The Continental Monthly, Vol V. Issue III. March, 1864 | Page 6

question, then, of
profit on capital, that of Massachusetts was 35 per cent., and of
Maryland 17 per cent. Such is the progressive advance (more than two
to one) of free as compared with slave labor. The same law obtains in
comparing all the Free with all the Slave States. But the proof is still
more complete. Thus, Delaware and Missouri (alone of all the Slave
States) were ahead of Maryland in this rate of profit, because both had
comparatively fewer slaves; and all the other Slave States, whose
servile population was relatively larger than that of Maryland, were
below her in the rate of profit. The law extends to counties, those
having comparatively fewest slaves increasing far more rapidly in
wealth and population. This, then, is the formula as to the rate of profit
on capital. First, the Free States; next, the States and counties of the
same State having the fewest relative number of slaves. The Census,
then, is an evangel against slavery, and its tables are revelations

proclaiming laws as divine as those written by the finger of God at
Mount Sinai on the tables of stone.
For seventy years we have had these Census Tables, announcing these
great truths more and more clearly at each decade. They are the records
of the nation's movement and condition, the decennial monuments
marking her steps in the path of empire, the oracles of her destiny. They
are prophecies, for each decade fulfils the predictions of its predecessor.
They announce laws, not made by man, but the irrevocable ordinances
of the Almighty. We cannot, with impunity, refuse to obey these laws.
For every violation, they enforce their own penalties. From these there
is no escape in the present or the past, nor for the future, except in
conformity to their demands. These laws condemn slavery; and the
punishment for disobedience is recorded in the result of every Census,
and finally culminated in the rebellion. Slavery and freedom are
antagonistic and discordant elements: the conflict between them is
upon us; it admits of no neutrality or compromise, and one or the other
system must perish.
We have seen that slavery is hostile to the progress of wealth and
population: let us now ascertain its influence on moral and intellectual
development.
By Table 15 of the Census of 1860, the result for that year was as
follows: In Massachusetts, value of books printed, $397,500; jobs,
$529,347; newspapers, $1,979,069; total, $2,905,916. Same year in
Maryland, books printed, $58,000; jobs, $122,000; newspapers,
$169,000; total, $350,155. By Table 37, Census of 1860, Massachusetts
had 222 newspapers and periodicals, of which 112 were political, 31
religious, 51 literary, miscellaneous 28. Maryland had only 57, all
political. The whole number of copies issued in Massachusetts in 1860
was 102,000,760, and in Maryland, 20,721,472. Of periodicals,
Massachusetts has monthly, 1 political, 10 religious, 18 literary, 7
miscellaneous; quarterly, religious 3, literary 2, miscellaneous 1, and 1
annual. Maryland had none. Not a religious, literary, scientific, or
miscellaneous periodical or journal in the State! What terrible truths are
unfolded in these statistics! None but a political party press in

Maryland, all devoted, in 1860, to the maintenance, extension, and
perpetuity of slavery, which had 57 advocates, and not one for science,
religion, or literature.
We have seen that the circulation in 1860 of the press in Massachusetts
exceeded that of Maryland by more than eighty-one millions of copies.
These facts all prove that slavery is hostile to knowledge and its
diffusion, to science, literature, and religion, to the press, and to free
government.
For schools, colleges, libraries, and churches, I must take the Tables of
the Census of 1850, those of 1860 not being yet published. There were
in 1850 in Massachusetts, 3,679 public schools, 4,443 teachers,
176,475 pupils; native adults who cannot read or write, 1,861. In
Maryland, 907 public schools, 1,005 teachers, 33,254 pupils; native
adults who cannot read or write, 38,426, excluding slaves, to teach
whom is criminal.
Thus, then, slavery is hostile to schools, withholding instruction from
the children of the poor.
The number of public libraries in Massachusetts was 1,462, volumes
684,015. In Maryland, 124, and 125,042 volumes. Value of churches in
Massachusetts, $10,206,000. In Maryland, $3,947,884, of which
$2,541,240 is in Baltimore (which has very few slaves), and the
remainder is mainly in the seven counties (from which slavery has
nearly disappeared) adjoining Pennsylvania.
As to schools, colleges, books, libraries, churches, newspapers, and
periodicals, it thus appears that Massachusetts is greatly in advance of
Maryland.
Now, then, let us contrast loyal Maryland with rebel South Carolina,
the author of secession, and assuming for many years to instruct the
nation. By the Census of 1860, she had a population of 703,708, of
whom 402,406 were slaves; and Maryland, numbering 687,049, had
87,189 slaves. Now, by the