Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-03-22

We are willing to concede TO the South, Tor
the sake Of argument the largest number Of
slaye-owners claimed by themselves and their
valiant champions and plant parasites. II
matters little whether that number-is 10000
or $4,000, out of nation Of 20,000,000 OF the
dominant race, even 80 far as relates to the
argument of numbers. 1t is sufficiently clear
that the most odious description Of aristocracy
that ever existed, is that which rules the South,
and before which the North bows in servle
Difference And yet the following may be read
with profit. II is from the Boston Common
aOedlth..
seln his speech on the Nebraska bill, Gen
Cass estimated the number Of Shareholders in
the United States at about 350,000,' and the
shareholders and their families at about one
fourth of the white inhabitants Of the slave
States This estimate is too high. 10 1849 or
1850, the tax returns in Kentucky showed an
average of twenty-five slaves to stakeholder
There are 3,2O4, OFT slaves in the country and
this number, divided by %, gives l45,640 az
the number Of shareholders. But this is allow
ing too much for Kentucky has none of those
great cotton and sugar plantations, whose own
ers possess from 100 to 1000 slaves. It is by
no means probable that there are 100000
shareholders in the United States, or that they
and their families constitute more than about
one-ninth Of the white population Of the South
ern States.
According to the last census, the white in
habitants of the slave States number 6, 222, 4l8,
and 5 50O,O00 Of them, at least, are neither
shareholders nor connected with slaveholding
families. We never hear in Congress Of this
great majority Of the Southern people; for
nothing but the slave interest gets represented
there Southern institutions are not arranged
for their benefit and Southern politics are not
influenced by any consideration of their needs,
because the shareholders own most of the soil,
as we'll as most Of the laborers, and claim to be
the whole South The rights Of the South
in the mouth Of Southern member Of Con
gress, means simply the rights, or rather the
demands, of these shareholders. The South Is
controlled by relentless aristocracy, which
has used the so-called Democratic party of the
country to control the politics Of the whole Re-
public. Nowhere in Europe can you find an
aristocracy which has a more scornful disre-
gard of popular rights.
Northern Democrats profess irreconcilable
opposition to aristocracies and monopolies Of
every kind They profess to act on the prin-
ciple tnat iaWs eHuuu Do onacs01 onu 6ovO.n-
ment administered for the People, land not for
the supremacy and aggrandizement Of class
interest. And yet they have allowed them
selves to be considered as the chief reliance of
these shareholders. They have made presi-
dents for them, elected members Of Congress
to do their bidding and given support to what
ever policy the slave interest has seen fit to
dictate.
Reflect fairly and honestly on the ugly fact
that the politics Of this Republic are dictated
more than 120,000-in fact not 80 many; and
that this baleful power which spurns demo
cratic ideas, and is corrupting the very life Of
the nation, is upheld at Washington by the
senseless partyism Of Northern freemen."