第30章
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  Time,however,continuedtoadvance,andtheAnglo—Americans,spreadingbeyondthecoastsoftheAtlanticOcean,penetratedfartherandfartherintothesolitudesoftheWest;theymetwithanewsoilandanunwontedclimate;theobstacleswhichopposedthemwereofthemostvariouscharacter;

  theirracesintermingled,theinhabitantsoftheSouthwentuptowardstheNorth,thoseoftheNorthdescendedtotheSouth;butinthemidstofallthesecauses,thesameresultoccurredateverystep,andingeneral,thecoloniesinwhichtherewerenoslavesbecamemorepopulousandmorerichthanthoseinwhichslaveryflourished。Themoreprogresswasmade,themorewasitshownthatslavery,whichissocrueltotheslave,isprejudicialtothemaster。

  ChapterXVIII:FutureConditionOfThreeRaces—PartIV

  ButthistruthwasmostsatisfactorilydemonstratedwhencivilizationreachedthebanksoftheOhio。ThestreamwhichtheIndianshaddistinguishedbythenameofOhio,orBeautifulRiver,watersoneofthemostmagnificentvalleysthathaseverbeenmadetheabodeofman。UndulatinglandsextenduponbothshoresoftheOhio,whosesoilaffordsinexhaustibletreasurestothelaborer;oneitherbanktheairiswholesomeandtheclimatemild,andeachofthemformstheextremefrontierofavastState:ThatwhichfollowsthenumerouswindingsoftheOhioupontheleftiscalledKentucky,thatupontherightbearsthenameoftheriver。ThesetwoStatesonlydifferinasinglerespect;

  Kentuckyhasadmittedslavery,buttheStateofOhiohasprohibitedtheexistenceofslaveswithinitsborders。*h[Footnoteh:NotonlyisslaveryprohibitedinOhio,butnofreenegroesareallowedtoentertheterritoryofthatState,ortoholdpropertyinit。SeetheStatutesofOhio。]

  ThusthetravellerwhofloatsdownthecurrentoftheOhiotothespotwherethatriverfallsintotheMississippi,maybesaidtosailbetweenlibertyandservitude;andatransientinspectionofthesurroundingobjectswillconvincehimastowhichofthetwoismostfavorabletomankind。Upontheleftbankofthestreamthepopulationisrare;fromtimetotimeonedescriesatroopofslavesloiteringinthehalf—desertfields;

  theprimaevalforestrecursateveryturn;societyseemstobeasleep,mantobeidle,andnaturealoneoffersasceneofactivityandoflife。Fromtherightbank,onthecontrary,aconfusedhumisheardwhichproclaimsthepresenceofindustry;

  thefieldsarecoveredwithabundantharvests,theeleganceofthedwellingsannouncesthetasteandactivityofthelaborer,andmanappearstobeintheenjoymentofthatwealthandcontentmentwhichistherewardoflabor。*i[Footnotei:TheactivityofOhioisnotconfinedtoindividuals,buttheundertakingsoftheStatearesurprisinglygreat;acanalhasbeenestablishedbetweenLakeErieandtheOhio,bymeansofwhichthevalleyoftheMississippicommunicateswiththeriveroftheNorth,andtheEuropeancommoditieswhicharriveatNewYorkmaybeforwardedbywatertoNewOrleansacrossfivehundredleaguesofcontinent。]

  TheStateofKentuckywasfoundedin1775,theStateofOhioonlytwelveyearslater;buttwelveyearsaremoreinAmericathanhalfacenturyinEurope,and,atthepresentday,thepopulationofOhioexceedsthatofKentuckybytwohundredandfiftythousandsouls。*jTheseoppositeconsequencesofslaveryandfreedommayreadilybeunderstood,andtheysufficetoexplainmanyofthedifferenceswhichweremarkbetweenthecivilizationofantiquityandthatofourowntime。

  [Footnotej:Theexactnumbersgivenbythecensusof1830were:

  Kentucky,688,—844;Ohio,937,679。[In1890thepopulationofOhiowas3,672,316,thatofKentucky,1,858,635。]]

