The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1864-03-12
The Proposed State Convention

lhdcf tlis caption an arllcle appears IN
last weeks Cecil Democrat, and although
not occupying place in the leading editori.
al colum, yet the prominence given, and re-
spect bestowed upon it, by the style of pre-.
sentation to the public, gives the article, at
least a semi editorial sanction, aud may be
taken as the system adopted by the antago-
nists Of Emancipation in Maryland, and the
mode in which they intend to conduct their
warfare against that policy by which alone
our State can be lifted from its present hum.
Die position among her sister commonwealths
to be aiirst class State in the Union.
After matchmaking the Legislature which
has just adjourned, and stigmatizing the pol
icy Of Emancipation Us q great robbery, the
article proceeds as follows:
"The census of 1860 shows that there
were 10000 slaves in the State at that time.
1t is computed that the average assessable
value Of these slaves is $500 each. This
would give an aggregate taxable value of
;921 ,OOO,OOO, OF ali Of which the State would
be deprived by this means, ut once, and the
tax assessed upon and annually paid for this
species OF property would fall upon the land"
&C., &c.
Now it happens that thesc estimates are
all strained. The number of slaves in Mary.
land, according to the census of 60, was
81, 1S9, and not $4,000. Under our assess.
ment laws slaves are rated according to age
not according to value, and the average
will not exceed Sl5s throughout the State
Male slaves are assessed at $75 to $500, and
females at $50 to $500. II We multiply 3D.
lS9 slaves by their assessable value fixed by
their owners on the statute books Of Mary
land, we have, in place Of $4,000, 900, q,
bout half that sum Sl3,775, 1862. So much
for the vcracity o: the statistics above re.
terred to.
In speaking Of the free negro population
Of the State. the following language is used,
which we know, and will show by statistics,
is most truthtully adapted 10 the slave popu.
lat!on
"They are, in the main, idle and disso-
lutte, living from hand to mouth and with no
other idea OF freedom than a freedom from
labor.
We all know that the free negro population
Of Maryland has been u burden, and draw
back upon her prosperity"
Now, population and wealth being the
criterion by which the prosperity of States
il measured we will compare Maryland with
Massachusetts, the former having all of the
natural advantages on her side, such as eli,
mate, soil, and navigable waters, and both
being among the carries. settled States -
Maryland having the advantage also in e1.
tent Of territory.
BY the census Of 1850 the population Of
Massachusetts was l, 23l 200, while that of
Maryland was only 6S7, 900. The wealth Of
Massachusetts,, by the same authority, We
find to be S2eI 900, while that Of Mary
land was only 500 100000, more than four
times as great, you see. Now, do these
statistics not prove too clearly for denial or
evasion, that the Stare system, in place of
1.-THE free negro population OF Maryland has
been burden, and g drawback upon her
prosperity"
But We need not 60 beyond our own coun.
ty of Cecil and the Eastern Shore Of the
State, to prove that slavery was, and is, c
drawback to the prosperity of the State.
The monthly assessments of Internal Rev
enue of Cecil county average something
mort than $1,000, while the monthly returns
of assessment Of the other seven Eastern
Shore counties combined does not reach
that of Cecil. Aud that part Of our own
comfy North of Elkton, which is the free
labor portion of it, pays at least nine-tenths
OF the monthly government tax, while the
southern districts have all the slaves, toseth.
er with the finest soil for agricultural purpo-
SEES and among the best facilities for market
in the State. If slavery is such a god-send,
and the best organized system Of labor
known, as its advocates contend, why is it
that wealth and population increase two or
three fold where ii does not exist, with the
natural advantages on the side Of slavery
for without natural advantages it becomes
extincI2
With regard to compensation, the article
above quoted, proceeds with the following
tallacious reasoning:
"Assuming, therefore, that compensation
will ultimately be made, and that there are
$4,000 slaves in the State at the present
time, allowing 10000 to have escaped since
the war commenced, and putting the value
Of them at about ne-half their market value
before the wa, commenced, say $500, we
have the large sum of S40, 000, 900 Of dollars
chsrgeable upon the treasury"
This assuming that compensation will
ultimately be made" is assuming that
the people of the populous, free coun.
ties Of the State arc simply fools. We will
not assume +" but proceed to proUe that the
people of Maryland have already paid her
shareholders foil compensation for their
chatles," ten times told. This "assump.
ton of 5000 slaves must be shorn Of near
ly 1900 which is added in the 6rst csti.
mate Of 10000 and disproven by the census
tables Of GO; and in place Of setting the
number down At 10, 900 that have sbsquatu.
lated since the war, if the plumber is put at
$1,000 it wiz be found to be much r;gher
che laets