The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-08-16

ware, which has no excuse at all. The State
of Maryland is one of the oldest of the original
thirteen. Her location is on the Northern
border of Slavery, and her soil and climate are
eninently adapted to free white labor, since
her latitude is the same as that of Ohio. 1t is
true that she produces tobacco; but so do the
freemen of Ohio, of better quality, as the Balti-
more merchants have reason to know.
We say nothing for the present of those glo-
rious principles of freedom and equality which
actuated the Marylanders in the days of the
Revolution; we say nothing of liberty for lib
erty's sake-because it is just and equal, and of
good report-because it is the only sure and
stable foundation of State-but we ask the
Marylanders, as wise and prudent men, who
keep sharp eye to their pecuniary welfare, do
you really know, as mass, how much you have
lost, how much you are now losing, bySSIavery2
We are quite certain that you do not, and we
therefore call your attention to facts which no
intelligent man will deny and which loudly call
for action.
Do the people of Maryland know that the
southern counties, including Anne Arundal,
Prince Georges, Queen Anne, and all south of
them, have scarcely increased in white popula.
ton since 1890? These counties embrace
! something more than half the territorial extent
of the State, and by far the most fertile portion
of it, and yet the increase of white inhabitants
in sixty years was only 5,ll3l The slaves fell
off from 72,472 to 65, 1917, or 1875! The free
people of color increased during the same pc,
riod, from $40 to 28,S20, or more than FIVE
fold. These facts demonstrate that the insti-
tuition of Slavery has an unhealthy existence
in Maryland, that it is uncongenial to its soil
and productions, and that it is slowly disap-
pearing. They also prove that it checks the
increase of white population, by giving no
employment to white labor. The free colored
people have gained largely, because, unlike the
whites and slaves, there is no country ready to
receive them, if they should be disposed to
emigrate. 1t also appears that the whole an
nual crop Of young slaves is from year to year
exported, thus bringing upon Maryland the
disgrace of breeding slaves for the Southern
market. Are the people of Maryland willing
to occupy this degrading position before the
civilized world? .
1t is to be remarked that the southern coun-
ties contaiu the great body of the slaves
Thus, of l03,344 slaves in the State in 1890,
the southern counties above named contained
| 72,473; and of 9O,368 in 1850, the southern
counties contained 65,l97.
Bearing hese facts in mind, we proceed to
show the C mparatively rapid progress of the
northern c. mites. Thus the white people of
these counties amounted in 1890 to 1921,
and in 1850 to 320,333, showing gain of
three hundred per cent. in sixty years, against
sir per cent. gain of the southern counties
the number of slaves decreased SOL, which is
gratifying result, showing that Maryland has
no business with Slavery. The free people of
color also Increased in considerable degree,
as they did in the lower counties.
We will make another contrast The south
ern counties contained 92,477 free inhabitants
in 1890, and only 1850 in 1850. The north
ern counties contained ll2,92l in 1890, and
32O,333 in 1850. 1t may be alleged that this
great gain is altogether owing to Baltimore, a
commercial and manufacturing city; but the
tables which we subjoin demonstrate, upon
moments inspection, that the northern coun-
ties generally, with the exception of two or
three, which were in 1890 sadly afflicted with
Slavery have greatly increased in population
If we had time to 60 into details, we might
show that they have increased in wealth, and
in the growth of towns, in equal degree, while
| the southern counties have nothing that de-
serves the name of town, except Annapolis,
which owes the little importance it enjoys to
being the seat of Government of the State
Among the tables below will be found one
| in which certain contiguous counties in Penn
| sylvania are compared with others of similar
extent in Maryland. We have taken the south
ern counties of Maryland, as our object is to
contrast Freedom with Slavery. AS regards
natural fertility, the Maryland counties are not
a whit behind those of Pennsylvania, to say
nothing of the beds of mari they contain; and
in position they have greatly the advantage,
Potomac river, and numerous streams, afford
| ing every facility for trade and commerce. In
1880, these Maryland counties contained
| 2O2,0lS inhabitants, white and black in 1910,
l9l, Alb and in 1850, 2O7,4S7. The Pennsyl-
| vania counties in 1880 contained 329, Il in
habitants; in 1910, 364,7O4 and in 1850,
427,SlS. The more populous district in the
| free State, therefore, gained in twenty years
| ninety-eight thousand freemen, while the Mary
land district gained only five thousand of all
shades of color. Though larger in extent than
| the Pennsylvania countless and though settled
| fifty years earlier, the Maryland counties con-
tanned less than half the population of the
Pennsylvania district in 1850; and while the
latter still exhibits healthy progress the for
mer has for fifty years been stagnant or near
ly so.
These contrasts could not fail to awaken
healthful reflection in the minds of the Mary
land people, if the press of that State could be
induced to draw attention to them. 1t is dis
creditable to the papers of Baltimore, that they
do not lay aside childish fear of the charge of
"abolitiop," and tell their people the plain
truths We have here brought to light-which
in fact lie upon the surface, and which their
| own intelligence needed not our aid in discov-
ering. It is about time for the enterprising
Sun and Clipper to throw aside the antigua
ted conservatism, which breads nothing so
much as nth. We believe that the conduct
ors of Il use journals cordially despise such
maxims prudence, and we feel that, in the
present tie of public opinion in Maryland,
they will azard nothing in acting in open dis