New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-11-03
CONCENTRATION AND DISPERSION.


slave territories on the sire myth and perPetuiy OF
the patriarchal and peculiar institution. The
WASHINGTON Sentinel having argued at length for
extending the area of Slavery, The Ner- Orleans
co,pyn,yeial Bullstin corrects that journal az
wanting in common sense. The New-Orleaus
authority fatty denies that "it is in the interest
"of the entire South that Slavery should be IN
8. troduced into Kansas or Nebraska" and calls
Douglas demsgogue for his famous bill, affirm
ing that "every fruit that has flowed from IL
!'bas been an evil, without single extenuating
cor redeemipg qualification" tn. Bulletin far
ther asserts that many of the intelligent reflect
ling planters Of the South are Of opinion that
concentration, instead of diffusion, OF Slavery
sis most needed" Scatter il over vast ex-
"tent of territory, much of it uncongenial aud
"unproductive, and il will necessarily impair the
available power of the institution On this
head we would remark emphatically, that
il ought to be understood by every man
who votes, or who can influence vote
that the surest way to weaken population, or to
increase its incoherence, poverty and stupidity,
is to scatter il unduly. But the whole history OF
the South has been series of political and so
cis acts leading to such an end. The first ele-
ments of political economy do not appear to have
been understood by her political leaders, and by
an adoption OF the term Democracy and control
of the ignorant portion Of the foreign population
of the North and West, they have cOntrived to
keep drearily back in the race of improvement,
and to a great extent to drag the North with
them. Ignorant as is the South, financially,
artistically and scienti6caly-she is saved from
absolute barbarism only by the softening arts and
generous utilities she derives from the free nsti-
buttons with which she comes in contact. Her
most ordinary utensils in iron-the foundation Of
all civilization-cOme from the North; aud as for
works of inventive genius, she has nothing to
show, except unacknOwledged dependence on the
North. This result is due to Slavery, primarily,
but a scattered population is necessary conse
quence of such involuntary bondage. When,
therefore, the /" intelligent planters" of the South
wish to concentrate their populstion-to keep it
from running to Texas, Arkansas, and Kansas
and Nebraska-they should mean at the same time
toimprove the condition Of the negro and render
him free. Whether they 10 1t with design or not
ia of no importance, but if they enter upon
policy Of concentration it will inevitably lead to
the universal emancipation of the blacks-their
masters gaining in wealth thereby to the same
extent that they gain in morals, repute, comfort,
and enlightenment.
If we were without statistics as to the posi-
lively and relatively inferior condition Of the
Soulb, growing out of this secor dairy fact Of the
dispersion of her population over too large
surface, we might argue against the institution"
ON the ground that it has e1tinguished every en-
piIe which mas adhered to it-lOne of ancient
snd modern times affordiDg an exception But,
fortunately for the right, we can show by the re.
cent the dispersion Of the population in the
South, compared with It's concentration in the
NOrth-the latter, be it added, however, net as
complete by any means as could be desired, or
able to afford due security against industrial and
commercial revusions and crises (Southern pol
icy to be thanked therefor but still in brilliant
contrast with the reverse in the South. The fol-
lowing sketch of the relative concentration Of the
population North and South to the square mile
will exhibit the attractive forces of the different
social institutions of the two sections.
Maine has only II to the square mile, but being
a bleak ultimate thule kind Of northern State it
affords an exception to the others; directly in
contact, however, with her older sisters, she has
led the way in illumination with her Prohibitory
Law, destined to sweep the whole country and do
more for the social redemption of the American
people than all the acts of Congress. Vermont,
though its takes ts name from its billy and hence
unproduciye soil, has 80 souls to the square mile
Massachusetts, has l37-an extraordinary proof of
industry and freedom, in other words, of concen-
tratiOn-which is not Capitalization, be it remem-
bered Connecticut has 70 to the square mile
w-Hampsbire, 80; Rhode Island, 1913; New
York, 67; New-Jersey, II; Pennsylvania, 49
Maryland, 3d. Ohio 40; Indiana, %; Illinois, Is
Kentucky, &c; Virginia %; North Carolina, 10;
South Carolina, 90; Georgia, Is; Mississippi, II.
BY the foregoing it will be seen that the plant
ing slave States, even those belonging TO the
original thirteen, have not the power Of concen-
tratiDg their population, as have the northern
States Of equal claims to good soil, or, as in the
case of Massachusetts,, Of inferior claims. This is
owing to the slaves, which far outnumber the
whites and deplete, instead of filling out the gross
numbers and wealth of thecommunity; for not only
do they nearly extinguish immigration to those
States, but drive away the whites to ne yer States
or to the Territories.
In 1870 Virginia had 10 Representatives; in
100, %; in 1910, %; in le2O, %; in 1880, 81;
in lS4O 81; in 1850, 81. South Carolina in the
above periods respectively, 6, G, 9, 9, 9, 7, g..
New-York, 10, IL, 81, "a, 40, 81, 80. So the
operation of the apportionmentlaw from the start,