Squatter sovereign., 1855-02-13

the master; Tor SUCH we KNOW is not the
case, whether the slave be the son of
Africa, or of New England, his master a
chevalier, or Puritan, we viii not shrink
from this. investigation. We have the
right to object, because the census does
not give US the statisticsEof servants, the
''help' in New England, Of those who are
the hewers of wood and drawers of water,
for the fortunate few whose wealth ex-
empts them from toll and suffering. 1t is
not fair that we should be required to con-
trast the condition of our slaves with that
of the masters of New England. With
such odds against u.s. are still not
ashamed of the contrast.
We refer to the census.
Me-, N. H., VT, Free. Pop. An. Births
Mass. r. I. Conn 2,72S,1l6. 61,l4s.
Md, Va, N. Ca, Slave Pop. An. Births
New England, Annual Deaths, d, ,36S.
Southern Slaves, Sc '' 4,79O.
Ratio Of Births and Deaths.
Births. Deaths.
New England, to Al. l to64.
Southern Slaves, l to 80. to 65.
&c Free, / to 35. to S5.
We find that although the slaves are
not SO fortunate as their masters, they
are more prolific, less, liable to die,
than the free men of New England. A
class composed almost exclusively of those
tho laborers-who In all estimates of
life rank lowest int the scale; race, physi-
cally inferior to the white man, outranhs
the white man in the scale of Ii fe! What
would be the result, could class be COM
pared with class; those who in New Eng
land occupy the position asst igned to the
slave in the South, be compared with the
slave? Nominal freedom would kick the
beam, when weighed in the scale with
nominal slavery; sad realities would be
found, fearfully arrayed against sounding
names.
We have still further evidence of the
better condition of the slaveholding States.
That country, which has greatest wealth,
is not necessarily the happiest or most
prosperous. On the contrary, excessive
wealth to often brings in its train vice and
degradation. Real happiness is rather
to be found where wealth is distributed;
where each is above want, all are able to
live free from the harrassIng exactions OF
poverty. This is it, which has ever pre-
scented the striking contrast between town
and country: which has so fully warranted
men in regarding towns as ''sores on the
body politic;" has given rise to the adage
'God made the country, man made the
town." In the latter, great wealth gathered
in the hands of the few, the toiling mil
| corrupted by luxury, the other debased by
destitution; In the country it is the reverse:
there though there be no excessive wealth,
there is no poverty: fortune is distributed,
if not with exact equality, yet in such fair
proportion, that none can oppress another,
with neither luxury nor idleness to cor
rupt, nor want nor oppression to tempt and
degrade, the people are happy, virtuous
and prosperous.
While in New England, we admit there
are more overgrown fortunes, more towns,
more seeming wealth and prosperity, In
that distributed wealth, which marks real
prosperity, In exemption from poverty with
its ills, we assert that the slaveholding
States are far in advance. OF necessity,
slaveholding people must mainly be an
agricultural people. Among such, whatev-
er wealth there be, must be better distribu-
cities: there must be fewer paupers The
census proves this.
We take again the New England States
and the same five old slayeholding States
and quote from the census,
Maine, New Hampshire, VT, ! Paupers.
Massachusetts,, r. l. Conn. 81, 3,431
Maryland, Virginia, n. Ca, 400,
South Carolina, Georgia,
Excess in New England 1920
New England with all her boas.ed pros.
perity, has nearly double-135 per cent
more paupers than these Southern States
poverished by slavery. In New England
the land of thrift, 1 In 81 is a pauper
while in these Southern States there is bu
l in 191.
/ To this abolitionists will at once reply
| that these paupers In New England are
foreigners. Ifthis be so, those foreigner:
did not come from slaveholding States
they came from States like New England
miscalled '.free," where they have beer
i taught to lool, on negro-slavery as curse
biting with its influence the energy of tn,
white race. We have, too another answe
to this excuse: to these foreigners is Ney
England indebted for her boasted increas
of population. Without their aid, sh
would be far behind the South even il
numbers; for we have seen how greatl
the South exceeds her In natural increase
To these foreigners she is indebted, toe
for much of her boasted prosperity: to thei
strong arms is she indebted for her rail
roads, her canals, her highways, her pub
lie works. She has no right, then, t
cast them off when In this matter they coun
against her.
i But this excuse viii not avail, for un
fortunately the census has distinguishe
, the native from the foreign paupers: an
!. we are thus enabled to compare the native
born. full-blood New Engiander, with a
his ..shrift frugahty and industry, with th