The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1861-02-02

MIR. Otis in 1898, and is now settled on the
same principle by the Supreme court.
In the superb argument made by my col,
lcage from the Norfolk district on Yesterday
lin my estimation the best effort of his life. J
he declared that, upon this question. the
South had gained the principle, but the North
had the hcnefi: of its practical operation
that the North had the substance, but the
South the shadow. That both were vctors,
and yet both were van9niSheh. Sir, it is
even so. In 1890 the price of a male field
hand twcnty.four years of age, as shown by
the recorded appraisetnent of an estate in the
county where | live, was $3.50. At that
period, the labor of a slave was cheaper than
that of freeman; hut the invention of
Whitncy's cotton-sin, opening the virgin
soil of the tropics to more profitable invest
mcnt than had ever been hitherto knoyn.
rapidly increased the value Of slaves, during
a period of thirty years, to an incredible
per centage. Slavery became allied with
capital, and as the remnncrative prices for
cotton increased, was placed more and more
beyond the reach Of men Of small means. In
| 1850, In the slave States. with population
OF 6 600, 900, the number Of SHAREHOLDERS we s
BAT .555, heads of families representing
800, 600 people. and the number of slaves
$40 had bnt one slave each los GS3 had
under five slaves each, I74,503 slave owners
held but 3Sj 500 slaves. while lT3 022 held
the whole balance. amounting to SIS 444
In Virginia, in 1880, the white population
amounted to G94302: slaves to 469 755.
In 1910, the whites were 40 9GS: slaves
44S,96S. In 1850. the whites ere S94 500 ;
slaves, 472 52S. In 1859, according to the
report Of Il c auditor, the whites amounted
to 0l5 20l the slaves taxed were 272 073 ;
and the slaves exempt from taxation, as under
twelve years of age were 2GO, $40: leaving
the whole number $3.50. Here, in a
period of thirty years, every man can see for
| himself what increase was made in slavery
and white population in Virginia. In IL
| cycle OF sixty years, the increase Of the
slaves in the border States has been only G4
per cent. and the increase in the other
southern States, including Texas, has been
| 700 per cent. in 1850, the number Of v hitc
| persons born South, who had voluntarily
emigra,cd to the free States, amounted to
| I26 ,450: and it is most remarkable that the
| greatest number came from the border slave
States. The nImber from Virginia was
| lS4 LOCO: from kentucky. 10000 from
North Carolina G4 900; from Missouri. 90
600: from Maryland, $4,000: from Della
| ware, 1000 from Tennessee, so 900. Bv
| the census of 1860, there are estimated to be
1 OUO 600 slaves BY the same census, the
| northwestern tier Of free States, (Allchigan.
Indiana. Illinois, Iowa Wisconsin. and Min.
ncSo,a } gain by REPRESENTATIVES ii members
OF Congress. The New England States lose
/; the middle free States lose 5; the central
slave States lose 6. aud the coast planting
States lose 9. The whites in the free
States are estimated at ~, goo COO and IN the
slave States at 100000.
have grouped together these facts for the
purpose of showing there is an irreversible
law of population governing this question
aud that it has heen population the South
wanted, rather than territory. They want
population and capital; and if the proceed,
inyS Of these days are allowed to be as inaus-
plcinns as they seem to be. will show you
a southern confderacy tcrcatcd out Of this
Cnion) from which every man will turn back
alliiehted and pale, because it will be on the
bloody and reeking hand that his rights Of
property must depend. The deductions
which might be drawn are diversified and
various but ! have not now the time to
mllify them. THIS fact, at least, is appar-
ent TO the plaineSt prehenslon, hat slavery
cannot rapidly expand, either m The Union or
ont Of II, as long as slaves remain at the
present high prices, defy any man here -
| care not who he is-to meet me in the fair
| argument OF this question, and not to be tied
down by that scylhe pointing to the clock
| which rcvoives and cuts down the grassy
moments MS they spring. The only mode by
| which slavery can ever expand is to reduce
The price, and have a new source Of supply.
Now, mark you. in nearly all the southern
States. except South Carolina free 1rhi'e suf-
| fr0es pyeuoiis. and the Shareholders hold their
property under constitutional RESTRICTIONS it
| is true. but, at the same time, at the suffer
1nct of seven millions who have no slaves -
| We can begin to understand, n0,c. why it is
| that, within late years we have heard SO
| much in regard TO the rcopening of the
African slave trade The class who hold the
votes and exercise sovereign political power
are beginning to make themselves felt. 1hey
can see no difference between buying Slave
in Africa and in Virginia and it is espe-
cially desirable TO get naked, chatering
| bar aarian. from the barracoons of Congo for
500, and lick him into shape, through the
| benign process of Christian civilization,
rather than pay $1,000 for one already
civilized, in n domestic market. From 1856
up to this day, in every southern commercial
convention at Savannah, IN Georgia, at
Montgomery, in Alabama at Vicksburg. in
Mississippi question has been agitattd,
and that, too, by many of the very men who,
as politicians. have been most prominent in
the existing revolution.
A member Of this House from Illinois, on
the 2Slh Of December. 1859. put certain qucs
tons to certain gentlemen on this floor, and
| desire to recur now to their answers; and
so far as Virginia ard the border slave States
are concerned, it may rot be without benefit
IN the present exigency. The answers were,
substantially, as follows. Every gentleman
can see for himself the whole of them, by
consulting the Congressional Globe:
Mr.. Miles. Of South Carolina. Il am not
prepared to say that may not, al some future
time, be in favor Of reopenng the African
slave trade. There is no sensible man, north
or south, who belie-es we can in the present
Union reopen the African slave trade legaNy.'
Mr.. Bonham, of South Carolina. LAS to
whether | would he in favor OF reorening the
African slave trade. in the erent that this Con-
tcdcracy should be dissoiued, am not prepared
to say
MIR. McRae, of Mississippi. 81 am in
favor of enforcing the laws as they now
stand but consider them unconstitutional
and bad laws; laws which are oppressive TO
the South lars lohich tGke aDuy from the
southern States their eqnaiiy in has Un,on. IN
reference to their labor system, so far as its
supply is concerned
Il. Il