Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-11-12
Census of Fugitive Slaves.

The enumeration of slaves who have es-
capped from their masters, taken in the
census, Is made from returns given by the
masters. OF course it includes all who
have disappeared in any manner, whether
fugitive or stolen and run off TO the South
business as common in the South as
horse stealing is there or in the North
And the returns being made by the mas
tiers, who nave been cherishing this grew
ance, would naturally rather enhance than
diminish the number returned as fugi-
tives. Yet from these returns it appears
that the whole number set down as fugi-
tves for the year 1860 is SOB, out of $685.
5j1 slaves, being II to about 5000, or at
the rate of one fftieth of IN per cent
This proportion is less han the fiuctua-
tons of capital in many other investments
which are classed as permanent and safe.
The clamor which has been kept up for
partisan effect about the escape of slaves,
has made a common impression that this
property was becoming so insecure as to
Justify some desperate resort on the part
of the shareholders. But the census
shows a decrease in the number of escap-
ed slaves. In 1850 l,0lI were returned as
fugitives. In 1850 but S03, Between
those periods the number of slaves increas-
ed 23@ per cent ; SO that the proportion of
escaped or missing slaves in 1860, was on
" three-ffths of that of 1850.
During the same year 1909 slaves were
emancipated. These were probably most
of them added to the black population of
the free States, as the laws in the South
ern States generally prohibit emancipa-
ton. This shows that laws for the pro-
lection of Slavery add much more to the
black population in the free States, than
fugitives from Slavery.
Of these missing slaves in 1860, 500 are
returned from the Border States, out of
over a million; while GOO escaped in 1850
out of 100000, showing a decrease of fugi-
tiVes in the States on the free border. In
the same periods near 800 are returned as
missing from the more Southern slave
holding States. That these v~icissituedes
are chiefly the incidents of property, es-
pecially of footed property, and the rela-
ton of master and slave, and not of any
outside inducements to the negroes, is
shown by the small proportion returned
as missing from all causes, by the ratio
missing in the more Southern States
where escape to the Free States is almost
impossible, and by the fact that the cen
sus of the free black population in the
North does not indicate that these miss
ing slaves are added to this population
1t is probable that this increase by volun-
tary emancipation is three times as great
as that by escapes. Yet with these ad.
ded to the natural propagation, the in
crease of colored population in 1860 was
but n per cent.
The extent of the grievance which was
held to be so uncomfortable as to force peo-
pie into rebellion, may be measured by
this census. South Carolina, which was
obliged by,her wrongs to take the lead in
Secession, returned twenty-three slaves as
missing in 1860, out of 400, 406. Georgia
charges up twenty three as the sum other
wrongs Texas, sixteen; Louisiana, forty
six, out of 33l, 1926; Tennessee, twenty
nine. Virginia returns III Kentucky,
ll9; Delaware, 81; Missouri, 80. From
this may be seen how trivial is the cause
which is alleged as sufficient to demand
the overthrow of this Government, and
for which swift witnesses in the North
have arraigned the whole Northern peo-
pie as negro-stealers. If vicissitudes so
trifing to this species of property demand
the disruption of the nation, how can it
ever have peace and security SO long as a
party which sets up such demands has
any existence = Cincinnati Gazette.