The daily union., 1856-12-27
CONGRESSIONAL.
SPEECH OF HON. l.. OBJ. BRANCH
on NORTH CAROLINI

oF NORTH CAROLINA
In the House Of Representatives December s 1885, on h'
question OF referring the Presidents message TO the Com
mttee of the Whole the state OF the Union ana TINS
printing Of ten thousand copies thereof
Mr.. BRANCH said
Mr. SPEAKER feel hesitation in engaging in this de
bate because do think IL either Improbable or
waste OF time l do not think would be badly occu
pied If we only gathering up aud arranging the ma
erias for the history of the past and probably we could
be better employed than in defining clearly what issues
have been settled the people, Ia order that parties and
individuals may conform their conduct 10 the popular YER
dict do not think it worth while to inquire why the
people decided they did decide but propose TO state
what in my opinion the people did decide, and what
ought TO be considered hereafter settled by the contest
Before proceeding TO do So however wish to advert to
one or two remarks which fell from the gentleman from
Indiana Mr. CUmAOK who addressed the House yester-
day.
As proof of the deleerious effects Of slavery, where IL
prevails the gentleman CITED the fact which he says ap
pears from the census OF 1850 that the State OF Georgia
has improved and under cultivation but six millions o
acres of land whilst 1t has sixteen millions OF acres uni-
proved Nature has been bounu to the souther States
in many respects and has given to them much fertile soil
but If the State of Georgia possesses the proportion o
good arabic sosueh would tempt cultivation whilst
much unappopriated land OF great fertility offered by
the great distance ofas this
would TO indicate she has far greater proportion OF
good land than any other southern western State with
which acquainted Much less than one-fourth OF our
land is desirable for cultivation and hence our population
Is sparse This spaseness may entail upon us some dlsad
but if it has tended to preserve us from the
crimes the isms and the rorss which constantly aiict
the thickyseed northern States we are amply compen-
sated for every disadvantage.
must say also to the gentleman that If with slave labor
Georgia cutvates six millions of acres without slave la
Dor it would cultivate million Our soil and eli
mate render it certain that without slave labor entire
crops sugar and rice and two and half OF the three
million bales of cotton make, would be annihilated
And when they annihated what would remain OF the
commerce. trade and prosperity of the North We have
the satisfaction to know that when northern assaants
shall destroy u.s. they cannot themselves escape from the
ruins.
The gentleman alleges also that the slayeholdng States
are behind the nonsavehoding in railroad building and
other improvements have read such assertions In news
papers and elsewhere aud them go forth unconta-
dcted but they shall 20 out from this hall without
bsing exposed hold in my hand table, prepared by
myself from data furnished by the American Almanac
published in Boston, showing the miles of railroad the
number of population, and the proportion between the
two, in the Atlantic States II does not embrace the
northwestern State because their railroads We're to
large extent built by the federal government ont OF the
property of the Union and furnish no indication
of the wealth enterprise of those States take those
States embraced within the limits Of the original thirteen