The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-10-26
From the Boston Evening TELEGRAPH.
rHK Slave SYSTEM AND THE FEE SYSTEM
CoMpAREDHTH INFLUENCE CT EACH OH
THE VALUE OF REAL ESTATE,


THK SLAVE SYSTEM AND THE FsEE SYSTEM
CoMPARED-THE INFLUENCE CT EACH OR
THE VALUE OF REAL ESTATE.
Mr. EDIToa: In late issue of your paper,
you notice an article from Virginia paper,
the object of which appears to be 10 show the
increase of wealth which the Slave System has
secured to Virginia over New York, under the
Free System. The following statistics taken
from the Report of the Commissioner of Pat
ents, IS. Doc. 1857 will throw some further
light upon the same subject:
The number of acres of land in
New York is EI911S9sS
The amount cultivated in i'm
proved farms l2 4Os 96s
Within a fraction of swo-thirds Of She whola
The cash value of improved
farms is SO s4 SAC 642
The population sustained sO7O OOO
The number of acres in Virginia
is 2615333l
Improved farms lO,36l,155
Cash value of improved farms S2l6 AL
The free population 900
Or, if we include a portion of ths,r property
as persons, and adopt the constitutional ratio
of five chattels equal to three persons, it
would make the population of Virginia about
1,236, 900.
Here, then, We have the data for Comparison
of the two systems. And first, in relation to
the improvement of the soil. New York has
more than three. ffths Of her soil in improved
farms, while Virginia has less than two tbs.
If Virginia had as much Of hee soil i'm
proved, in proportion to the whole, as New
York, it would amount to within fraction of
1880, 900 acres, while the actual number is
o,lx, n 2e1 NM diHorauoa IF nnora hos
1000, coo acres of unbrokeu wilderness-sn
extent of territory equal to two entire States
as large as Massachusetts, which Slavery has
left wild and barren, but which in New York
is wrought into cultivated and productive farms.
I'd. In relation to the cash value of farms
in the two States, respectively:
Cash value in New York $544, SAG ,642
Equal to $44 IS per acre.
Cash value in Virginia $2l6, 401 AL
Less than $2l per acre. -
Here, then. -is dead loss to Virgins Of
more than Z, OOO, 900 acres in the extent CT her
improved lands and about 1924 on every acre
in its cash value.
If Virginia had the due proportion of her
coil improved, and it were valued the same as
in New York, the cash value of her improved
farms would amount to $3.50 OOO. 900, while
the actual value is but S216, 500, OO0-making
q difference between what she actually is worth,
end what she might have been under the free
system, Of 1854, 100000. There is, then, in
this single State, and in the single item of her
improved lands dead loss of 1854 Doc, 900.
The number of slaves in Virginia, by the
last census, was In round numbers, four hun
dred and sixty thousand If these be estimated
at $500 each, and, including the supesannuated
and the children it is a full estimate it would
lxs L. 1cf Il o1>OuS &c2n
So that Virginia could buy up all her slaves
to-day, and give them all their freedom, and
ship them all off to Africa, and yet be richer
by 5000, OOo, 900, without them taan she is
with them; an amount which, diviCed among
her free population, would give the Comfortable
little sum of more than ST. 700 each, to every
family in the State, after paying tbs full mar
ket value of all their slaves.
will now glance at the comparative work
ing of the two systems on the population of the
two States
The free population Of Virginie. is about
GAO, 600. If we take the constitutional emu
meration, five negroes equal to three white
men, it will be, in round numbers, 1,236, 900.
The population Of New York, by the last
census, was 1910 600 Now, if New York,
with territory of 5000, 900 acres, sustains
population of 100000, Virginia, with
&c, 0000 900 acres, should have pc 'ulation of
more than a 900, 900. =.
Here, then, We have the practical results of
tie two Systems, working side by side for about
two generations, thus showing graad balance
in favor of Freedom.
lst In the progress of improvement in clear
ing up the soil of more than 1000, 600 acres
2i. In the value of lands, when improved, Of
more than 1864 600 OOO-showing every acre
of free soil to be worth more than two acres Of
slave soil; and,
Sd. In the population sustained, h balance
of 2,770,000, or more than three to one, upon
given number of acres.
Now ask, in oil candor, if it is hot strange,
utterly amazing, that the great State Of Viz
ginia, with SO many enlightened statesmen as
she has had to direct her councils should be
so blind to these glaring facts? Her early
statesmen were not blind to them. They ut
tered the voice of warning, long and loud, but,
Cassapdra-like, in vain. In despite Of warn
ing, she has COMO ON till she has actually sunk,
in the single item of her improved lands, an
amount of national wealth greater by hun
dred millions Of dollars than the e0 gre present
value of all the improved farms 10 SSl the slaUe
States Of THE OLD THIRTEEN.