ISO 



F A Px Rf E R S ' REGISTER. 



[No. 3 



will be seriously chet-kod. But the previous slale- 

 ments show that there is really Moiliinjr to war- 

 rant, any sufli coiicluson. Hitherto, despite the 

 heavy la!l o(' prices, improvements have been pro- 

 secuted on the most stupendous scale; and the 

 litir^presutTiption is, speal\in<z;^enerally, tiiat, they 

 will continue to be prosecuted even tiiouuh prices 

 should iii'l slili lower. It is difficult to csiiraate 

 the influence that necessity and a desire to [:re- 

 serve one's place in society have in making' men 

 inventive and economical; or to specify the point 

 at which production v/iil be contracted by a low- 

 ering of prices. In 1823 and 1S24, when upland 

 or bowed GeorLna cotton brou<i'ht in Liverpool 

 fi'om 6 l-4d. to 10 l-2d. per ib., many of the n)ost 

 inleHigent persons, both in this country and in 

 America, were, firmly of oj)inion that the price 

 would not indemnily the planter, and that the pro- 

 ductiun of cotton would certainly decline. This 

 notion was, in lac.t, at the bottom of the great cot- 

 ton speculation in 1825. Experience has since 

 shown the utter groundlessness of the opinion; 

 or though tlie price of cotton has not risen, ex- 

 cept now and then, for a short time, during the in- 

 terval, the exports of cotton wool Irom the United 

 States, which, in 1824, amounted to 142,369,663 

 lb?,, had increased in 1834 to 334,717,907 lbs., e>'- 

 clusive of a greatly increased quantity used at 



Of course we do not mean to say that the prices 

 may not fill so low as to check improvement; but 

 certainly there is no evitlence to show that they 

 have already touched that poin', or even come very 

 near it. It should also be recollected, that, not- 

 vyilhstandino; all that has l>een dime, there is still 

 a vast field lor agricultural improvement in Bri- 

 tain. ^Ve showed in a former article (No. 120, 

 Art. 6,) that it was the opinion of jjractical men 

 of the highest respectability, and intimately ac- 

 quainted with the state of agriculture, that the 

 raw produce of the island might be well nigh 

 doubled without any greater proportional expense 

 being incurred in its production. And any one 

 who has ever travelled through the country, or 

 has compared the state of the Lothians, Northum- 

 berland, Lincoln, Norfolk, and other Avell-iarmed 

 counties, with very extensive districts in the south 

 pnd west of England, and with Wales, will be 

 patisfied that the above is any thing but an exag- 

 gerated statement. It is singular indeed how very 

 backward many districts are, as compared with 

 others. In numerous counties, four and five 

 horses and two men are still employed to do that 

 which is better done in others by two horses and 

 one man; and in many parts the drill husbandry 

 can hardly be said to be introduced. This shows 

 that we are possessed of vast capacities not yet 

 brought into activity, and that the career of im- 

 provement may be continued fo. an almost indofi- 

 pite [jeriod. 



PI.AVERY IN VIRGINIA. 



Extract from Slavery in the Uaited States — by J. K. 

 Paulding: boins; ;i letter to the author from a 

 fanner of lower Viri^inia. 



Dear Sir — As regards the first 



query, which 



relates to "the rights and duties of the "slave," I 

 do not know liow extensive a view of this branch 



of the subject is contemplated. In its simplest as- 

 pect, as understood and acted on in Virginia, I 

 should say that the slave is entitled to an aliun- 

 dance of good plain Ibod; to coarse but comlbrta- 

 bie apparel; to a warm but humble dwelling; to 

 protection v.hen well, and to succor when sick; 

 and, in return, that it i.s his duty to render to his 

 master all the service he can, consistently with 

 perfect health, and to behave submissively and 

 honestly. Other reuuuks suiigest themselves, but 

 ihey will be more ajspropriately introduced under 

 different heads. 



2d. "The domestic relations of master and 

 slave." These relations are much misunderstood 

 by many persons to the north, who regard the 

 terms as synonymous with oppressor and oppress- 

 ed. Nothing can be farther tiom the fact. The 

 condition of the negroes in this state has been 

 irreatly ameliorated. The proprietors were for- 

 merly fewer iind richer than at present. Distaiit 

 quarters were often kept up to support the arislo-: 

 cratic mansion. They were rarely visited by 

 their owners; and heartless overseers, frequently 

 changed, were employed to manage them for a 

 share of the crop. These men scourged the land, 

 and sometimes the slaves. Their tenure was but 

 for a year, and of course they made the most of 

 their brief authority. Owing to the influence of 

 our institutions, property has become subdivided, 

 and most persons live on, or near their estates. 

 There are exceptions, to be sure, and particularly 

 among wealthy gentlemen in the towns: but these 

 last are almost all enlightened and humane, and 

 alike liberal to the soil, and to the slave who cul- 

 tivates it. I could point out some noble instances 

 of patriotic and spirited improvement among 

 them. But to return to the resident proprietors: 

 most of them have been raised on the estates; 

 fi'om the older negroes they have received in in- 

 fancy numberless acts of kindness; the younger 

 ones have not unfrequently been their plaVmates, 

 (not the most suitable, I admit,) and much good- 

 will is thus generated on both sides. In addition 

 to this, most men feel attached to their property; 

 and this attachment is stronger in the case of per- 

 sons than of things. I know it and feel it. It is 

 true, there are harsh masters; but there are ako 

 bad husbands and bad fathers. They are all ex- 

 ceptions to the rule, not the rule itself. Shall we 

 therefore condemn in the gross those relations, 

 and the rights and authority they imply, from their 

 occasional abuse? I could mention many in- 

 stances of strong attachment on the part of the 

 slave, but will only adduce one or two, of which I 

 have been the object. It became a question whether 

 a faithful servant, bred up with me from boyhood, 

 should give up his master,or his wife and children, 

 to whom he was afi(?ctionately attached, and most 

 attentive and kind. The trial was a severe one, 

 but he determined to break those tender tics and 

 remain with me. I left it entirely to his discretion, 

 though I would not, from considerations of inter- 

 est, have taken for him quadruple the price I 

 should probably have obtained. " Fortunately, in 

 the sequel, I was enabled to purchase his ihmWy, 

 with the exeepiion of a danohier, happily situ- 

 ated; and nothinjj- but death shall hencelbiih part 

 them. Were it put to the test, I am convinced 

 that many masters would receive this striking 

 proof of devotion. A gentleman but a day or 

 two since informed me of a similar and even 



