The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1860-07-12

in Free Massachusetts,, with population of
nearly million. was ,005, or l III 5l7 the
number in Slave South Carolina, with poT-
ulation under three hundred thousand, was
$3.50, or ] in I. The number in Free Con-
necticut was l in 277 in Slave Virginia, in
5; in Free New Hampshire in eel, and in
Slave Moth Carolina in 8.
Before CLOSING this picture Of Slavery, where
the dismal colorS all come from official fig
ures, there are two other aspects in which for
u moment it may be regarded =
l. The first is the influence which it has on
emigration. 1t is stated in the official COM
pendulum of the censls (page ll5,l that those
persons living in Slave States who are ma
tives of Free States are more numerous than
those living in Free States who are natives Of
Slave States. This is an egregious error
Just the contrary is true. The census of 1850
found 800 37l in the Free States who were
born in the Slave States, while only 206,638
born in the Free States were in the Slave
States. AID since the white population of
the Free States is double that Of the Slave
States, it appears that the proportion of whites
moving from Slavery is six times greater than
that of whites moving into slavery. In this
simple fact is disclosed something of the
aversion to Slavery which is aroused even in
the Slave States.
2. The second aspect is furnished by the
character of the region on the border line be
tween Freedom ard Slavery In general, the
value of lands in Slave States adjoining Free
dom is advanced, while the vslue OF CORES
ponding lands in Free States is diminished.
The effects of Freedom and Slavery are recip-
rocal Slavery is bad neighbor. Freedom
is good neighbor. In Virginia, lands natu
rally poor, are by their nearncss to Freedom.
worth Sl2 SO an acre, while richer lands IN
other pat of the State are worth only S6 ~.
In Illinois. lands bordering upon Slavery are
worth only 81 "a an acre, while other lands
in Illinois are worth S6 05. As in the value
of lands so in all other influences is Slavery
felt for egil and Freedom felt for good and
thus is il clearly shown TO be for the interest
of the Slave States TO be surrounded by a
circle Of Free States.
Thus, at every point, is the character of
Slavery more and more manifest, rising and
dilatng into an overShadoWing Barbarsm,
darkening the whole land Through its in
fuence, population, values of all kinds, man
ufactures, commerce, railroads, canals, char
tiles, the post Office, colleges, professional
schools, academies, public schools, RewSpa-
pers, periodicals, books, authorship, inven-
tious, are all stunted, and, under q Govern
ment which processes TO be founded on the
intelligence of the people, one i'll twelve Of
the white adults in the region of slavery is
officially reported as unable to read and
writ. Never was the saying of Montcsquieu
more triumphantly verified, that countries are
not cultivated by reason of their fertility, but
by reason Of their liberty. To this truth the
Slave States constantly testify by every pos
sible voice. Liberty is the powerful agent
which drives the plow, the spindle, and the
keel which opens avcnues Of All kinds /;
which inspires charity, which awakens love
of knowledge, and supplies the means of graf
flying it. Liberty is the first Of schcolmas-
ters