of the United States and Territories of North America . 73 
the United States and territories may be properly separated in- 
to two great divisions , — the decrements being confined to the 
Northern and Middle States , and the increments to the South- 
ern States , and territorial governments. In 1820, the slaves in 
the former States amounted to 22,697, and the free white popu- 
lation to 5,138,303; so that for every slave there were 226 free 
persons. But in the same year, the slaves in the Southern States 
and territorial governments amounted to 1,508,747 persons, 
and the free white population to 2,955,987, scarcely affording 
for every slave two free pei'sons. The philanthropist can 
scarcely contemplate a more melancholy contrast than this. 
It would be uncandid perhaps to say, that, in contrasting the 
Northern and Middle States with the southern provinces and ter- 
ritorial governments, that the degrees in which humanity, and 
the graces of Christian charity, prevail, bear any proper relation 
to the striking results which this comparison affords ; — still, it 
exhibits a humiliating picture of the latter provinces, when we 
contemplate, that, out of every three persons, in their vast popula- 
tion, one of them is a slave ; and this in a country also, which, 
as far as its white population is concerned, has good reason to 
boast of its liberty, and of all the substantial blessings which arise 
from the utmost limits of religious and political freedom. In 
some of these States, indeed, as the succeeding table will more 
particularly display, the slaves will be found to bear a still 
higher relation to the white population than that above alluded 
to. In Virginia, in South Carolina, in Georgia, and in Missi- 
sippi, among every twelve persons seven of them will be slaves ; 
and yet the soil of these provinces affords an easier support to 
their inhabitants, than the stubborn lands of Pennsylvania. In 
the latter state, the ground requires deep and repeated plough- 
ing to render it fruitful ; but in the former provinces, merely 
“ scratching ” it once or twice affords tolerable crops *. 
It would be interesting, also, if we possessed the requisite 
materials, to attempt a moral estimate of the habits and charac- 
ters of the inhabitants of these two s great divisions of the American 
States. That there is room for supposing some difference to 
exist, may be inferred from a remark made by Dr Rush, in the 
* See account of the progress of population, agriculture, manners, and govern- 
ment, in Pennsylvania, by Benjamin Rush, M.D., vol.iii. p. 183, of the Manches- 
ter Transactions. 
