Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-03-23

vatne would then be fifty dollars. He would
then hire probably for food and raiment. This
would enable all our poor people. who are not
able to buy negroes ut the present high prices,
to procure them, say some: and in that way
all would become deeply interrs'edin in Slavery
1t would enable the owners of the waste lands
in the older Southern States to reclaim and
enrich sedge fields and piney groves, say
others. But woulda poor man buy negro, it
that negro's labor was only worth 6I'y dollars
year2 lie could not afford to feed him. And
indebtedness, which would now only sbso b
oae.tourth Of mans negroes, would then take
all that he had, mud thus many small slave.
holders, and lot few larger ones, would find
themselves e,nancipated by the Sheriff from
all further concern personally in the question
Of Slavery. a. breeding negro woman with
three or four children wsuld be burthen that
no one would be wiling to support, unless at.
tachcd by stronger ties than interest 10 the in
sttution. This would strike at the very root
o: our slave property. The cost of raising and
maintaining an infant negro, would consume
twice his value. This would tear up the in.
stitution by the roots in Georgia, to say moth
ing of Virginia and other States which raise
them for the West. 1t would he worse than
abolition in its worst forms. 1t would force
emancipation upon us by the pinching zen.
would be no escape from the bankruptcy of
holding and raising slaves but universal aboli-
ton. Neither could the proprietors OF those
waste lands, which we desire 10 see reclaimed
and blossoming with the cotton plant, afford
to feed anil clothe negroes, and employ them
in reclaiming worn lands if, when thos. lands
were rcclaimed-which would require an ex.
pensive process Of several years-they could
expect onl to reap Us the fruits Of the labor
of their slaves such profits and income as
would correspond with the above value. The
result would rather be, that both the waste
land and the wasted property ofnegrocs would
be abandoned by prupricto 5 Us a measure Of
seltdefrncc. How would this state Of value
affect US, even here in Middle Georgia, Ito say
nothing Of Virsiuia) where women and chill
dren are now considered the best slave pro-
perty? 1t is needless to pursue this view of
The subject into further details. Every one
can reason upon these consequences for him.
self. Instead Of this condition of things
strengthening the institution, it would pull it
down with iron hooks, Iuslead of inducing
an expansion of the basis. Of slave property, it
would have just the opposite result, Men
would hot buy nor hold slaves, if they were so
reduced iu value as to he rather burden than
benefit 1t is we'll known, that there are
many shareholders in the older parts Of the
Southern country who now make very little
above the support Of their slavcs-thcir prin.
cipal accumulation consisting i'll the increase
and growth Of their negroes.
But where would this process Of the increase
of slaves, and "ver.snpply of productions, and
decrease of prices and profits end? have,
argued it at the p"iHt where the slave pnpula.
tiun was supposed to be dunhle'i. and then !
have taken it at the low figure of three hun
dred dollars for negroes. But have we any
assurance that it would stop at that? AS long
as money could be made by importing wild
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