  UpontheleftbankoftheOhiolaborisconfoundedwiththeideaofslavery,upontherightbankitisidentifiedwiththatofprosperityandimprovement;ontheonesideitisdegraded,ontheotheritishonored;ontheformerterritorynowhitelaborerscanbefound,fortheywouldbeafraidofassimilatingthemselvestothenegroes;onthelatternooneisidle,forthewhitepopulationextendsitsactivityanditsintelligencetoeverykindofemployment。ThusthemenwhosetaskitistocultivatetherichsoilofKentuckyareignorantandlukewarm;

  whilstthosewhoareactiveandenlightenedeitherdonothingorpassoverintotheStateofOhio,wheretheymayworkwithoutdishonor。

  ItistruethatinKentuckytheplantersarenotobligedtopaywagestotheslaveswhomtheyemploy;buttheyderivesmallprofitsfromtheirlabor,whilstthewagespaidtofreeworkmenwouldbereturnedwithinterestinthevalueoftheirservices。

  Thefreeworkmanispaid,buthedoeshisworkquickerthantheslave,andrapidityofexecutionisoneofthegreatelementsofeconomy。Thewhitesellshisservices,buttheyareonlypurchasedatthetimesatwhichtheymaybeuseful;theblackcanclaimnoremunerationforhistoil,buttheexpenseofhismaintenanceisperpetual;hemustbesupportedinhisoldageaswellasintheprimeofmanhood,inhisprofitlessinfancyaswellasintheproductiveyearsofyouth。Paymentmustequallybemadeinordertoobtaintheservicesofeitherclassofmen:

  thefreeworkmanreceiveshiswagesinmoney,theslaveineducation,infood,incare,andinclothing。Themoneywhichamasterspendsinthemaintenanceofhisslavesgoesgraduallyandindetail,sothatitisscarcelyperceived;thesalaryofthefreeworkmanispaidinaroundsum,whichappearsonlytoenrichtheindividualwhoreceivesit,butintheendtheslavehascostmorethanthefreeservant,andhislaborislessproductive。*k[Footnotek:Independentlyofthesecauses,which,whereverfreeworkmenabound,rendertheirlabormoreproductiveandmoreeconomicalthanthatofslaves,anothercausemaybepointedoutwhichispeculiartotheUnitedStates:thesugar—canehashithertobeencultivatedwithsuccessonlyuponthebanksoftheMississippi,nearthemouthofthatriverintheGulfofMexico。

  InLouisianathecultivationofthesugar—caneisexceedinglylucrative,andnowheredoesalaborerearnsomuchbyhiswork,and,asthereisalwaysacertainrelationbetweenthecostofproductionandthevalueoftheproduce,thepriceofslavesisveryhighinLouisiana。ButLouisianaisoneoftheconfederatedStates,andslavesmaybecarriedthitherfromallpartsoftheUnion;thepricegivenforslavesinNewOrleansconsequentlyraisesthevalueofslavesinalltheothermarkets。Theconsequenceofthisis,thatinthecountrieswherethelandislessproductive,thecostofslavelaborisstillveryconsiderable,whichgivesanadditionaladvantagetothecompetitionoffreelabor。]

  Theinfluenceofslaveryextendsstillfurther;itaffectsthecharacterofthemaster,andimpartsapeculiartendencytohisideasandhistastes。UponbothbanksoftheOhio,thecharacteroftheinhabitantsisenterprisingandenergetic;butthisvigorisverydifferentlyexercisedinthetwoStates。ThewhiteinhabitantofOhio,whoisobligedtosubsistbyhisownexertions,regardstemporalprosperityastheprincipalaimofhisexistence;andasthecountrywhichheoccupiespresentsinexhaustibleresourcestohisindustryandever—varyinglurestohisactivity,hisacquisitiveardorsurpassestheordinarylimitsofhumancupidity:heistormentedbythedesireofwealth,andheboldlyentersuponeverypathwhichfortuneopenstohim;hebecomesasailor,apioneer,anartisan,oralaborerwiththesameindifference,andhesupports,withequalconstancy,thefatiguesandthedangersincidentaltothesevariousprofessions;

  theresourcesofhisintelligenceareastonishing,andhisavidityinthepursuitofgainamountstoaspeciesofheroism。

  ButtheKentuckianscornsnotonlylabor,butalltheundertakingswhichlaborpromotes;ashelivesinanidleindependence,histastesarethoseofanidleman;moneylosesaportionofitsvalueinhiseyes;hecovetswealthmuchlessthanpleasureandexcitement;andtheenergywhichhisneighbordevotestogain,turnswithhimtoapassionateloveoffieldsportsandmilitaryexercises;hedelightsinviolentbodilyexertion,heisfamiliarwiththeuseofarms,andisaccustomedfromaveryearlyagetoexposehislifeinsinglecombat。Thusslaverynotonlypreventsthewhitesfrombecomingopulent,butevenfromdesiringtobecomeso。

