CHAPTER XXIV.

Ability of the South to hold its Slaves-Increase of Slaves-Slaves contented--Impossibility of successful insurrection-Security of the South, &c. &c.

IN extenuation of their lawless encroachments on the rights of the South, the abolitionists plead the great dangers which must arise from the existence of slavery. This danger, if it exists at all, menaces only the inhabitants of the South. Now they are neither destitute of mental nor physical resources to foresee or meet the alleged danger. They are fully capable of the task of caring for themselves; and the thankless interference of the abolitionists is equally ill-timed, pragmatical, and unnecessary. The South wants no protection, and, least of all, the protection of the abolitionists. Their charity is altogether obtrusive; and it would be well if, in their discursive and knight-errant benevolence, they would seek other subjects for the exercise of their virtues.

These raven counsellors calculate the increase of the slaves, and come to the conclusion that they are gaining gradually upon the whites; that their power will be thus regularly increased, until at length, in future times, they may outnumber the whites, and fall upon and massacre them. They, therefore, appear to think that it is more prudent that the slaves should be excited to this massacre at once; that the "question should be met," and that the throats des

tined to be cut should be operated upon without any unnecessary delay.

These views are, at least, in character with the abolitionists. But we would suggest to them the propriety of allowing posterity to take care of itself. We have quite as much on our hands as we can manage properly; and as posterity will be, in all probability, quite as wise and capable as we are, it may be well to direct our time and attention to the care of those more immediately within the scope of our sympathies and duty.

Cool-headed and reflecting men cannot but regard the ill-omened predictions of the abolitionists, on this head, with scorn. Slavery has existed thus far without any of the unfavourable results which terrify these nervous patriots. Every age has had its croakers, men who see visions, and dream dreams; who foresee for futurity evils and calamities which futurity never realizes, and which only serve to excite the imaginations of those who can be terrified by the phantoms thus idly conjured up. We have no right to expect an exemption from these prophets of evil. Their raven voices will be heard even under the brightest sky; and, though time may venture to belie their predictions, nothing will quiet their croaking. It may be well, however, to examine the basis of their apprehensions.

In answer to the oft-repeated objection, that the increase of the slaves of this country is proportionally greater than that of the whites, we venture to oppose a direct denial of the statement. The following extract from Mr. Walsh will correct all errors on this point. "Our census of 1810 teaches that, according to the ratio of increase for the twenty years preceding, the number of years required for the duplication of the whites was 22.48; and that required for the slaves, as I have mentioned, 25.99.

The whites increased from 1790 to 1810, 85.26 per cent; the slaves 70.75. The mere natural increase is not, however, shown exactly by this calculation. We should deduct the annual addition made to the numbers of both from without, which would probably leave the proportion the same. The whole number of slaves in 1810 was 1,191,364; and of free people of colour, 186,466. Together they did not equal one fourth of the white population, which was 5,862,092; nor make but little more than one sixth of the whole. At present, (1819,) the proportion must be still less, as the ratio of increase for the white population is undoubtedly greater." views of Mr. Walsh have been confirmed by subsequent experience; and the fears of those who dwell, with trembling emphasis, upon the increase of the slaves, demonstrated to be groundless and idle.*

The

"We have no fears on this score; even if it were true, the danger would not be very great. With the increase of the blacks, we can afford to enlarge the police; and we will venture to say, that with the hundredth man at our disposal, and faithful to us, we would keep down insurrection in any large country on the face of the globe. But the speakers in the Virginia legislature, in our humble opinion, made most unwarrantable inferences from the census returns, They took a period between 1790 and 1830, and judged exclusively from the aggregate results of that whole time. Mr. Brown pointed out their fallacy, and showed that there was but a small portion of the period in which the blacks had rapidly gained on the whites (in Virginia,) but during the residue they were most rapidly losing their high relative increase, and would, perhaps in 1840, exhibit an augmentation less than the whites. But let us go a little back. In 1740, the slaves in South Carolina, says Marshall, were three times the whites: the danger from them was greater then than it ever has been since, or ever will be again. There was an insurrection in that year, which was put down with the utmost ease, although instigated and aided by the Spaniards. The slaves in Virginia, at the same period, were much more numerous than the whites. Now suppose some of those peepers into futu

The progressive increase of the two races has been referred to as a source of danger. If the whites increase, the blacks also multiply, and will in time, it is urged, constitute so large a mass, that it will be impossible to hold them in subjection. The facts do not bear out the theory. A million can more easily hold a million in subjection, than a thousand can a thousand. The reason is obvious-concert and union are required to overturn an established government; and the greater the number, the more difficult is this of attainment. In a community of one hundred, a police of one man would be wholly incapable of controlling the ninety-nine; but in a community of one million, a band of ten thousand troops would be found amply sufficient for that purpose.

No one, who has examined this subject dispassionately, can entertain any serious doubts of the ability of the whites of the South to hold their slaves in subjection. There has been no instance of a successful insurrection of negro slaves. Even at St. Domingo, the revolt commenced with the free mulattoes, who had been educated and disciplined in France; who were nearly equal in number to the whites; and who were encouraged by the French government; and, notwithstanding all this, it would

rity could have been present; would they not have predicted the speedy arrival of the time when the blacks, running ahead of the whites in numbers, would have destroyed their security? In 1763, the black population of Virginia was 100,000, and the white 70,000. In South Carolina the blacks were 90,000, and the whites 40,000. Comparing them with the returns of 1740, our prophets, could they have lived so long, might have found some consolation in the greater increase of the whites. Again, when we see in 1830, that the blacks in both states have fallen in numbers below the whites, our prophets, were they alive, might truly be pronounced false."-Professor Dew.

never have succeeded had not the island been in a state of revolution, and distracted by a civil contest. In Jamaica, where the blacks are eight-fold the whites, and in Brazil, where they are three to one, they have been controlled and held in bondage without difficulty. In this country, the slave population, inferior in numbers and milder in temper, has never given any trouble; and never will, unless poisoned and maddened by foreign abolitionists.

The security of the whites may be ascribed to several causes. Among the first, is the moral superiority of the master over the slave. This superiority consists in a greater natural elevation of character, in the feelings which arise from a habit of command, and in the firmness and courage which are produced by freedom. The slave, besotted, servile, accustomed to degradation, and habituated to regard his master with deference and awe, does not presume to dream of contending with him. His genius stands rebuked before that of the white man. He has neither the aspirations, the spirit, nor the ability, which would urge him into determined opposition to his master. A late writer, the author of "The South-West, by a Yankee," alleges, that the South has little to apprehend from her slave population; and asserts that "the negro is wholly destitute of courage. He possesses an animal instinct, which impels him, when roused, to the performance of the most savage acts. He is a being of impulse, and cowardice is a principle of his soul, as instinctive as courage in the white man. This may be caused by their condition, and without doubt it is. But, whatever may be the cause, the effect exists, and will ever preclude any apprehensions of serious evil from any insurrectionary combination of their number. The spirit of insubordination will die as soon as the momentary excitement which produced it has