Excerpt from Slavery and Its Prospects in the United States

There are other circumstances which have gradually come about, which operate both favorably and unfavor ably upon the plan and prospect of emancipation. One is the great change in the commercial circumstances of the world and the physical productions 'of the South. There was a time, and a not very remote one, when the products of American slave labor were not much in demand in the markets of the world, when the pecuniary value of the slaves in the United States was not a tenth part of what it is now. But as an offset to this, it must be recollected that the very circumstance which has enhanced the value of the slave has given increased resources to the owner, so that the difficulty is as great, it may be, but no greater, than before. If anything, it is easier for the South to dis pense with slave labor now, when the owners are compara tively rich, than it would have been half a century ago. The mental and moral difficulty is greater, the material difficulty is, in truth, less.

Another change of circumstances is also to be observed. Fifty years ago, liberated slaves must have been kept in America. There was no way to get rid of them. The freed black would have been almost as great a check to the prosperity of the country as the slave, perhaps a greater one. Now, on the contrary, there is an opening for them in their native land, which affords just that opportunity which was wanted for a gradual, quiet, and mutually beneficial emigration of the slave to his forefathers' home, there to become master of himself, and to give new evidence of the advantages of republican independence.

Another circumstance still is to be observed, which is of immeasurable importance in every view of the complicated subject. It is the vast change which has taken place in the relations of the States to each other, in the points of popu lation and wealth. The slave region is more than one half larger than that of non-slaveholding States in the Union. It was always larger, and the disproportion has been mightily increased by the acquisition of Louisiana and Texas. Not only have the Slave States the advantage in extent, but in the points of climate and soil there is an almost immeasurable superiority. But this is true of the soil and climate only. In population the advantage is just the other way. Starting, with the Revolution, near ly equal in numbers and strength, the north has out grown the south in numbers one half, to say nothing of other points of difference in resources of various kinds, which are as indicative as numbers of different degrees of success and prosperity. To what can this be ascribed but to the absence of slavery in one section of the country and its presence in the other? The climate of Northern Vir ginia is not very materially different from that of Pennsyl vania the soil is better, if anything and if considered in reference to physical circumstances only, one would proba bly prefer Virginia as a residence. But somehow or other, the emigrating population do not think so. They prefer the States just north of Mason and Dixon's line to those just south of it.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.