264 



DELAWAEE. 



literary labors, and to public lecturing. He 

 was a member of every Southern Commercial 

 Convention since the Memphis Convention of 

 1845, over which John 0. Calhoun presided, 

 and he himself was president of the Knoxville 

 Convention of 1857. His addresses before 

 various literary, agricultural, and commercial 

 associations were numerous, and he was the 

 contributor of several of the articles upon 

 American matters in the new edition of the 

 Encyclopedia Britan nica. He was the founder 

 of the Louisiana Historical Society, since 

 merged in the Academy of Science. In 1853 

 he compiled from his Review a work in three 

 volumes, octavo, which he published under the 

 title of "Industrial Resources of the South- 

 west." For several years before the com- 

 mencement of the late war he was very bitter 

 in his denunciations of the Northern States and 

 . their institutions ; and during the war. though 

 his Review was of necessity discontinued, his 

 voice and pen were actively employed in the 

 advocacy of the Confederacy. After the over- 

 throw of the Confederacy, his personal views 

 were in some respects greatly changed. He ad- 

 mitted that the old labor system of the South 

 had forever disappeared, and even made the 

 concession that the slave-labor system of the 

 South had been proved to be much inferior to 

 the free-labor system of the Northwest. In a let- 

 ter to Governor Perry, he urged the Legislatures 

 of the Southern States to encourage foreign 

 immigration. He also resumed his Review, 

 first at New York, but subsequently, yielding 

 to the remonstrances of personal friends, re- 

 moved it to Nashville. 



DELAWARE. The pleasant climate and 

 fertile soil of this State invite immigration, and 

 there is a gradual and constant development of 

 its resources, with a corresponding increase in 

 population and importance. The Legislature 

 held its regular biennial session in January. 

 Among the acts passed, the most important 

 were, one for raising revenue, by imposing a 

 tax on auctioneers, those selling by samples, 

 insurance companies, real-estate agents, etc. ; 

 another advancing the Governor's salary from 

 $1,333.33 to $2,000 per annum; and one ac- 

 cepting the public lands donated to the State 

 by the United States, for the benefit of agri- 

 culture and the mechanic arts. Delaware 

 College has been adopted as an agricultural 

 school, and five commissioners are to be ap- 

 pointed by the Governor to act in conjunction 

 witli the trustees of that college. The land is to 

 be sold, and the proceeds invested in United 

 States bonds until applied to the purposes of the 

 act. It was also provided that the punishment 

 inflicted on negro and mulatto criminals should 

 be the same as that received by whites for 

 similar offences. As Delaware has no State 

 penitentiary, criminals are confined in the 

 county jails, and many offences are punished 

 by public whipping, and standing in the pil- 

 lory. An enlightened public sentiment dis- 

 countenances these modes of punishment, and 



it is more than probable that the next Legisla- 

 ture will abolish them entirely. The effect of 

 these exhibitions upon the community is found to 

 be demoralizing, and it cannot long withstand 

 the ban of public opinion. Education has re- 

 ceived less attention in Delaware than in some 

 other States, but the people are awaking to its 

 importance and adopting measures to promote 

 its interests. The State has a flourishing nor- 

 mal school, which is training competent teach- 

 ers, and disseminating sound views that will 

 result in great future good to the common- 

 wealth. The State makes an annual allowance 

 of fifty cents for each scholar attending school 

 in Kent and Sussex Counties, and twenty cents 

 for each scholar in New Castle County. Agri- 

 culture is the prominent interest of the State, 

 and, owing to the proximity of the best markets, 

 fruit-growing has received general attention. 

 There are 1,217,927 acres of farming land in 

 the State, of which the assessed valuation is 

 $29,591,198. The amount of railroad freight 

 paid for the transportation of peaches, during 

 the season, amounted to $45,000. In addition, 

 immense quantities were sent by boats, of which 

 no account has been kept. The climate is so 

 well adapted to growing this fruit that its cul- 

 tivation is rapidly extending, and it promises 

 soon to be the most important interest of the 

 State. Agricultural societies encourage a spirit 

 of enterprise, and the annual fairs exhibit the 

 products of industry, and diffuse among farmers 

 a knowledge of the best methods of cultiva- 

 tion, and improvements in stock and imple- 

 ments. Wilmington, the most important town 

 in the State, is rapidly growing in size and im- 

 portance. Its population is about 30,000. 

 During the year there were erected in the city 

 278 houses, 14 manufacturing establishments, 

 and 3 churches, at an estimated cost of $969,- 

 000. The cost of maintaining the schools of 

 the city M'as $21,000. The right of suffrage in 

 this State is not allowed to persons of color. 

 The number of this class thus excluded is about 

 3,500. Active efforts have been made, to se- 

 cure equal rights to all, and a convention was 

 held at Wilmington, on the 4th of September, 

 for the purpose of promoting this object. Sun- 

 dry resolutions were passed, of which the fol- 

 lowing are the most important : 



Resolved,, That the theory of our government, the 

 claims of impartial justice, the equal rights of citi- 

 zens, and the loyalty and faithful services of the 

 colored people, demand that the right of suffrage be 

 extended to them in common with all other loyal 

 citizens; and we respectfully petition Congress to 

 confer and secure the right at the earliest possible 

 period by such legislation as it may deem right and 

 appropriate. 



Resolved, That in the Stat j of Delaware there does 

 not exist a republican form of government, because 

 of the exclusion of a large number of her colored 

 citizens from participation in the enjoyment and ex- 

 ercise of political rights, and because of the gross in- 

 equality of representation in the Legislature, where- 

 by less than one-half of the citizens wield the power 

 of the State. We hereby call upon Congress to as- 

 sure to us the guarantees of the Constitution of the 

 United States in every particular. 



