New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-09
f,ots up in this wise
No Cones print.


The copies printed in the free States are more
than four times the number printed in the slave
States The number Of whites in the slave
States, in 1850, was 2224l6, ADD in the free
States was IL, $3.50, $50; showing that while the
latter does not double the former the papers
printed in the latter more than qusdruple the
former About the same proportion holds in
regard to the public libraries-scbool, college
end church libraries included-of these Districts
The States of New York and Peunsy vania each
print more periodicals in year than all the slave
States together, New York abou. double and
MAssachuse it's sIcne nesrly as many. The volumes
open TO the use Of the public 10 New. York moro
than double all the volumes in all the slave
States, though New York has only one half their
white population. Virginia has white popus-
ton OF e94 so, and biassacbuset's Of 977, l54;
but the public volumes Of Virginia Sre only
So 46i, while those Of Massachusetts, srs 6S4 0l5.
The State of New II smpshire. with less than half
the white population Of Virginia has more than
double the number Of Libraries, with a nearly
equal number of volumes. The little State of
Rhode Island, no bigger than Virginia corn
field, has more public books by some l4,0oo taan
all Virginia; and Massachusetts, has moro than
all the fifteen slave States.
The spoloeists of Slavery always boast that
there is no poverty in the slave States, while the
free States are said to be Overrun with poor; but
in making the boast, they somewhat exsggerate
the difference. There are great many poor at
the South, ~ we have shown by the 81 lliterste,"
while there 10 no lack of those who are strictly
paupers, that 10, who are supported ia whole or
in part at public charge. On the FIRST Of June,
1850, the native paupers in the United States, IS
returned by the census, were 30 9l6, Of which
2is6O are referred to the free States, and II, CSC
to the slave States. But the white native popu-
lstion Of the free States is than double that
of the slave States, the proportion Of psupers, it
will be seen, Is about the same, namely, at the
South 5 l6 per cent, ard at the North 36. Con-
sderipg the number Of commercial cities and
large manufacturing towns Of the North, and how
the tendency among the poorer classes is to de-
sert the agricultural regions in order to crowd
into these centers OF attraction, We are surprised
that the psupers among us are not greater ia num-
Der thsa they are. But placing the pau 9e-isn of
the North in its worst light, and taking in all the
poor Of the year, native and foreign, we do
not believe that it equals the real p.uperism of
tie South; for it s not fair, in & comparison Of
this hind to omit the slaves altogether from the
class Of paupers Every adult slave. male or e.
male. who does not fully earn his own living, who
does not pay for himself, is in effect pauper.
He il q charge upon his master, and, through him,
upon the public, just as much as any nmsse OF
the pcor.house, or any beggar in the street.
What the number OF such msy be i. is, of course.
impossible 70 discover.
1t Will be seen from all this tina. the South, If
it has most Of the chivalry, has very little Of the
culture Of the country. But is it not curious that
the institution, which traces itself directly to
divine origin, and is pronounced the most blessed
of human relations. should have such remarkable
affinity for ignorance and stagnation, and such re-
pugDance for the usual means of enlightenment
and progress! The more curious, too, because,
according to its own showing, II has existed ever
since the creation, having had ample d inc to de-
velop all its virtues and graces. Now, philosophy
a. well as common sense, tells n that the finest
product of civilization 10 social intelligence, re-
fpement and comfort-snd these our freedom
though nero sseklisg- babe-is producing rap
idly-while its venerable neighbor, ~ old ~
Noah. If not a. old a. re hills lags far behind Is
in every respect. How much further behind,
however, would ii lag, If some 200, 900 northern