Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-06-06

WHAT THE South HAS DoNE.-The slave
population Of the South in $50 was $3.50 oO. |
The slave property was valued at three thous-
and millions of dollars. This was nearly or
quite half the whole wealth Of the Southern
States. The bulk OF its capital was invested IN
this kind OF property. In the planting States
slaves were greatly more valuable than all other
property, real and personal The value Of real
property in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas
was, in 1860, 1919, ,5l4; that of personal
property in The same year, $l,74G, 2jS, OBS
This was larger by some hundreds Of thousands
than the value of personal property in the
same year OF Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana,
Massachusetts,, Michigan, New York, Pennsyl-
vania and Ohio. The immense excess of
personal over real property IN the planting
States consisted of slaves. La this single
tem If nropertv Southern men have lost by
abolition, an amount fully equal to the whole
national debt of the United States. ln this
amount are not included tho diminished
PRODUCTION caused by the abrupt dlsorgan,za-
tion of the old system OF labor, nor the dlmln-
ished value of land arising from tie same cause
F and from the want Of confidence occasloned by
apprehen,led conlscatl0n aud pollIlca! ana So
ca commissions approximations which have
also excluded capital from the South, anu
Thereby increased che para y&lH OF creative IN
du9try and enterprise.
Whit has been the contilcL ot The south
under the enormous destruction OF property
produced by the abolition OF slavery? II 1t
NAV be said with truth that ITO race OF Sudden
IL emancpatpd bondmen ever exhibited more
moderation in the enjoyment OF liberty than
the Southern slaves, it may be SAID with equal
truth that no race Of Shareholders or OF pro-
nertv holders Of any kind, ever exhibited mole
resignation and equanlmltY under giHahtic
losses than the former slave owners OF the
South. Despoiiea Of three thousand millions
of dollars at one fell blow, every single South
ern State ratified the constitutional amendment
abolishlng slavery FLOR did the South stop at
this. It. proceeded to conform its legislation TO
the altered condition OF things brought aboHt
by emancipation, 10 the enactment OF laws
securing the freedmen IN all their nights OF
person and property, to their admission Us
witnesses, leaving it to the courts to decide, as
with all witnessed, the crodlblllty OF their teSli-
mony. They were endowed With tile right TO
make and enforce contracts, to sue, to inherit,
purchase, lease, sell, hold and convey real ana
personal property, to have full and equal benefit
Of all laws and proceedings Tor the security, CT
persons and property as Is enjoyed BY white
citizens, and they were sui ect to the same pun
isbment and penalties for crime with white clt-
izens, and none others. The Judges OF the
Southern courts co -operatet with the Southern
legislatures, and charged their grand jurca III
the most emphatic terms to look to II that The
laws for the protection OF freedmen We're iaIh-
fully enforced The churches Of The South
adoptcd the most prompt and efficient measures
for the religious instruction OF the freedmen,
and i'm various parts Of that section members
Of the most honorcd families engaged in teach
ing large Sunday Schools of colorcd people to
read, and educating them III Christian prncI-
ples The history Of the world may be searched
in vain Tor IN example Of divorce of capital and
labor on such Il colossal scale in which 80
noble and magnanmoua an inclination has
been shown TO such harmonious and equitable
adjustment of new relations. 10 all this 1t
may be added that the South has performed
with fidelity all its obligations to the general
government. Where is the Southern commu
nifty thaL has refused to pay the federal taxes,
or to obey the federal laws?
If the South has sinucd, has it not suffered
II it has not given proof in its thorough con
lormity TO changed relations, that IL has re-
neWed lis aIlegiancn to the Union IN good laIth,
what proof will be sufficient? Stripped of
three thousand millions Of property, it has
confirmed the act by which it was bankruptcd,
and gone to work with cheerful industry to
assist in paying the debt which was incurred
in its own overthrow. If such people are
not fit to be trusted now, they will never be fit
to be trusted. Must suspicion, exclusion, con-
tiScation be the perpetual penalties upon a
section whose Liberties are lnSeparabIe from
our own, and upon whose industry the future
prosperity Of the whole country ls largely de-
pendent ?--Bnitin70rG SuR.