Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1861-03-30
FROM the New York Trlbuno.
Secession Arithmetic.


The 'irrepressible conflict rears its hor.
rid front already in the Southern Congress.
In debate, reported in our columns yes
terday, upon resolution of member 10
inquire into the expediency of imposing an
ad valcrem duty on the importation of ne
groes, it was suggested by the Chair thu
the subject was one to be discussed only in
secret session. Mr.. Rhett of S. Carolina
went further than the Chairman, as be gave
the reasons why the discussion should be
suppressed. 1t was exceedingly improper
1t was exceedingly improper lest the discus.
sion should ALLEVIATE, cxasperate, or in some
way disturb the minds of the border slave
states, now in vacillating condition, un
determined whether they shall go to the
right hand or to the left, turn their face.
Northward or Southwark Respect to
these frontier States says Mr. Rhett,
Should prevent MS from acting on the sub
ject not0' Alas for these border brethren
if only 'noao' if only merely temporary
expediency, stand between them and the
inevitable conclusion to which the people of
the c.. S. mnst come when it shall cease to
be exceedingly improper to discuss the
question in its whole length and breadth.
AS if indeed it were possible to confne the
discussion to any secret session ! AS if in.
deed any aoeC or then, any time present or
time to come, could limit its consideration!
The question which every individual slave
holder, whether he be a border brother, or
brother of the G.. S., considers, reflects
upon, broods over. discusses, and 'cusses' in
the secret session Of his own communings,
till time past, time present, and time to
come is filed only with the gigantic pres
euce of nigger 2 'nigger 'nigger
The irrepressibIe conflict in the south.
erH states assumes at this moment an arith-
metcal formula, and its conflicting elements
arc as two is to ten. As two cannot be
made ten, nor ten be made two, so the con-
hict becomes as irrecOncilable as it is ire
pressble. Why sholld one pay s 900 for
an animal deteriorated, probably in the
rearing, when better creature from the
original stock can be had for $2002 Such
Is the shape in which the question presents
itself in those states where they do not
raise but only consume the raw black ma.
terial while in the slave.breeding states,
where they keep the stock chiefly to breed
from for export, and where their main de-
pendence is the 'vigintial crop of niggers,
or the return every twenty years of profit
on actual outlay, the question is How
can we, who can only make a living ont OF
niggers' at 81, 900 head, hope to compete
in an open market, where prime field hands
can be had for 5000? The questions are
vital on both sides. In report made
few years since 10 some Agricultural Society
in Mississippi, it was shown most conclusive
" by facts and figures that seven years was
about tho limit Of tile life of gang of ne
rroes when the utmost profit could be
gained from their labor, and that it was
for the interest Of the planter so to use up |
the old stock in that period, and supply its
place with fresh importation from the |
Atlantic States, rather than to prolong
their lives by mitigating the severity Of
toll, and depend upon their natural increase
for future supply Of labor. Now, suppos-
ing planter to employ one hundred hands,
his outlay. every seven years, must be. at
81 900 each, hundred thousand dollars
whereas, where they only 5000 each, there
would be saving Of eighty thousand dol
lars, or about eleven thousand four hundred
dollars year, in the purchase OF nsrela- !