The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-05-13

fioss. They, too, have GOT rid of
slavery, with It's demoralizing infu-
ence on theirconduct, their charac
ter, and their tone Of thought. In
getting rid Of it they Suffered with
altogether unnecessary sew eritF !:
partly owing to their own govelna-
bic pride, their contempt of compro-
mise, and naughty confidence in
themselves, and partly owing to the
want Of statesmanship, the ignor-
lance Of their own minds, and the
shif}y thickness of those who di.ec-
ted the councils Of the North. But
though the suffering on all sides was
excessive, and in the South, at least,
Will long c0ntinue to be felt, the abo-
lition OF slavery Was in itself a bless
/ iHg to AL concerned. lEenceforward
the Southern whites will no longer
he able to look upon lahour as a
disgrace, nor viii their least estima-
bic members have ready to haDd &
helpless class OH whom the law viii
permit them to CRAFTY their basest
nature. They will, therefore, have
to cultivate the h8meiier, more prac-
! teal, but more amiable virtues.
That they will adapt themselves to
their altered circumstances we can
not doubt, when we bear in mind
that, as already shown, they actually
/ increased during the decade, not
withstanding all their losses in war,
very nearly nine per cent. at the
same time, it is certain that, if they
are to hold their own, migrants to
their States. immigration is adding
every wear TO the North aud West
nearly half a million Of persons, be-
sides several millions Of capital, is
with fabulous rapidity building great
cities, erecting new States, opening
! ND vast regions larger than the most
powerful of European empires. Mis-
souri, alone. it carefully turns away
as if q curse rested upon the country:
/ and a curse does rest upon the colui-
! try which thus rcpels the stream
that wottll fariiIize It's field, and re
store vigour to It's war-wasSed popu-
Ilation.
We have said . moment ago that
the abolition Of slavery was bless
INC to Ill concerned; We mest admit
in honesty, however, That to the
Southern whites it was a blessing
which came in very questionable
shape. It is usually estimated that
at the outbreak of the war each slave
was worth on an average about five
hundred dollars. At that rate, the
aggregate value Of all the slaves
would have considerably exceeded
400, 100000 stcring,-the amount
of the entire national debt Of the
United States, and double the IN
IDENTITY, which, when imposed by
Germany upon France, appeared tc
all Europe so crushing as to induce
the belief that it would cripple
France for generation. But the
population Of France is about SIX
times as large as the white popula
ton Of the slave States. AT The
close of still more exhausting war
therefore, people one-sixth of tht
French in numbers had to bear ;
fine twice as heavy. That is to say
population for population emanclpa
: ton cost the Southern whites twelve
times the French indemnity. Or, t
put the matter in more concrete
form, supposing the loss to have tai
len equally upon every white man
woman and child in the slave States
it would have amounted to between
4 500. and 60l. for each. The sun
seems so incredibly large that on
: feels disposed to reject the estimate
as Impossible, and to ask how, if i
: were correct, anybody in the SoutI
{ could have escaped bankruptcy? |
| must he remembered, however, that
!, as a general rule, the slave owner
: were large landed proprietors. The,
were not so always, indeed. On th
contrary, many amongst them Wel
5 widows, children, unmarried womel
t and other helpless persons, who's
; natural protectors had invested TIL
: provision made for them in slaves
as the most valuable OF all kinds {
: property. To these persons. o
! course, emancipation was utter ruin
5 Still these were a minority. Th
e majority, as we have said, were lane
| owners. The lands were not conf!
+ Gated, and in order to live the negroe
,ro,o o1>I;o,,J 4.c ,o,,,o En- I,,.y,s VIZ; +