Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-09-01
SLAVES AND FREE NEGROES.


state Of slavery than in state Of freedom
We sustained that statement by citing the de-
cisive fact that the slaves were increasing
much more rapidly than the free negroes.
Any person who has examined, with unpreiu.
diced eyes, the condition Of the Southern slaves
and the Northern and Canadian free negroes,
will be convinced without scrutinizing Census
tables, that our position is impregnable. But
this is not all. The Southern slave is infinite
ly better cared for and more comfortable than
the free colored population of the Southern
States He is healthier happier, better con:
tented, more robust and prolific. Indeed
there is not a laboring population on earth
better housed, better clothed, and better cared
for, than the slaves of the South.
The slave is deprived of his freedom, but he
does not feel the deprivation. Neither he nor
his ancestors were ever free. He does not IN
derstand the meaning Of freedom, and is rem.
dered incapable of enjoying its benefits by his
mental, moral, and physical organization. To
him freedom is curse the most grievous and
intolerable which can afiict him, for it leads
him back to british barbarism, and then ex-
terminates him by rapid process of decay.
The negroes of Africa have never improved
their condition. AS far back as our records
reach, they were sunk in barbarism, and they
are in that condition now. The brilliant
light Of modern civilization, which surrounds
them on all sides, can make no impression
upon their benighted intellects. The strenu
Gus efforts of missionary zeal and the costly
exertions Of modern philanthropy, have been
alike unavailing. The African is still an i'm
bruted heathen---loving blood like wild beast
"a slave to the most degrading superstitions,
offering up human victims to disgusting idols,
amidst the most degrading and revolving or
gies.
Such is the condition of the African on his
native soil, notwithstanding the labor which
have been made to improve his condition. But
his condition is very different in the Southern
States. Two generations have not passed away
since the suppression of the slave trade, yet the
quake with inexpressible terror, if the filth and
misery and brutality-the daily life and reli-
gious rites, of the native African could be
brought before him. The progress and i'm
slavery is a blessing to the negro, for it shows
that slavery is the only condition in which his
race has ever been ameliorated. Left to itself,
that race has not the capacity for progress. 1t
the masters care is taken away, it speedily
loses, in state of freedom, whatever it had
gained in q state Of slavery, and returns to its
original barbarsm if isolated and left to itself,
or declines and perisbes if brought into contact
with the superior Caucasian.
The rapid deterioration of the free negro is
known to every one who has compared him
with the slave. In the Northern States, and in
Canada, a spurious philanthropy, made active
By political demagogues, has attempted the
forcible elevation Of the free negroes in that
portion Of the continent; but even with that
adventurous aid, they are declining toward
their original African condition. Even now,
in time of plenty and prosperity, they are in
starving condition in Canada, and lead lives
Of abject poverty in the Northern States as
soon as they lose the capacities they acquired
in a state Of slavery. Newly manumitted slaves
may obtain employment in hotels and at water
ing places--having been qualified for it by the
care of their former owners. But the next
generation is inferior-ess capable and more
debssed. Any candid observer can perceive
these facts--the bigoted observer will find them
staring him in the face, if he will examine the
Census returns to which we have alluded. Up
TO 1880 the ratio of increase among the free
negroes was greater than among the slaves.
This was owing to emancipation, which reduced
the slave and added TO the free negro popula-
ton. But emancipation was checked by the
insolent interference Of abolition fanaticism,
and the increase in the number Of free negroes
Appropriated more nearly to the natural ratio,
so that it could be used as test Of the effect
offreedom upon the peculiar mental, and moral,
and physical organization Of the negro.
In the decade preceding le4O--the same in
which Abolition interference checked emanci.
pation--the free negroes fell of fourteen per
cent, the increase being only twenty per cent.
in ten years, or two per cent. year. During
the next decade--that preceding l850-there
was further falling off of eight per cent. leav-
ing only an increase Of twelve per cent, being
an annual increase Of one and one6fth per cent.
equal TO four hundred and eighty-one persons
This cannot be much, if any, more than the
additions from the manumission Of slaves,
fugitives from service, and their increase.
When these deductions are made, it may be safe.
" said, that the freenegroes have so far dete-
riorated already as to have lost the power Of
increase--that sloth, ignorance, vice, and want,
make the number Of deaths equal to the number
ofbirths. When this fact is contrasted with the
other fact that the slaves are increasing at the