The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1858-04-23

Who could hesitate between freedom and
slavery, it the question be asked IN respect 10
any new State or territory: Ii the inhabit.
ants are to be considerable the soil and
productions-or the institutions which are to
be built up-who could for a moment hest
tate 10 preier freedom to slavery That free
dom plants the best institutions, literary,
charitable or social, witness any OF our free
States - and that slavery impoverishes
land. witness any one OF the slave States
The South have the better Of the North in
the number Of its acres, in fertility, aud IN
most natural advantages. But how stands
the account, after fair trial Of century,
Slavery has produced its rcsults-and Free
dom has brought forth lis fruits, and proudly
asks which deserves the palm; a careful
writer states, that con the authority Of South
rons themselves, il is demonsti able beyond
the possibility OF rcfutation, that the inirin.
sic value of all the property in the free States
| il more than three times greater than the IN
trinsic value Of all the property OF the slave
States" Aud he gives from Mr.. bellows
9Th census the entire wealth OF the slave
States, including slaves, as S2,936,O9O,137,
and subtracts rs value OF slaves Sl,60O.0OO,-
900, leaving as the true wealth OF the South,
81 1896, 900, 1871, and the true wealth OF the
free States, Si,l02,l7?.lOS, giving balance in
favor of the North, S2.766,0Sl ,31l--that Is,
the free States are worth to-day really two
thousand seven hundred and six'y.six mil
lions eighty one thousand thee hundred and
sevenly-one dollars more than the slave States.
No small sum, twenty-seyen hundred and
sixty-six millions of dollars. the North has
gained over the South in the GIL years pre-
yious TO 1850! And still the free States are
in high state OF prosperity, and the slave
States doomed to fall more and more IN arrear
continually.
Judging of the future then, by the past,
do the people OF this country choose that the
very large and fertile territory OF Kansas
shall come into the Union noble free State,
or trammeled with the incubus OF slavery
clutching at its vitals Slave labGrs is
blight on the soil. as well as dampcr to free
institutions and true Yankee thrift. In 1854,
saws ii. X. Helper. there were assessed tor
taxation in South Carolina, I7,2S9,359 acres
of land, valued at Sl,32 per acre, S22,S36,-
37i-and in same year in New Jersey, 1884,
500 acres, valued at S2S,76 per acre, $685.
l6l,6l9! Some difference between twenty
eight dollars and seventy.six per cent. per
acre for land in second rate free State, and
one dollar and thirty-two cents per acre for
the value OF land in what is termed the model
State of sunny South Carolina As Shak.
speae would say, "Look on this picture, and
then on that"
"rhe Impending Crisis Of the South" is
the title OF recent volume, gotten up with
much and careful reading. This book says,
quoting from the Richmond Enquirer Of
1852, eve have cause to feel deeply for our
situation. Philadelphia herself contains a
population far greater than the whole. free
population of Eastern Virginia. The little
State OF Massachusetts has an aggregate
wealth exceeding that Of Virginia by more
than Sl26,O00,OO0." 1t says also directly,
"The value OF all the property, real and per-
sonal. including slaves, in the seven slave
States, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee.
Missouri. Arkansas, Florida, and Texas. is |
less than the real and personal property in
the single State Of New York. Such is the
amazing contrast between freedom and slave
~ even in recuniary point OF view" In
view of such facts rs are here presented, 1t 10
a momenious interest, under what constitu.
ton Kansas shall be admitted, tolerating or
slavery, establishing or iorbidding |
liberty on all its area.