Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-04-09
G9e NortB ana Sout5,
From the Charleston Mercury.
FREE AND SLAVE LABOR.

We copy, from the Standard of yesterday,
an interesting article on the comparative re-
suits of the agricultural products of free and
slave labor in Massachusetts, and South Caro-
lima. The object of the article is, to show
from the statistics of the last Census, that the
productive power of slave labor is decidedly
greater than free labor-in short, that the
slave States have realized the radical truth of
the theory Of Fourier, that the judicious
combination of labor could accomplish, with
easy exertion, results that cost divided labor
infinite care and toll to effect. For, the free
laborers of the North work much harder, and
undergo far more care than the slaves of the
South, and yet, the result is, that they pro-
duce much less. But the Standard, strong
as its argument is, does not press it home.
The great prosperity Of the New England has
rested, confessedly, upon their manufactures;
and these, it has always been maintained,
depended for their prosperity upon the heavy
duties imposed by the Federal Government
on commerce. They have thrived under
this system, and their region of the country
is strewed with multitude of prosperous
cities. But it is not only these seats of
manufacture that the general agriculture of
the country has been called upon to nourish
and sustain. They are each Of them the GEN.
tire of a local agriculture, peculiarly pro6ta-
BILE, and the farmers in the whole neighbor-
hood of these manufacturing cities divide
the profits of the protective tariff with the
cotton spinners and iron mongers. Thus,
to no small extent, the agricultural produce
of the manufacturing States is the creature
of Federal patronage, and owes its produc-
tiveness to the system which has converted
the general wealth of the country into an
instrument for enriching the cunning few.
There is another point, to which we would
call the attention of our readers in this con-
nectiou. There is a large region of country
embracing the border States of the North
and South, which, as far as productivencss
Of soil and climate are concerned, is common
to the two. How happens it, that great ar
ticles of commerce are produced by slave la
Dor in Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, and
Missouri, which are not even attempted in
the southern parts of Ohio, Indiana, and H.
linois. 1t is simply that, in agriculture, free
labor cannot compete with slave labor The
comparison could be extended to other ma
tions, and the same result would be shown.
But it is sufficient to say, in conclusion, that
in no one article in which slave labor has
been directed by intelligent men, has it met
with successful competition in the markets
of the world from the products of free la
Dor.
The Standard is right in its assumption,
that interest will ultimately decide this ques-
tion of slavery. And We have no hesitation
as to the answer its enconomic statistics will
give to the question. They will decide, not
only that slave labor is the most humane, and
the least exacting, but also the most profta-
Bile.
STATISTICS OF MASSACHUSETTS AND
SOUTH CAROLINA CoMpARED.-Pcrhaps
the most important question of this age is as
to the relative efficiency of free and slave la
Dor. 1t is important for the reason that up
on the efficiency of slave labor depends the
existence of domestic slavery. If more eff
cient, it will stand in spite of philanthrophy,
for men will not abandon interests that sus-
tain themselves; if less efficient, it will fall
in spite of philosophy, for men will not sup
port interests that cannot sustain themselves.
The fact, therefore, which elucidate this
question are important also, and for this reas-
on we have been induced to look further into
the statistics of Massachusetts, and South
Carolina. These States have the two sys-
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