The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-07-18
COST OF TIE NEGRoES.

The President and the Congress. of the Uni
ted States have solemnly pledged the American
people to buy OF their owners, ii they viii sell
them, the four millions of slaves now held in
bondage in the South. This emancipation pol
icy is nov part and parcel OF the policy and IL
nancial programme OF the present Aclministra-
ton. Under the influence of that policy the
slaves of the District of Columbia have already
cost one million OF dollars for Which All appro-
priation has been made by Congress
lir itiorIIst, sITltl SHiIecntsu
er under the General Government at Washing
ton, has written a pamphlet intended to clabo-
rate and expound the views Of the present Adj
minstration on this cngrossing subject. Here
is an extract:
81 have shown what the compensation to the
border States would be at two different rates of
payment per copita for the slaves, and it will
have been seen that / have favored the more lib
cral scale. now proceed to show what would
be the cost of rcdeeming the whole slave popu-
ation of the Union at tho same rates.
.'By the census of last year there were ,, ,9o2,S0l
slaves in the United States and Territories. L
have already shown that 454, AL, which be-
longed to the border States, would be worth, at
$3.50 each, Sl13,610, ,250, and at $500 each,
Sl36, ,332, 300 There remains to be disposed
of, therefore, 3,49S,36 slaves, embraced in the
country subject to the rebels, but including, of
course, large numbers belonging to the friends
of the Union, who have been constrained into
obedience to the rebel authorities against their
wills. Al the lowest estimated average value
of $3.50, these slaves of the rebels would be
worth 1874, $685. 900 and adding any conpenSa-
ton to the border States, on the same ternls the
aggregate cost to the Government would be
S96S, 200, ,250 AT the highest rate of $500,
the slaves in the rebel States would be worth
81 ,O40, sos, ,000 and adding the cost of COM
pensation to the border States, at the same rate,
the aggregate expense of emancipation would be
81, 1856, $40, 800. Or, for the convenience OF
round numbers, the cost of emancipation would
be, at $3.50 per head, 81, 600, ,000,00 and at
$500 per head, the cost would be 81, zoo, ,O00,-
000."
Thus it appears by Mr.. GooDIoEs calcula-
tion that the slaves of the South viii cost the
white men Of the North 81, 200, 900, ,000l and
as the money for this purchase must be borrow
ed it follows that, at per cent, the interest
or annual tax paid for this philanthropic pur-
pose will be scventy-two millions OF dollars !!
Now, as the interest upon the public debt at the
expiration of the war cannot be less than one
hundred millions, the annual appropriations for
the support of the Government, including the
support of the army and navy, at least one hun
drcd and fifty millions; pensions for the support
of our wounded and MANNED volunteers, for the
widows and orphans OF the brave men who have
been killed in battle or who have fallen prey
to disease, not less than one hundred millions;
for the mutitudinous claims against the Gov
ernment arising from the contingencies of the
war and the expenses Of Il vast system OF negro
colonization, at least one hundred millions OF
dollars, it follows that ere long the annual APP
preparations required TO be made by Congress,
and to be extracted from the pockets OF the peo-
pie, to pay for the expenses OF n war fomcncd by
Northern negro worshippers and declared by Sc
cession negro owners, will amount to upwards of
FIVE HUNDRED MILLIONS OF DOL
LARS and this enormous amount of annual
taxation, not including one penny for sinking
fund to reduce this monstrous incubus upon the
industry and energy of the people.
The population of Pennsylvania is onc-tenth
of the entire population of the United States !;
therefore, according to the above calculation,
which time will prove to have been underrated,
the direct and indirect annual tao, payable by
the people of this State to the National Gov
ernmcnt will amount, at the expiration Of the
war. 10 FIFTY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, being a.
bout one hundred dollars TO each voter! Surely
!,this is paying rather dear for the whistle Of e.