Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-01-13

his tables SHOWS IIfaI OF tue WnltS auuito
over twenty years of age who cannot read
and write
In Connecticut, is in SEQ
In Vermont, in AIS
In North Carolina, ! in7
In Virginia, / in u 10
The census Of 1850 shows that the
number of periodicals and newspapers
published in all the slave states, including
the District of Columbia, was 722, hav-
ing a yearly aggregate circulation of 3d.
1871 number of periodicals in the
free states, 1893; aggregate yearly cir
culation, 333, 386,O81. With one extract
from Mr. Helpers book, as showing his
style and manner, the subject of the COM
parative literature of the two sections
will be dismissed: "The history of the
rise and progress of their (tbe Southern)
literature could be easily written on a
childs smooth palm, and have space
enough for its funeral Grafton and cpl
taph.'
Mr.. Helper fortifes his statements of
the decline and depression Of the south
by copious extracts from the first states
men and leading journals Of the south.
Gov. Wise in public speech to an audi
ence in Virginia, in 1856, says: Com
merce has long ago spread her sails and
sailed away from you. You have
no commerce, no mining, no manufactures.
You have relied on the single power of
agriculture, and such agriculture. Your
inattention to your only source of wealth
has scared the very bosom of mother
earth, The landlord has skinned
the tenant, and the tenant has skinned the
earth until all have grown poor togeth-
err"
The Richmond Enquirer in 1852, thus
bewailed the condition of Virginia; We
have cause to feel deeply our situation
Philadelphia herself contains popula-
ton far greater than the whole free pop
ulation of Eastern Virginia. The little
state Of Massachusetts has an aggregate
wealth exceeding that of Virginia by
more than Sl26,Oo0,0O0."
But it is useless on this point to add
to these extracts from Mr.. Helpers book
Enough has been given to show that un.
less his statements can be contradicted
that the situation Of the south is truly to
be deplored.
/ It was an easy task for Mr. Helper to
exhibit the evils of slavery, ard having
done that he then attempts more diff.
cult duty, to present plan for getting
rid of it. This more important part oil
his undertaking we propose to examine
He first attempts TO prove that it is righi
and just to liberate the slaves without
the consent of the owners, or affordinn
them any compensation for the loss Of
their property. This he maintains moi
by any argument that the system o.
slavery is founded in usurpatiou and
F wrong, or that it is impossible that mar
by right can have such a property in hi
fellow beings, or by any other argumen
commonly urged by abolitionists. H,
i places the right to abolish slavery on en-
, tirely different grounds. He charge
, without any mercy all the evils Of slave
: ry upon the present shareholders. I,
slavery he attributes (and justly too til,
. poverty, ignorance, and degradation o
the poor or non-Slayeholding whites, tn
> declining state of agriculture, commerce
: and manufactures, and the low price O
= real estate at the south. He estimate
the number of acres of land owned b,
! non-slayeholders at the south at 2l3, O24
: 600. The average price of land in tn
4 southern states Mr., Helper says Is onl,
j 1914 per acre, whilst in the northern
states the average price is S28,07 pc
, acre. The territory OF the south he con
: tends Is from its advantages of climate
; soil and mineral wealth, superior to tn
, north, and were it not for the institution
= of slavery would be worth as much an
. command rs high price per acre as a
e the north. He then estimates that m
. non-slaveholders AT the south have sus
) tanned loss Of S22,73 per acre, the dit
; ference between 1914, the average nric
OF land at the south, and S28,07. the ay
: erage price ut the north, which deprecia
ton he contends is solely oecasioned b
the existence Of slavery. This loss O
=. depreciation of S22,73 per acre on th
D 2l3,024,000 acres owned by the non
= shareholders, amounts TO the enormou
sum of S7,544,000,0OO. This immens
). sam he charges as debt justly due frou
the shareholders to their non-slaveboIdin
l. neighbors, saying nothing Of the inealeu