  AsthesamecauseshavebeencontinuallyproducingoppositeeffectsforthelasttwocenturiesintheBritishcoloniesofNorthAmerica,theyhaveestablishedaverystrikingdifferencebetweenthecommercialcapacityoftheinhabitantsoftheSouthandthoseoftheNorth。AtthepresentdayitisonlytheNorthernStateswhichareinpossessionofshipping,manufactures,railroads,andcanals。ThisdifferenceisperceptiblenotonlyincomparingtheNorthwiththeSouth,butincomparingtheseveralSouthernStates。Almostalltheindividualswhocarryoncommercialoperations,orwhoendeavortoturnslavelabortoaccountinthemostSoutherndistrictsoftheUnion,haveemigratedfromtheNorth。ThenativesoftheNorthernStatesareconstantlyspreadingoverthatportionoftheAmericanterritorywheretheyhavelesstofearfromcompetition;

  theydiscoverresourcestherewhichescapedthenoticeoftheinhabitants;and,astheycomplywithasystemwhichtheydonotapprove,theysucceedinturningittobetteradvantagethanthosewhofirstfoundedandwhostillmaintainit。

  WereIinclinedtocontinuethisparallel,IcouldeasilyprovethatalmostallthedifferenceswhichmayberemarkedbetweenthecharactersoftheAmericansintheSouthernandintheNorthernStateshaveoriginatedinslavery;butthiswoulddivertmefrommysubject,andmypresentintentionisnottopointoutalltheconsequencesofservitude,butthoseeffectswhichithasproducedupontheprosperityofthecountrieswhichhaveadmittedit。

  Theinfluenceofslaveryupontheproductionofwealthmusthavebeenveryimperfectlyknowninantiquity,asslaverythenobtainedthroughoutthecivilizedworld;andthenationswhichwereunacquaintedwithitwerebarbarous。AndindeedChristianityonlyabolishedslaverybyadvocatingtheclaimsoftheslave;atthepresenttimeitmaybeattackedinthenameofthemaster,and,uponthispoint,interestisreconciledwithmorality。

  AsthesetruthsbecameapparentintheUnitedStates,slaveryrecededbeforetheprogressofexperience。ServitudehadbegunintheSouth,andhadthencespreadtowardstheNorth;butitnowretiresagain。Freedom,whichstartedfromtheNorth,nowdescendsuninterruptedlytowardstheSouth。AmongstthegreatStates,PennsylvanianowconstitutestheextremelimitofslaverytotheNorth:butevenwithinthoselimitstheslavesystemisshaken:Maryland,whichisimmediatelybelowPennsylvania,ispreparingforitsabolition;andVirginia,whichcomesnexttoMaryland,isalreadydiscussingitsutilityanditsdangers。*l[Footnotel:Apeculiarreasoncontributestodetachthetwolast—mentionedStatesfromthecauseofslavery。TheformerwealthofthispartoftheUnionwasprincipallyderivedfromthecultivationoftobacco。Thiscultivationisspeciallycarriedonbyslaves;butwithinthelastfewyearsthemarket—priceoftobaccohasdiminished,whilstthevalueoftheslavesremainsthesame。Thustheratiobetweenthecostofproductionandthevalueoftheproduceischanged。ThenativesofMarylandandVirginiaarethereforemoredisposedthantheywerethirtyyearsago,togiveupslavelaborinthecultivationoftobacco,ortogiveupslaveryandtobaccoatthesametime。]

  Nogreatchangetakesplaceinhumaninstitutionswithoutinvolvingamongstitscausesthelawofinheritance。WhenthelawofprimogenitureobtainedintheSouth,eachfamilywasrepresentedbyawealthyindividual,whowasneithercompellednorinducedtolabor;andhewassurrounded,asbyparasiticplants,bytheothermembersofhisfamilywhowerethenexcludedbylawfromsharingthecommoninheritance,andwholedthesamekindoflifeashimself。TheverysamethingthenoccurredinallthefamiliesoftheSouthasstillhappensinthewealthyfamiliesofsomecountriesinEurope,namely,thattheyoungersonsremaininthesamestateofidlenessastheirelderbrother,withoutbeingasrichasheis。ThisidenticalresultseemstobeproducedinEuropeandinAmericabywhollyanalogouscauses。

