-
IlatiOn; still IN no other class oil CuIISaoIS Oh le
soil in this confederacy or in old Europe, IN pro-
portion TO numbers. was 60 much OF mental I'M
movement and general information, as IN the
Southern States. In no other agricultural class
Throughout the world were better nurtured, or SO
well preserved, th.. purity and all other domestic
and family virtues of daughters, wives and moth
ers The Institution of slavery had the effect, by
combining the drudgery and brutalIzng elects OF
continual toll to the inferior race-whlch the sub
lection mad served greatly to beneft-to give the
leisure and other means 10 improve
mind, taste and manners. Imam agricultural pop
uation, where slavery did not exist, and where the
OwnerS and families were laLoreES, there might be
great wealth; but, nevertheless such population
OF necessity must be, or i'll few generations
would become, rude i'll manners, and greatly deh-
cient in refinement of feeling and cultivation oil
mental and social qualities. The lecturer appre-
ciated individual PRODUCERS and nccumulatorS OF
wealth, yet he did not RECORD even tina! accumula-
ton even from desirable source, the culture
of the SOIL misrepresentation for the loss in detetl-
Grafton of the mental and moral qualities OF South
ern men and women. In the eholdlng
States OF the Confederacy there was 10 be found,
as yet, though they must soon disappear, many
proprietoIs and cultvatoTs of land, who were men
| of education and intelligence, whose wives and
daughters had high degree of refinement OF man
ners. But in nearly every such case, it would be
found this intelligence and refinement had been de-
rived from some previous and different training anu
position; and that these qualities had been retained
| by the accumulation of wealth in anewly-Settleu,
dition Of The agricultural class ih these States had
lowered, and was tending still lower. And with
them this depreciation would rot stop when as low
as that of the tenanry OF England, or OF the Doors
who reap rich harveSiS from the fat soil oil Belgl-
um; the comparative poverty of soil in the Oldel
Northern States, and the general repeated dl.i-
sionS of property therein by inheritance, indicated
a future condition of the pTopretorS more IKE 70
that of the wreched and ignorant proprietary class
of France. The difference, in point OF intellect,
between the Northern and Southern farmers was
very great, and exhibited the latter class as the
most talented and educated. And this difference
between the Northern and Southern agricultural
population was tie of the usual and long
existing, well known commanding influence IN the
FedeIal Government of the Southern States, through
their representatives, in whatever measures OF ma
tional policy were directed hywisdom, orintellect,
or Tor the benefit of general interests. Superior
Northern intellect had no influence on the South:
we were governed by their brute force and suPe-
riolity of numbers. The slavery OF the South was
that OF naturally inferior TO naturally superior
race, which, of all, the condition best for both
master and slave.
Mr. r. then proceeded TO speak Of the slavery oi
class 10 class in the North, and its degrading effects
OF the slavery of starving laoorer 10 inc paying
employer-to expose the false professions OF North
ern men, who would even now, II they could,
supply the South with slaves from Atrlca-ot Inc
demoraizing effect of the hordes OF emgrantS thai
were filling the non-slaveholding States and then
subsection to the purposes of Schemlng politicians,
and closed with an earnest and Impressive EXPOSE
ton of the benefits and blessings of the existing
institution Of slavery in the South.
The report of the Executive Committee was then
read, presenting brief review OF their proceed
ings during the year, calling the attention OF the
society to the vsrious essays ~ hich had been pub
lished under their direction, and presenting the
draft of the Constitution prepared in obedience to
instructions of the Society, to be submitted for It's
adoption.
The Constitution above reported, was then taken
up and considered aud, after slight amendment,
was adopted -n
On motion, Resolped, That the Recording SecIe'
tary be instructed to invite the members of the
General Assembly to attend an adjourned meeting
of the Society in this place tomorrow night. i
Members present were called on by the President
to communicate to the Society facts OF practc2