The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-12-11
THE SOUTHERN PRESS.

j
keeping our readers well informed of the ideas
and projects occupying the minds of our South
ern fellow-citizens. The topics discussed are,
Land Grants to the New States, Foreign Immi-
grafton, Southern Filibustering, Plans for
Building up Southern Commerce, the Southern
Commercial Convention. The reader will OBJ
serve that the discussions are generally section
al, never lose sight of the question of political
power, and are marked By jealousy of the free
States, to which are imputed deeds and pur-
poses of aggression.
Land Grants to Nep &ates.-The Richmond
Whig assails the policy of granting lands to the
new States, and carefully excludes any reference
to the fact that the new slaveholding States
have shared, equally with the free, the benefits
of this policy. By the act of September 4, lS4l,
agrant of 500 900 acres, for purposes of internal
| improvement, was made to each of the following
| States-1llinois, Missouri, Alabama, Mississip-
p, Louisiana, Michigan, Arkansas, Florida,
| Iowa, and Wisconsin. Since then, the bills
granting lands for railroad purposes have en-
braced equally the free and slave States of the
western States, as if they monopolized the Fed
eral bounty, is dictated simply by that sectional
spirit which characterizes the Southern Press.
If the Western free States have derived more
benefit from these grants than the Western slave
States, it is owing to the use by the former, of
what the Whig has sneeringly denominated
hireling labor lin other words, to " free So
ciety," which the learned philosophers of Rich.
mond assure US is "a failure"
Foreign InsmigrGtion.-Tot this cause chiefly
the Whtg and several of it's associates attribute
the rapid growth of the political power of the
North. Had it not been for this say they, the
South would have retained its ascendency in
the Federal Councils They insist, therefore,
that the laws respecting naturalization be abro-
rogated, or essentially modified, so as to cut off
this source of power to the free States, and in
this wise policy doubtless they expect to find
co-workers among Northern Know Nothings,
supposed to be equal to any amount of self.
sacrifice.
But the delusion of the Wing in regard to
the source of the greater political power of the
free States must be dispelled.
In 1870, the slave States, so-called, contained
a white population of l,27l, 1885, the free States,
l,900,976, showing difference in favor of the
latter of 629,488. In 1850, that difference had
become 7,lO8,232l Is this owing to foreign
immigration? The following concise state
ment in the Compendium of the Census for
1850 shall answer the question:
"There are now 726,45O persons living in
States who are natives of non
States, and 232,ll2 persons living
in non-slaveholding States who are natives of |
slaveholding States. There are l,860,39 per- |
sons OF foreign birth in the non-saveholding |
States, and 378, 205 in the slaveholding There |
are, then, 494 1913 more natives of non-slaye-
holding States in saveholding States than there
are slaveholding in the non-slaveholding States |
while there are ,488, 1872 more persons of for.
eign birth in the nonslaveholding States; which
gives less than million more persons residing
In non-slaveholding States, who were not born
there, than in the slaveholding States, nearly
all of which are white inhabitants. The diff |
ference is nearly 1000 in the aggregate, to |
more than 100000 in the white population, |
and is not therefore due to this cause"
Fili6ustering.-The key to Southern filibus.
tering, the Richmond Wing finds in the appre-
hension of political degradation by the numeri-
col power of the North. Il is not bsS.-uss the
Southern People love deeds of violence, or are |
grasping in their ambition, that they seek the |
extension of their territory, but because they |
are anxious to maintain equality with the |
North. Hence their projects in relation to |
Cuba and Central America The idea at the |
bottom of all such speculations is, an equilibrium
in the Senate. AS to population, all the acqui. |
sitions of territory the South may be able to
make will not bring it up to the North. The |
free States have more than double the white |
population, not because they have more terri
tory-for they have less-but because their in.
stitutions are free. By examining the returns
of the popular vote in 1852 and at the late
election, it will be found, too, that the free
States have three times more voters than the
slave States. No device can remedy this inc.
quality, or prevent Its increase The numerical
superiority in the House of Representatives
must become greater and greater, should the
slave territory of the Union be doubled The
restless managers Of Southern politics know
this, and therefore they seek an equilibrium
in the Senate.
By the admission of California, this was de-
stroyed-by the admission of Kansas as a slave
State, this may be restored-and then, by means
of proposed States in Texas, the Gadsden pur.
chase, Cuba, and Nicaragua, they may be able
to balance Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and
Nebraska. While the slave States are organ.
lied by their politicians in this sectional spirit,
for purely sectional purposes, the pursuit of
which necessarily and at all times involves the
discussion of the Question of Slavery, under
every aspect in all its bearings, the free States
are denounced by them, and by the Presidents
whom they contrive to elect, as being engaged
in sectional warfare against the South and its
Institutions
Commercial Projscts.-The reader will be
somewhat amused with the profound DISGUISE.
tions on the ways and means of attaining COM
mercial greatness. The problem to be demon
strated is, how slaveholding and planting COM
munity shall do its own commerce. Why not?
1t raises the stuff for exportation-why not
build the ships for carryingit it? 1t grows cotton
why not, ships? 1t has plenty of slaves-why
not, plenty of sailors? 1t abounds in planters
why not in merchants, shippers, shippers? 1t
has the best harbors in the world-why not
whiten them with its own canvass The politi.
clans are puzzled, but they have at last come
to the conclusion that nothing more is needed
than attention to the subject Let the South
will, and it shall be done: Steam-lines shall
spring up as if by enchantment, and Norfolk
and Charleston shall soon supplant New York