  IntheSouthoftheUnitedStatesthewholeraceofwhitesformedanaristocraticbody,whichwasheadedbyacertainnumberofprivilegedindividuals,whosewealthwaspermanent,andwhoseleisurewashereditary。TheseleadersoftheAmericannobilitykeptalivethetraditionalprejudicesofthewhiteraceinthebodyofwhichtheyweretherepresentatives,andmaintainedthehonorofinactivelife。Thisaristocracycontainedmanywhowerepoor,butnonewhowouldwork;itsmemberspreferredwanttolabor,consequentlynocompetitionwassetonfootagainstnegrolaborersandslaves,and,whateveropinionmightbeentertainedastotheutilityoftheirefforts,itwasindispensabletoemploythem,sincetherewasnooneelsetowork。

  Nosoonerwasthelawofprimogenitureabolishedthanfortunesbegantodiminish,andallthefamiliesofthecountryweresimultaneouslyreducedtoastateinwhichlaborbecamenecessarytoprocurethemeansofsubsistence:severalofthemhavesinceentirelydisappeared,andallofthemlearnedtolookforwardtothetimeatwhichitwouldbenecessaryforeveryonetoprovideforhisownwants。Wealthyindividualsarestilltobemetwith,buttheynolongerconstituteacompactandhereditarybody,norhavetheybeenabletoadoptalineofconductinwhichtheycouldpersevere,andwhichtheycouldinfuseintoallranksofsociety。Theprejudicewhichstigmatizedlaborwasinthefirstplaceabandonedbycommonconsent;thenumberofneedymenwasincreased,andtheneedywereallowedtogainalaborioussubsistencewithoutblushingfortheirexertions。Thusoneofthemostimmediateconsequencesofthepartiblequalityofestateshasbeentocreateaclassoffreelaborers。Assoonasacompetitionwassetonfootbetweenthefreelaborerandtheslave,theinferiorityofthelatterbecamemanifest,andslaverywasattackedinitsfundamentalprinciple,whichistheinterestofthemaster。

  Asslaveryrecedes,theblackpopulationfollowsitsretrogradecourse,andreturnswithittowardsthosetropicalregionsfromwhichitoriginallycame。Howeversingularthisfactmayatfirstappeartobe,itmayreadilybeexplained。

  AlthoughtheAmericansabolishtheprincipleofslavery,theydonotsettheirslavesfree。Toillustratethisremark,IwillquotetheexampleoftheStateofNewYork。In1788,theStateofNewYorkprohibitedthesaleofslaveswithinitslimits,whichwasanindirectmethodofprohibitingtheimportationofblacks。Thenceforwardthenumberofnegroescouldonlyincreaseaccordingtotheratioofthenaturalincreaseofpopulation。

  Buteightyearslateramoredecisivemeasurewastaken,anditwasenactedthatallchildrenbornofslaveparentsafterJuly4,1799,shouldbefree。Noincreasecouldthentakeplace,andalthoughslavesstillexisted,slaverymightbesaidtobeabolished。

  FromthetimeatwhichaNorthernStateprohibitedtheimportationofslaves,noslaveswerebroughtfromtheSouthtobesoldinitsmarkets。Ontheotherhand,asthesaleofslaveswasforbiddeninthatState,anownerwasnolongerabletogetridofhisslave(whothusbecameaburdensomepossession)

  otherwisethanbytransportinghimtotheSouth。ButwhenaNorthernStatedeclaredthatthesonoftheslaveshouldbebornfree,theslavelostalargeportionofhismarketvalue,sincehisposteritywasnolongerincludedinthebargain,andtheownerhadthenastronginterestintransportinghimtotheSouth。ThusthesamelawpreventstheslavesoftheSouthfromcomingtotheNorthernStates,anddrivesthoseoftheNorthtotheSouth。

  ThewantoffreehandsisfeltinaStateinproportionasthenumberofslavesdecreases。Butinproportionaslaborisperformedbyfreehands,slavelaborbecomeslessproductive;andtheslaveisthenauselessoronerouspossession,whomitisimportanttoexporttothoseSouthernStateswherethesamecompetitionisnottobefeared。Thustheabolitionofslaverydoesnotsettheslavefree,butitmerelytransfershimfromonemastertoanother,andfromtheNorthtotheSouth。

