The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-01-03
FUGITIVE SLAVES.
IFrom the CensRS Report.l

The number OF slaves who escaped from their
masters in 1860 is not only much less in pro
portion than in 1850. but greatly reduced nu-
uerically. The greatest increase of escapes ap.
pears to have occurred 10 Mississippi, Missouri.
and Virginia, while the decrease is most marked
10 Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, and
Tennessee.
That the complaint of insecurity to slave
property by the escape Of this class of persons
into the free States. and their recovery impe-
ded, whereby It's value has been lessened, is the
result of misspprebension is evident, not only
from the small number who have been lost to
their owners, bus from the fact that up to the
present time the number Of escapes has been
gradully diminishing to such an extent that the
whole sonual loss to the Southern States from
this cause bears less proportion to the amount
Of capital involved than the daily variations
which in ordinary times occur 10 the auctus-
lions Of State Government securities 10 the city
Of New York alone.
From the tables annexed, it appears that
While there escaped from their masters l,Ol1
slaves in 1850, or one 10 each 8, los held in bon.
dage. (being about 80 Of one per cent dur
Ing the census year ending June l, 1850, out Of
sAs, 557 slaves, there escaped oily sos, being
one to about 5 ,00O or ct the rate of $50 Of
one per cent Small! and uncomfortable az this
number appears. it is not pretended that all
missing in the Border States. much less any con.
Siderable number escaping from their owners in
Tue more Southern regions, escaped into the
Tree States; and when We consider that in Bor-
DER States not 500 escaped out Of more than
1000, 600 slaves in 1860, while near 600 escap-
ca in 1850 out Of 10000, and that at the two
periods near 800 are reported to have escaped
nom the more Southern Slaveholding States, the
hpNnmoc nu,Ho Hk>H HhA Ne 10
class of persons, while rapidly decreasing in r..
ito in the Border Slave States, occurs indepen-
dent of proximity to free population, being
IN the nature Of things incident to the relation
OF master and slave.
II will scarcely be alledged that these returns
sse not reliable, being as they are, made by the
persons directly interested, who would be no more
ASely to err in the number lost than in those
retained Fortunately, however, other means
exist OF proving the correctness of the results
ascertained, by noting the increase of the free
coiored population, which, with all its artificial
accretions, is proven by the census to be less
than IL per cent, in the last ten years, in the
nee States, whereas the slaves have increased
.St per cent, presenting natural augmenta-
uon altogether conclusive against much loss by
escapes; the natural increase being equal tn
wat OF the most favored nations, irrespective
VI immigration, and greater than that OF any
country in Europe for the same period, and this
In spite Of the 10000 manumissions which are
believed to have occurred in the past ten years
Additional evidence of the slave population
a'vng been attended from year to year, up to
!as present time, with fewer vicissitudes, is fur
saer furnished by the fact that the free colored
Population, which from 1890 to 1880 increased
% the rate Of set per cent, in 1910 exhibited
out 20 As per cent. increase, gradually declining
70 1850. when the increase throughout the Uni
TED States vas but one per cent per annum.