The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1864-04-01
From he Cecil Den,ocrat. .
The Proposed State Convention.

Inv SuuOhso oNAACSN W
the Maryland Abolitiouists, who favor Il
State Convention chiefly for the purpose
tof liberaing the slaves, are, thatit Nary
land were free State, the price of land
would be enhanced and population would
be increased thereby In proof of
this, we are cited to Massachusetts,, and
told how much greater in numbers is her
population, aud how much she exceeds US
in wealth; aud we are told also that the
difference is to be accounted for by the ex-
istence of slavery here, and the non-exis-
tence Of it there. Naked assertion proves
nothing; aud those who tell us such
things adduce no arguments and bring for
ward no facts to prove what they say,
seeming to think that their mere ipse die
IL must be taken for the truth, or that the
truth of their unsupported assertions is
self evident.
We utterly deny that the difference be-
tween the wealth and population of Mary.
land aud Massachusetts,, may be ascribed
to their different systems of labor. Or,
in other words, we deny that the inferior
wealth of Maryland is the result of slavery.
There was larger difference in the wealth
and population of the two States, as far
back as the days of the Revolution, but
slavery did not produce it, for there bad
been slaves in MASSACHUSETTS as we'll as in
Maryland. 1t arose, in part, from great
er emigration, the dissenters coming over
to Massachusetts, in larger numbers than
| IN, tho NJ h,r AL
in Europe. This gave her the start of
| Maryland, in the matter of population, in
the beginning, and it was but natural that
she should maintain it. She got rid of
her slaves, it is true, at an early day, but
they were not wrested from their masters
without compensation by reckless, de-
spelling State Convention. Finding that
slavery was not profitable upon her sterile
soil, and that the rigor of her climate was
uufavorab!e to the African, they gradual
y sold them off to more southern lati.
tudes, and pocketing the proceeds, invest
Ell their money in commerce and manufac
lures, aud they have had the address to tax
all the rest OF the country to foster their
commerce and manufactures. The South.
! ern, Western aud Middle States, have all
! been put under contribution to Massachu-
sets, through the agency of tariffs, fishing
bounties, &c., and she has drained the
wealth Of the other sections into her lap
by means Of the special legislation she has
been. mainly Instrumental in fastening
upon the country. In the language of
one Of our most enlightened statesmen,
New England has never been satisfied I'M
less all the rest of the country was taxed
for her benefit, and Massachusetts is the
head of New England. She has enriched
herself through her carrying trade, her
fishing bountes and her tariffs. Wealth
has flowed in upon her, not SO much from
the abolition Of slavery as from the causes
above enumerated, added to her proverbial
craft aud cunning, which are ever mani
Tested in money getting The sordid, cal
culating Yankee, is moved by no other
impulse so much as greed of gain. Hence
all his energies are devoted to the acquisi-
ton of wealth, aud he would sooner ''coin
his soul for drains" than to fail of his OBJ
ject. Not so the high souled, generous,
and genial Marylander he lives to en-
joy life, and his enjoyment does not con-
sist alove of money-get,iug Goldis not
his Idol, aud be does not worship at its
glttrring shrine. He has been taught in
different school, and lives for higher and
Aober purposes, not for self alone, as the
sordid and rapacious descendants of the
Puriians If it were virtue to hoard up
pelf then might Massachusetts become our
exemplar The Marylander attaches less
! value to it. He desires it but to use it,
and to make it minister to the comfort
aud happiness of himself and friends
Those opposite peculiarities of the people
of the two States alone, are sufficient of
themselves to make the difference in their
aggregate accumulations. The idea so Of
ten aud SO persistently inculcated, that
slavery in Maryland is the secret of her
inferior wealth aud population as compared
with Massachusetts, is false one, not sus-
tanned by facts or fair argument If ''frce
labor" is the basis of Massachusetts, pros
perity and superiority why has is it not
done US much for New Hampshire, and
some other of the New England States ?
That State is about of an equal area with
our own, and yet free labor has given her
no such superiority in wealth or popula-
ton over this State. So also of Vermont
Maryland has an area of 1856 square
miles, and had population of 5S3,634,
/ in 1850. We use that census because we
have not the census of 1860 at hand
New Hampshire has an area of $3.50
square miles, and a population of 3l7 $40.
Vermont has an area of 1922 square
miles aud population Of 313,l20.-
Maryland therefore, q slave State with an
area very li'tle greater than that of New
Hampshire and less than tina. of Yer
mont, has population greater than eth
er. 1t is clear, then, that Massachusetts
does not owe her superiority to the aboli-
ton of slavery, but to the causes we have
already assigned.
Cur newly fedged abolition zealots talk
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