  Theemancipatednegroes,andthosebornaftertheabolitionofslavery,donot,indeed,migratefromtheNorthtotheSouth;

  buttheirsituationwithregardtotheEuropeansisnotunlikethatoftheaboriginesofAmerica;theyremainhalfcivilized,anddeprivedoftheirrightsinthemidstofapopulationwhichisfarsuperiortotheminwealthandinknowledge;wheretheyareexposedtothetyrannyofthelaws*mandtheintoleranceofthepeople。OnsomeaccountstheyarestillmoretobepitiedthantheIndians,sincetheyarehauntedbythereminiscenceofslavery,andtheycannotclaimpossessionofasingleportionofthesoil:manyofthemperishmiserably,*nandtherestcongregateinthegreattowns,wheretheyperformthemeanestoffices,andleadawretchedandprecariousexistence。

  [Footnotem:TheStatesinwhichslaveryisabolishedusuallydowhattheycantorendertheirterritorydisagreeabletothenegroesasaplaceofresidence;andasakindofemulationexistsbetweenthedifferentStatesinthisrespect,theunhappyblackscanonlychoosetheleastoftheevilswhichbesetthem。]

  [Footnoten:ThereisaverygreatdifferencebetweenthemortalityoftheblacksandofthewhitesintheStatesinwhichslaveryisabolished;from1820to1831onlyoneoutofforty—twoindividualsofthewhitepopulationdiedinPhiladelphia;butonenegrooutoftwenty—oneindividualsoftheblackpopulationdiedinthesamespaceoftime。Themortalityisbynomeanssogreatamongstthenegroeswhoarestillslaves。(SeeEmmerson’s\"MedicalStatistics,\"p。28。)]

  Butevenifthenumberofnegroescontinuedtoincreaseasrapidlyaswhentheywerestillinastateofslavery,asthenumberofwhitesaugmentswithtwofoldrapiditysincetheabolitionofslavery,theblackswouldsoonbe,asitwere,lostinthemidstofastrangepopulation。

  Adistrictwhichiscultivatedbyslavesisingeneralmorescantilypeopledthanadistrictcultivatedbyfreelabor:

  moreover,Americaisstillanewcountry,andaStateisthereforenothalfpeopledatthetimewhenitabolishesslavery。

  Nosoonerisanendputtoslaverythanthewantoffreelaborisfelt,andacrowdofenterprisingadventurersimmediatelyarrivefromallpartsofthecountry,whohastentoprofitbythefreshresourceswhicharethenopenedtoindustry。Thesoilissoondividedamongstthem,andafamilyofwhitesettlerstakespossessionofeachtractofcountry。Besideswhich,EuropeanemigrationisexclusivelydirectedtothefreeStates;forwhatwouldbethefateofapooremigrantwhocrossestheAtlanticinsearchofeaseandhappinessifheweretolandinacountrywherelaborisstigmatizedasdegrading?

  Thusthewhitepopulationgrowsbyitsnaturalincrease,andatthesametimebytheimmenseinfluxofemigrants;whilsttheblackpopulationreceivesnoemigrants,andisuponitsdecline。

  Theproportionwhichexistedbetweenthetworacesissooninverted。Thenegroesconstituteascantyremnant,apoortribeofvagrants,whichislostinthemidstofanimmensepeopleinfullpossessionoftheland;andthepresenceoftheblacksisonlymarkedbytheinjusticeandthehardshipsofwhichtheyaretheunhappyvictims。

  InseveraloftheWesternStatesthenegroracenevermadeitsappearance,andinalltheNorthernStatesitisrapidlydeclining。Thusthegreatquestionofitsfutureconditionisconfinedwithinanarrowcircle,whereitbecomeslessformidable,thoughnotmoreeasyofsolution。

  ThemorewedescendtowardstheSouth,themoredifficultdoesitbecometoabolishslaverywithadvantage:andthisarisesfromseveralphysicalcauseswhichitisimportanttopointout。

