The Feliciana Democrat., 1858-05-29
INCREASE OF SLAVE LABOR.

reasoning
and powerful cxpositions.
The surplus slave population of the older southern
states if the expression be allowed partially supply
Ing the demand for labor in the newer states and
thereby absorbiuga certain amount of capital, will
be another and very material check toa supcrabun-
dant importation from Africa and the impossibility
Of obtaining more than limited supply, even in AZ
rica under the circumstances which would follow our
revival of the slave trade. would be still another
But whether or not these checks would combine to
preyen: the great alix which is so much dreaded. it
must be remembered that each State Government
could for itself prevent Importation.
Ills the right of every state TO decide what dcscrip
tion Of mon shall be allowed to enter her limits
Every act of the Federal Government might be re-
pcaled and still few or 10 slaves imported into Nir-
giua or the Caronas, if those states wished to pre-
vent il. Congress can only prohibit cannot ati-
thoiiac importation in cofarcnoi Of the state ar-
thoritics; and even the power TO prohibit is suscep
tiblc Of grave dispute in the event of case being
made before the courts of the country. Regarding
then. African slaves ever becoming an incubus up
on the county as q simple mpossbty. let US for
a moment consider what would be the effect of i'm
porting them.
Its with profound Difference that | venture an
opinion which, though il be the result of my most
mature reelection, may be erroneous: yet it docs
seem that if as many slaves were imported Us would
supply the demands OF capital not absorbed in the
domestic trade, there would be no sydha effect pro-
duccd upon the vested interests of the south 4
gra1r reduction would probably occur in the price
of slave labor but this would he too slow 10 occasion
Inconvenience TO parties now interested in mort ga
ges. bonds settlements, or other obligations: and il
i only sudden change Of price that can affect the
material interests Of the country Besides, the
price Of land would rise with the same certainty that
the price OF slaves would fall because labor imparts
value 70 land. Since the days Of Paradise, what is
land without labor? The landed interest Of the
country would surely suffer no detimcnt. IN in
crease of labor, the only active source of value
would Increase Our agricultural produce and. conse-
qucnlly, stimulate commerce navigation, manniac-
turcs, ana mechanic arts, and all these interests would
hc benefited. But IN this moncycd ace it i. start
lin TO hear OF reduction in price, Let Us see If we
shoald regret d reduction III Tie price of Slaves
Since he beginning of hi- year, The uccoumt-sales
Of over 1000 negroes have come under my obscrva.
tion III q few newspapers from different sections Of
the south, and their average price has been SG35.
making an aggregate Investment Of $l,27O.0OO.-
Now. in spite Of the late money pressure how many
OF these two thousand were really mortgaged for The
price they sold att or even halt the price? How ma
NY Of them cat tleir,iomcr owners what they lately
sold for? II the truth could be known, it would
more than probably be found That nine out Of ten
sold al an enormous appreciation above cost OF liza
bty for debt. The true effect. then of these high
prices is to add 10 the assets OF The p1y fe Who di
either TO pay debts on speculate; while the mqHy who
byy, a. permanent investment, must realize pro-
portionatrly diminished pratt by having to invest at
higher rate. Tie effect Of the scarcity OF slaves
as compared with the demand for them il 10 enrich
the slave trader, but certainly not to benefit the
great mas Of slave owners, who have not even the
rcmoes intention or selling even tie most worth
las o. Iheir slaves.
People IL common parlance are too apt to regard
slave property sort or gtgci at qde but this il IL
general IS II i cgrrgous an error. ont Of the L.
100000 Of Slaves ia Our possession, even ont of
The 100000 that annually change homes under tic
impetus Of emigration, how many are sold as stock
IN trade? After the most assiduous investigation.
which Of course can afford but imperfect informaton
believe not 10000! Now what company, with 4
eayltal stock of Sl,O0000O, or even S20O0O0 could
survive year on the profits Of the sale of only slO
600 Of its stocks? But, to come from goncmIttics 10
particulars, not the richest and most prosperous
planters, and Shareholders generally those who nev-
er sell? How many hundreds Of estates are there
from which no slave has ever been sold Yet, what
changes take place in tlm price Of those whom their
neighbors sell! But do these changes affect hctr
wealth? DO they reduce their crops or the price of
their crops?
1t would be well to remember that The value of Ia.
bor in n new country like ours, il not governed by
the same laws which control the price Of mcrelan-
disc. Labor is productive, and It's pyice may vary ac-
cordng TO the annual demand for its produce but s
ralIe does not Produce is pcrishabc, and It's value
rs well as It's price is controlled by the quantity in
the market In one case the value is that of use"
in the other il is that Of exchange" Labor is not
for sale, the produce sD few large crops may choa-
pen produce. say 20 per cents but this fact of itself
does not cheaper labor because the amount Of labor
employed is still the same-thn capital invested and
the cost Of support is unchanged And. on the 9th
er hand, few short crops .may appreciate produce
20 per cent? but il does not follow that labor appre-
caos in proportion after all the fluctuations in the
Iripp of 9rO1Ice the ynlup I1LOr will Ln fonnl