The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1855-09-26
Slavery in MARYLAND.

The National Era publishes tabu.
lar statement, showing the effect Of slav-
cry upon the growth and prosperity of
the State Of Maryland. which ought to
tract the attention.not only Of the citizens
of thatState but of the whole country;and
which may lead the way TO some impor-
tant results. Tie subject is illustrated, .,
first, by comparison Of the progress and
col tion Of the two .cctions ot thoState
itself on the south. the eleven counties
of Anne-Arundal, Prince Georges Cal
vert, Challcs, ST. Mary's, Queen Anne,
Caroline, Talbot, Dorchester, Somerset,
and Worcester; on the north, the nine
counties ,f Allegheny, Washington,
Frederick, Carol, Baltimore, Hartford,
Cecil Montgomery. and Kent as shown
by the census Of 1850 aud that Of 1850.
The Southern counties had J2 497
whites in l790, 97,Gl0 in lSj0-a gain
of 81 10 in sixty years the slaves were
12,i72 in 100, and G5,I in lS50-a
loss Of 1915. Yet these counties EN-.
brace more than half Of the territory,
the most scrtile portion, and the most
favorally situated for adrancemcnt
Tho Northern counties had ll2.02l
Whites in 1890, aud 320, ,332 in lSjO-a
gain of 7,4l2 the slaves were 3OS72
in 700, and 25,l7l in 1864 loss of
5,10l.
The farms in the Southern counties a
mount TO 81 lj.577 acres and their cash
value is set at S3l. .52O,5 ,5Oi, equal to SIG
per acre on the average; the Northern
counties have 2 j0S,773 acres in farms,
valued at sj5.2l0.l6lG equal to S22 per
acre The value Of town lots is not in
cluded, which would make the contrast
vastly greater, as the Southern counties
have but one town ofany size, Annapolis,
which has its Importance solely from be-
ing the capital of the State; and this
has but SOIL inhabitants.
The writer compares the Southern
counties of Maryland with eight contigu.
Gus counties in the Southern part Of
Pennsy Franklin, Adams, York,
Lancaster, Chester, Montgomery, Della.
ware, and Bucks. lie adds Montgomery
to the Southern counties in Maryland, So
as to equalizc the two areas TO be com
pared. Twelve counties in Maryland
have 2,7S2,7 10 acres, valued at S37 Coz
oo5; eight counties in Pennsylvania
have 2,677 acres valued at Sl40,597, 2j2
almost four times as much; yet the
advantages Of soil, climate, and position
are in favor Of the Maryland counties
The value Of town lots would greatly in.
crease the difference. as the Pennsy lean.
Ia counties have 1859 'inhabitants in
towns" and the Maryland counties only
6,2Ol. The total proportion of the for.
mer is 437 ,slS; OF the latter, 207,4S7
ln 1880, the Pennsylvania counties had
329.lll Inhabitants, and gained 9s,OO0
in 20 years the Maryland counties had
202 .0lS in 1880, aud gained 5.169 in 20
years. Add to the value of the farms
in the Maryland counties tue appraised
value Of the slaves, averaged at $3.50
making S24 $50, and the amount
s62.2l3,7l5, will be only Sl,3G3326
more than the value of the farns tleav-
ing out the town lots) Of the two coun-
tics of Chester and Lancaster. The to.
tai value Of farms in Maryland, Ss7,l78,
545, is only S6,000000 more than the
three counties of Lancaster, Chester. and
Montgomery, and is less, by S7,6Ss. $50,
than these three with York.
Theproper remedy is, for Northern
farmers aud mechanics to form compan-
les Of from ten to forty families, and buy
up these dilapidated farms, aud settle
them BY townships. Under free apd
skilled labor, that whole region would be.
come the central garden os the Republic.
Maryland and Eastern Virginia ought
to be made the most attractive points of
emigration. 1t would save the country
-Ne'0 York independents