The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-06-21
THE EDINBURGH REVIEW AND AMERICAN
sLAvERY-l79O AND 1850

| SpelhS ol tne ehOrIs anu means OI the Anu
Slavery Party, can be productive of no good
1t is by reading such articles that We are re
minded of the mischief often done to nobl,
cause, by undertaking what it has accomplish
ed, and gloomily exaggerating the obstacles t.
its advancement. Ant-Slayery Reformers, in
tent upon awakening the Public TO full percep
ton of the Evil they asSail, address themselve:
rather to the fears than hopes of men, rarely
pausing to dwell upon the gains of Freedom,
but always Oh the alert to point out its losses
and perils They dread truce with the enc
my-they would avoid everything tending to
Iull the People into false security or tempt
them to relaxation of effort. But despair is
as bad as overweening confidence. He who
| hopes nothing, will in the long run do nothing.
Men without faith will soon learn to live with
out works.
Certainly it is fearful controversy in which
the People of this country are involved-a con-
troversy which cannot be thrust aside, but must
be settled, soon or late, peacefully, or through
violence. For good and evil, for veal and wo,
these thirty-one States are bound together, and
they must confront and deal with as they best
can, the common danger. There are gloomy
aspects of the controversy-we are only too ia
ging indications
Recolect-when we began our career under
the existing Constitution, nearly all the States
were Slavebolding; now, there are but fifteen
out of thirty-one. And where are the new
slave States preparing for admission? Fraud
and violence are seeking to force the growth of
a single one in Kansas, but the result of the
experiment has yet to be seen.
What besides? Slavery has u bare posi-
blity in New Mexico; a faint, distant hope of
as, yet remote the chances of war with
Spain for Cuba, and of depredatons on Mex.
leo. With ordinary discretion and tolerable
unanimity, the free States can keep the peace
with both these Powers. Physical causes, and
the prejudices of the native population, must
embarrass all attempts to convert New Mexico
into slave State. The Mormon controversy
must be settled before colonists from North or
South will seek homes in Utah and us for
Texas, want of population, and the fear that,
owing to the German settlers, to divide the
State now might involve the establishment of
free State, will restrain for an indefinite pc
riod any movement of the kind.
Meanwhile, series of new free States is in
process of rapid formation. MINNESOTA has
now population enough for a State, and in due
,;,,o bar orao ba;no. ovar lcc 0aO CONAN. IL.
will form the basis of three States. A bill
passed the House during the last Congress, for
the organization of State Government in
OREGON, and will pass both Houses during the
next Congress but Oregon too, with an area
of $4,000 square miles, must hereafter be
divided into three States. WASHINGTON, with
an area of $4,000 square miles, ultimately 10
constitute two States, will soon be ready for adj
mission as one. The admission of the three
as States will increase the Free State majority
House, from fifty-six to sixty, with the certain
prospect of the rapid increase of the latter
from the growth of population. California
with an area of $4,000 square miles, is now
seriously agitating the project of division
with view to the erection of three States, all
to retain the prohibition OF Slavery. A major
ity Of the Legislature, which has Just closed its
session, was in favor of it, but it has vet to- be
submitted to the People. The time is not far
distant, when there will be eight free States on
with the three States to be formed in Mime
sofa, the free States will number twenty six
instead of sixteen, have a delegation in the
Senate of ffty-two instead of thirtytwo, and
constitute an uncomfortable majority in the
| House. Nor is this all NeBRAsKA, given ur
by the Shareholders, although small attempt
to invite Vandal irrupton has been made
by one of the newspapers, is destined to prove
the nursery Of five or six free States, its area
being 335,C00 square miles.
What is there in the prospects of Slavery, t.
set off against these inevitable and not yer,
distant accessions to the side Of Freedom
| Again; Large as the slave population is
relatively it is nov smaller than it was at III,
formation of the Constitution. Then. it was a.
one to five and a half of our free population
now, it is as one to about seven. In sixty year
it has increased, from CO.. 900 to 1920. 900. O
35S per cent; while the white has increased
from 3,l72,0O0, to l9,553,OOO, or Sic per cent
There is no reason to suppose that this ratio O
white increase viii be diminished for Ion,
time to come; for no one dreams that the in
sane policy of the Know Nothings can perma
nently affect the course Of foreign immigra
ton. 1t is this which has so rapidly augment
ed the white population, carrying it forwar,
with such momentum, and giving it 80 vast
preponderauce over the slave, as greatly to re
duce the hazards of seryile Instruction: OF
even IN that contingency, to save the Fed
eral Government and the country general
from fatal damage. Had it not been for tn
accession to our white population from abroad
the slaves would constitute one in two, instea
OF one IN seven Of the People. With fire.
population, then, rapidly, constantly gainin
on the slave, we may reasonably hope that
will be strong enough, not only to prevent tn
evil from becoming unmanageable, but to abat
it in such a way as to save9the cause of Ere,
dom from shipwreck.
Again, The non-slavehoders have bee
steadily gaining political power ever since tn
organization of the Constitniiop. ~ 1890, Ii