New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-03-07

FAILURES JksUARY. 1851
The failures United stntes during January. 1S6
reported by mercantile agency, number 455 of which %
Southern Gonrederacy IS in the other slave States
and 353 in the free States.
1t will appear, from the first table published
above, that the seven States of the Southern Con-
fedeFacy have gained within the last ten years,
nearly seven hundred thousand white population,
and nearly six hundred thousand slaves. Notwth-
standing the addition to our white population by
emigration from abroad the slaves have increased
almost fass This is not DUE however, altogether
to natural causes but in some degree to the impor
taton Of slaves from the States North of us. 1t
will also be seen that the increase in the value of
our slaves. within the last ten years. estimating
them at an average Of seven hundred and fifty dol
lars each is nearly five hundred millions of dollars.
The ratio of increase in ten years is just about %
per cent. The total value of all tue slaves in the
Southern Confederacy; estimated above, is
about one billion seven hundred and fifty millions
of dollars.
From the second table it will appear that the
seven Southern States yet in the Union have in
creased in white population, within the Inst ten
years, two millions, and in slaves about eight
hundred thousand. AT an average of seven hun
dred and fifty dollars the value of the increase is
ak hundred millions of dollars. 1t will also appear
that there has been, since 1850, an increase Of
slaves in every slave State except Maryland. This
il the more remarkable in Virginia, North Carolina
and Kentucky, in consequence of the sale and re-
rnoval of SO many of the slaves Of those States to
the States of the Gulf. 1t proves that the insttu
tuition is Strengthening itself in all the Border
States notwithstanding the large number they
annually sell and export. This circumstance, of
itself, is sufficient answer to the Black RepnbI
can calumnies about the rough usage to which
Southern slaves are subjected. If they were
treated as the Abolitionsts assert, they would
hardly increase in SO rapid ratio from natural
\ causes Investigations have shown that the natu-
j raj increase of the slave population in the South
II ern States is ten per cent g8ater than the natural
increase of the whites. 1t is hardly necessary to
say, that if the slaves were overworked badly fed,
and ali that sort of thing, which lying Aboionists
aas so eager to Believe and to assert, they would
Mt Increase thus rapidly, as the statistics show.
1t further appears that Virginia, now as in 1850,
is the largest slavehoding State Mississippi coming
next, then Georgia, and then Alabama.
The total population of the Southern States is
in round numbers, twelve millions-eight millions
of whites and four millions of blacks
The next table shows the progress the Southern
States have made ia constructing railroads within
the last ten years, and the exhibit is very graft
! fying one. Itappears that within that period we
have invested over two hundred millions of dollars
in railroads, and that we now have nearly eleven
thousand miles Of railroad in operation against
only about two thousand miles in 1851
The last table shows the number of mercantile
failures in the month of January, in the different
sections Of the country. The South does not suf
fer from the contrast.
On some early occasionwe shall have something
further to say concerning the wealth and resources
H. of the South as exhibited by the above figures
AZ and, although statistics generally considered
5ss t'dry reading,' VIC think these figures may bt
studied not only with satisfaction but with profit.
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| ANOTHER LETTER FROM FORT SUMTER.-A mem
Der of Congress from New York has received th
following letter from an officer in Fort Sumter
dated the 18th ult. After referring to some Incl
ii dental matters, he says:
] NV desire is to give yon few reliable data con
cerning our situation. From the little news W
see, it is apparent that the majority Of the pub
lshed statements concerning Sumter are very in
accurate and unreliable. We have received NJ
reinforcements, and know of none that are coming
Ill To introduce reinforcements to this garrison is al
IN extremely difficult problem, and the attempt by N
Y means insures the execution. A glance at tn
n coast survey map will convince you of this. Sum
II ter is by no means mpregnahe, and any measure
Nj based upon this proposition will have poor founda
III ton With a large garrison, and abundant sup
81 plies this fort would detain large army before
Il for a long time but, as you know, the atoremen
q toned conditions are not satisfied. large fore
4 is still at work on the batteries around us. TIL
batteries on Morris Island are supposed to be com
II pleted. Steamers and pilot boats are on the watc
at night and to US seem quite vgilant. These yes
sells come quite near the fort, and justly give u
8 much trouble and anxiety. We have an effcien
commanding officer and reliable set of meI
Situated as we are one treacherCus man insid
Il would affect US more than al thousand withou
gshare has been no attempt on the part Of an
Il ldiers or laborers to desert. and can safely sa
that there will be nome Our greatest fear an
anxiety are concerning the possibility of rennitn
i the scattered fragments of our country. Of th
d State we have no hope and no desire,
PARDON OF AN AaiHRIoAN-George Cotton, a
in American, who had been captured and sentence
to death for conspiracy and revolution in Chill,
1859 and whose sentence was afterwards comm'
ted for imprisonment for ten years in the penteI
tiary in the capital, has lately received fu