The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-07-15

mobu IsUqUVcy comparing the prOuuCtAou5 Va
Virginia with those Of Massachusetts, and ar
guing that Virginia is greatly the richer State,
and that the people Of Massachusetts, must live
on pumpkin pies and turnip tops. The article
contains variety of statements of fact and
figures which are, we presume, taken freshly
from the census aud is therefore, perhaps, enti-
tied to more conside, alton than column Of
mere pathos would deserve.
At the same time it is difficult to perceive
what useful purpose such articles as this can
serve. It may be very true that Virginia
grows ten times as much grain as Massachu-
sets, and that the save owners and the slaves
run no risk Of being reduced to the Irish pota
to; which horrible contingency hath Already,
according to our Richmond contemporary,
befallen the New England States. But what
then? If the South il SO we'll off as all this,
why, so much the better for her. Let her grow
her corn and her grain, and feed her blacks and
open up her mines, and build her railroads, and
do every other act which pertains to intelligent
enterprise; but how are any Of these things the
concern of Massachusetts? What has Boston
to do with the Development Of Virginia
Massachusetts and Virginia have certain things
in common. They are parties to certain
instrument Of confederation, whereby they
agree to act as partners in few specified cases
of political nature to defend each other in
case Of attack by foreign powers not to
harbor property stolen from either +; to
delegate portion Of their sovereign rights
to the same federal arbiter; and, in one or two
other matters, to concede certain rights one to
the other. But as to the productions of the soil
Of either, there is not word on the subject in
the bond. It is no business of one what the
other produces, or how much or how little is
required to feed its people. If the inquiry
were made in q serious spirit Of economical
might prove useful; when it springs from
sentiment of jealousy it is irrevelant and i'm
pertinent.
Virginia has only followed the example of
the Northern States in institutiDg invidious
comparisons. Some time ago the Northern
anti.slavery people were in the habit Of crying
out against the irreligion of the South, till the
Southern journals, in self-defence, turned to
statistics, and proved that there were more
churches more church members, and less crime,
in the South than in the North. After this it
was common to hear the South represented as
falling rapidly into decay, and many were the
groans uttered over the ruin of 80 fine coun-
try. This starts Virginian editor to examine
the figures, and he proves that Of the two old
est States-the one a slave State and the other
free-the slave is by far the most populous, the
most productive, the most pregnant with the
elements Of wealth. 1t is to be hoped that this
retort will silence those who believe the South
is going to ruin; in short, that it will answer
as thoroughly as the quotations from the cen
sus tables old on the religious question.
Whatever might be the effects of o cessation
ofcommeIcial intercourse between the Northern
ard the Southern States, it is not to be denied
that the latter would enter upon policy of
exclusion with great advantages. With some
rare exceptions, the Southern soil is generally
fertile, and produces q surplus Of grain. The
slave States could support every soul within
their borders and still export largely. Very
few Of the Eastern States can do this and as
time goes on, though the product OF the West
orn States will increase, the number of the
States which have o surplus will diminish.
Again, the climate makes a vast difference be-
tween the two. In the South, grain of some
kind grows nearly all the year round; in the
North, eight moRths is the longest period dur
ing which the earth brings forth her increase.
Thus while the laborer in the South hardly
needs 10 lay by anything, in the North he must
always make provision for four months Of win
ter at least Again. the warmth of the South
ern temperature effects a material economy in
the management Of laborers; they require little
clothing, and any shelter at all that keeps ont
the rain is sufficient for health. In the North,
both the fierce heat Of summer and the sharp
cold OF winter necessitate large expenditures
for clothirg and buildings. From these causes,
II the North and the South agreed to have no
thing 30 say 10 each other, aud each to become
q sort OF American japan, the chances are that
the South would stand IT best.
There does not appear, however, to be any
chance Of such an experiment being tried. The
Nirgnians should read history. There they
viii find ID stated that the New Englanders
brought over the seas with them one Of the
moe, amiable characteristics Of the British
their baoit Of grumbling. The Puritans were
The greatest GROWERS the world has known
Their lives we're spent In finding fault Tney
were miserable unless they had some one to
frosn On. Life was a burthen TO them when
they had no quarrel on hand TO snarl about.
Whsn IL want toe King, IL was the mass
priests; when u couldn't be tbs mass priests,
u was the Quaker; when the ouakers ceased
20 b. servicesble, the witches came up; when
the witches were hanged, the New Workers
succeeded them; and 20 the honest old Pur-
tame always eoptinued to have some one hard by
"a threaten and scold. IL IL their way and has
never meant anything. Like many British
mastr ~ congcnial breed, their bark IL waur
than th.ir bate" they nurse their wrath, and