  Thefirstofthesecausesistheclimate;itiswellknownthatinproportionasEuropeansapproachthetropicstheysuffermorefromlabor。ManyoftheAmericansevenassertthatwithinacertainlatitudetheexertionswhichanegrocanmakewithoutdangerarefataltothem;*obutIdonotthinkthatthisopinion,whichissofavorabletotheindolenceoftheinhabitantsofsouthernregions,isconfirmedbyexperience。ThesouthernpartsoftheUnionarenothotterthantheSouthofItalyandofSpain;*panditmaybeaskedwhytheEuropeancannotworkaswellthereasinthetwolattercountries。IfslaveryhasbeenabolishedinItalyandinSpainwithoutcausingthedestructionofthemasters,whyshouldnotthesamethingtakeplaceintheUnion?IcannotbelievethatnaturehasprohibitedtheEuropeansinGeorgiaandtheFloridas,underpainofdeath,fromraisingthemeansofsubsistencefromthesoil,buttheirlaborwouldunquestionablybemoreirksomeandlessproductivetothemthantotheinhabitantsofNewEngland。AsthefreeworkmanthuslosesaportionofhissuperiorityovertheslaveintheSouthernStates,therearefewerinducementstoabolishslavery。

  [Footnoteo:Thisistrueofthespotsinwhichriceiscultivated;rice—grounds,whichareunwholesomeinallcountries,areparticularlydangerousinthoseregionswhichareexposedtothebeamsofatropicalsun。EuropeanswouldnotfinditeasytocultivatethesoilinthatpartoftheNewWorldifitmustbenecessarilybemadetoproducerice;butmaytheynotsubsistwithoutrice—grounds?]

  [Footnotep:TheseStatesarenearertotheequatorthanItalyandSpain,butthetemperatureofthecontinentofAmericaisverymuchlowerthanthatofEurope。

  TheSpanishGovernmentformerlycausedacertainnumberofpeasantsfromtheAcorestobetransportedintoadistrictofLouisianacalledAttakapas,bywayofexperiment。Thesesettlersstillcultivatethesoilwithouttheassistanceofslaves,buttheirindustryissolanguidasscarcelytosupplytheirmostnecessarywants。]

  AlltheplantsofEuropegrowinthenorthernpartsoftheUnion;theSouthhasspecialproductionsofitsown。Ithasbeenobservedthatslavelaborisaveryexpensivemethodofcultivatingcorn。Thefarmerofcornlandinacountrywhereslaveryisunknownhabituallyretainsasmallnumberoflaborersinhisservice,andatseed—timeandharvesthehiresseveraladditionalhands,whoonlyliveathiscostforashortperiod。

  ButtheagriculturistinaslaveStateisobligedtokeepalargenumberofslavesthewholeyearround,inordertosowhisfieldsandtogatherinhiscrops,althoughtheirservicesareonlyrequiredforafewweeks;butslavesareunabletowaittilltheyarehired,andtosubsistbytheirownlaborinthemeantimelikefreelaborers;inordertohavetheirservicestheymustbebought。Slavery,independentlyofitsgeneraldisadvantages,isthereforestillmoreinapplicabletocountriesinwhichcorniscultivatedthantothosewhichproducecropsofadifferentkind。

  Thecultivationoftobacco,ofcotton,andespeciallyofthesugar—cane,demands,ontheotherhand,unremittingattention:

  andwomenandchildrenareemployedinit,whoseservicesareofbutlittleuseinthecultivationofwheat。Thusslaveryisnaturallymorefittedtothecountriesfromwhichtheseproductionsarederived。Tobacco,cotton,andthesugar—caneareexclusivelygrownintheSouth,andtheyformoneoftheprincipalsourcesofthewealthofthoseStates。Ifslaverywereabolished,theinhabitantsoftheSouthwouldbeconstrainedtoadoptoneoftwoalternatives:theymusteitherchangetheirsystemofcultivation,andthentheywouldcomeintocompetitionwiththemoreactiveandmoreexperiencedinhabitantsoftheNorth;or,iftheycontinuedtocultivatethesameproducewithoutslavelabor,theywouldhavetosupportthecompetitionoftheotherStatesoftheSouth,whichmightstillretaintheirslaves。Thus,peculiarreasonsformaintainingslaveryexistintheSouthwhichdonotoperateintheNorth。

  Butthereisyetanothermotivewhichismorecogentthanalltheothers:theSouthmightindeed,rigorouslyspeaking,abolishslavery;buthowshoulditriditsterritoryoftheblackpopulation?SlavesandslaveryaredrivenfromtheNorthbythesamelaw,butthistwofoldresultcannotbehopedforintheSouth。

  TheargumentswhichIhaveadducedtoshowthatslaveryismorenaturalandmoreadvantageousintheSouththanintheNorth,sufficientlyprovethatthenumberofslavesmustbefargreaterintheformerdistricts。ItwastothesouthernsettlementsthatthefirstAfricanswerebrought,anditistherethatthegreatestnumberofthemhavealwaysbeenimported。AsweadvancetowardstheSouth,theprejudicewhichsanctionsidlenessincreasesinpower。IntheStatesnearesttothetropicsthereisnotasinglewhitelaborer;thenegroesareconsequentlymuchmorenumerousintheSouththanintheNorth。And,asIhavealreadyobserved,thisdisproportionincreasesdaily,sincethenegroesaretransferredtoonepartoftheUnionassoonasslaveryisabolishedintheother。ThustheblackpopulationaugmentsintheSouth,notonlybyitsnaturalfecundity,butbythecompulsoryemigrationofthenegroesfromtheNorth;andtheAfricanracehascausesofincreaseintheSouthveryanalogoustothosewhichsopowerfullyacceleratethegrowthoftheEuropeanraceintheNorth。

  IntheStateofMainethereisonenegroin300inhabitants;

  inMassachusetts,onein100;inNewYork,twoin100;inPennsylvania,threeinthesamenumber;inMaryland,thirty—four;

  inVirginia,forty—two;andlastly,inSouthCarolina*qfifty—fivepercent。Suchwastheproportionoftheblackpopulationtothewhitesintheyear1830。Butthisproportionisperpetuallychanging,asitconstantlydecreasesintheNorthandaugmentsintheSouth。

  [Footnoteq:WefinditassertedinanAmericanwork,entitled\"LettersontheColonizationSociety,\"byMr。Carey,1833,\"ThatforthelastfortyyearstheblackracehasincreasedmorerapidlythanthewhiteraceintheStateofSouthCarolina;andthatifwetaketheaveragepopulationofthefiveStatesoftheSouthintowhichslaveswerefirstintroduced,viz。,Maryland,Virginia,SouthCarolina,NorthCarolina,andGeorgia,weshallfindthatfrom1790to1830thewhiteshaveaugmentedintheproportionof80to100,andtheblacksinthatof112to100。\"

  IntheUnitedStates,in1830,thepopulationofthetworacesstoodasfollows:—

  Stateswhereslaveryisabolished,6,565,434whites;120,520

  blacks。SlaveStates,3,960,814whites;2,208,102blacks。[In1890theUnitedStatescontainedapopulationof54,983,890

  whites,and7,638,360negroes。]]

  ItisevidentthatthemostSouthernStatesoftheUnioncannotabolishslaverywithoutincurringverygreatdangers,whichtheNorthhadnoreasontoapprehendwhenitemancipateditsblackpopulation。WehavealreadyshownthesystembywhichtheNorthernStatessecurethetransitionfromslaverytofreedom,bykeepingthepresentgenerationinchains,andsettingtheirdescendantsfree;bythismeansthenegroesaregraduallyintroducedintosociety;andwhilstthemenwhomightabusetheirfreedomarekeptinastateofservitude,thosewhoareemancipatedmaylearntheartofbeingfreebeforetheybecometheirownmasters。ButitwouldbedifficulttoapplythismethodintheSouth。Todeclarethatallthenegroesbornafteracertainperiodshallbefree,istointroducetheprincipleandthenotionoflibertyintotheheartofslavery;theblackswhomthelawthusmaintainsinastateofslaveryfromwhichtheirchildrenaredelivered,areastonishedatsounequalafate,andtheirastonishmentisonlythepreludetotheirimpatienceandirritation。Thenceforwardslaveryloses,intheireyes,thatkindofmoralpowerwhichitderivedfromtimeandhabit;itisreducedtoamerepalpableabuseofforce。TheNorthernStateshadnothingtofearfromthecontrast,becauseinthemtheblackswerefewinnumber,andthewhitepopulationwasveryconsiderable。Butifthisfaintdawnoffreedomweretoshowtwomillionsofmentheirtrueposition,theoppressorswouldhavereasontotremble。AfterhavingaffranchisedthechildrenoftheirslavestheEuropeansoftheSouthernStateswouldveryshortlybeobligedtoextendthesamebenefittothewholeblackpopulation。

  ChapterXVIII:FutureConditionOfThreeRaces—PartV

  IntheNorth,asIhavealreadyremarked,atwofoldmigrationensuesupontheabolitionofslavery,orevenprecedesthateventwhencircumstanceshaverendereditprobable;theslavesquitthecountrytobetransportedsouthwards;andthewhitesoftheNorthernStates,aswellastheemigrantsfromEurope,hastentofilluptheirplace。ButthesetwocausescannotoperateinthesamemannerintheSouthernStates。Ontheonehand,themassofslavesistoogreatforanyexpectationoftheireverbeingremovedfromthecountrytobeentertained;andontheotherhand,theEuropeansandAnglo—AmericansoftheNorthareafraidtocometoinhabitacountryinwhichlaborhasnotyetbeenreinstatedinitsrightfulhonors。Besides,theyveryjustlylookupontheStatesinwhichtheproportionofthenegroesequalsorexceedsthatofthewhites,asexposedtoverygreatdangers;andtheyrefrainfromturningtheiractivityinthatdirection。

  ThustheinhabitantsoftheSouthwouldnotbeable,liketheirNortherncountrymen,toinitiatetheslavesgraduallyintoastateoffreedombyabolishingslavery;theyhavenomeansofperceptiblydiminishingtheblackpopulation,andtheywouldremainunsupportedtorepressitsexcesses。Sothatinthecourseofafewyears,agreatpeopleoffreenegroeswouldexistintheheartofawhitenationofequalsize。

  Thesameabusesofpowerwhichstillmaintainslavery,wouldthenbecomethesourceofthemostalarmingperilswhichthewhitepopulationoftheSouthmighthavetoapprehend。AtthepresenttimethedescendantsoftheEuropeansarethesoleownersoftheland;theabsolutemastersofalllabor;andtheonlypersonswhoarepossessedofwealth,knowledge,andarms。Theblackisdestituteofalltheseadvantages,buthesubsistswithoutthembecauseheisaslave。Ifhewerefree,andobligedtoprovideforhisownsubsistence,woulditbepossibleforhimtoremainwithoutthesethingsandtosupportlife?Orwouldnottheveryinstrumentsofthepresentsuperiorityofthewhite,whilstslaveryexists,exposehimtoathousanddangersifitwereabolished?

  Aslongasthenegroremainsaslave,hemaybekeptinaconditionnotveryfarremovedfromthatofthebrutes;but,withhisliberty,hecannotbutacquireadegreeofinstructionwhichwillenablehimtoappreciatehismisfortunes,andtodiscernaremedyforthem。Moreover,thereexistsasingularprincipleofrelativejusticewhichisveryfirmlyimplantedinthehumanheart。Menaremuchmoreforciblystruckbythoseinequalitieswhichexistwithinthecircleofthesameclass,thanwiththosewhichmayberemarkedbetweendifferentclasses。Itismoreeasyforthemtoadmitslavery,thantoallowseveralmillionsofcitizenstoexistunderaloadofeternalinfamyandhereditarywretchedness。IntheNorththepopulationoffreednegroesfeelsthesehardshipsandresentstheseindignities;butitsnumbersanditspowersaresmall,whilstintheSouthitwouldbenumerousandstrong。

  Assoonasitisadmittedthatthewhitesandtheemancipatedblacksareplaceduponthesameterritoryinthesituationoftwoaliencommunities,itwillreadilybeunderstoodthattherearebuttwoalternativesforthefuture;thenegroesandthewhitesmusteitherwhollypartorwhollymingle。IhavealreadyexpressedtheconvictionwhichIentertainastothelatterevent。*rIdonotimaginethatthewhiteandblackraceswilleverliveinanycountryuponanequalfooting。ButI

  believethedifficultytobestillgreaterintheUnitedStatesthanelsewhere。Anisolatedindividualmaysurmounttheprejudicesofreligion,ofhiscountry,orofhisrace,andifthisindividualisakinghemayeffectsurprisingchangesinsociety;butawholepeoplecannotrise,asitwere,aboveitself。AdespotwhoshouldsubjecttheAmericansandtheirformerslavestothesameyoke,mightperhapssucceedincomminglingtheirraces;butaslongastheAmericandemocracyremainsattheheadofaffairs,noonewillundertakesodifficultatask;anditmaybeforeseenthatthefreerthewhitepopulationoftheUnitedStatesbecomes,themoreisolatedwillitremain。*s[Footnoter:ThisopinionissanctionedbyauthoritiesinfinitelyweightierthananythingthatIcansay:thus,forinstance,itisstatedinthe\"MemoirsofJefferson\"(ascollectedbyM。

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