stroyed; their hogs, sheep, and fowls killed and carried off by the Indians. The sword without, famine and sickness within, soon made among them surprising destruction. Within the term of six months, of their whole number, sixty only survived. These were the most poor, famishing wretches, subsisting chiefly on herbs, acorns, and berries. Such was the famine, that they fed on the skins of their dead horses; nay, they boiled and ate the flesh of the dead. Indeed they were reduced to such extremity, that had they not been relieved, the whole colony in eight or ten days would have been extinct. Such are the dire effects of idleness, faction, and want of proper subordina. tion."-Holmes' American Annals, vol. i. p. 60.

This hideous state of things took place in 1610; and the first attempt at settlement was in 1585.

All the difficulties and calamities that have attended the colony of Liberia, during the twelve years of its existence, are not a tithe of the disasters that took place in Virginia in six months.

North Carolina was settled in 1668; and in 1694, the list of taxables, according to Williamson's History, vol. i. p. 144, did not exceed 787, being little more than half the number that were there in 1677, seventeen years before. "Such," says this writer, 66 were the baneful effects of rapine, anarchy, and idleness."

It is highly satisfactory to find that the system of colonization has a host of powerful and influential advocates in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.* But the opposition to it is almost universal in South Carolina and Georgia; which States, from circumstances to be hereafter explained, are most interested in its success. It is the only measure by which the mass of evils attendant on slavery can be mitigated-for miti

The State of Virginia, so early as the year 1816, passed a resolution directing the executive "to correspond with the President of the United States, for the purpose of obtaining a territory upon the coast of Africa, or at some other place not within any of the states or territorial governments of the United States, to serve as an asylum for such persons of colour as are now free, and may desire the same, and for those who may hereafter be emanci. pated within this commonwealth." This resolution probably gave rise to the formation of the Colonization society, of which, therefore, the great State of Virginia may fairly claim the title of legitimate parent. The legislature of Maryland, on the 8th of March, 1827, passed a resolution appropriating one thousand dollars a year, for ten years, in aid of the funds of the Society. The sum is small-and is only mentioned as an indication of the sense of that respectable State on this important subject. Throughout the State of North Carolina, the most friendly feelings exist towards the scheme--and numbers of citizens have emancipated their slaves on condition of their being conveyed to Liberia. Some have not only emancipated them, but have made provision for the payment of their passage.

gation is all that can be hoped for in such an extensive and inveterate evil. And many of those who are aware of the magnitude of the disorder, and shudder at its contemplation, are discouraged from making any efforts to apply a remedy, in consequence of regarding it as incurable. To both those classes these pages are particularly addressed.

That slavery is a curse, and a grievous curse, to the States where it generally prevails, is readily admitted by all who have considered the subject, uninfluenced by prejudice. That a large portion of the distress prevailing in Virginia and North Carolina, if not in the other Southern States, arises from that source, is too palpable to escape the observation of the most superficial. While southern produce commanded ready markets and high prices, slave labour, employed in agriculture, though not as productive as the labour of freemen, was still profitable. But at the present prices of flour, corn, tobacco, &c., the labour of slaves is, in general, not much more than equal to their maintenance.

Philadelphia, September 1, 1829.

No. II.

A consideration on which I touch with diffidence, but which ought never to be lost sight of, in the discussion of this question, is, the danger of an explosion such as took place in St. Domingo. Although the vigilance employed in the Southern States has hitherto, and may for a long time to come, avert this calamity; yet vigilance is oftentimes relaxed, and in a moment of relaxation, a favourable opportunity of trying to shake off the yoke, may arrive—a convulsion take place—and, though the attempt would probably be suppressed, the country be devastated in the struggle.

In this discussion, our southern fellow citizens ought, likewise, seriously to consider the great disparity of the increase of the two races in their section of the union-a momentous fact, pregnant with alarming consequences, likely to explode sooner or later. The following statement exhibits the free and slave population of the five original southern slave States at two periods, 1790 and 1820.

From the preceding table it appears that while the white population of those five states in thirty years increased but 57 per cent., the slaves increased 81! In North Carolina, the whites increased but 48 per cent.-the slaves above 100-In South Carolina, the former 80-the latter, nearly 150-In Georgia, the whites 260-the slaves above 400.

The next census will, in all probability, exhibit a still more striking contrast.

That the increase of the free population in a slave state, is checked by the curse of slavery, is beyond a doubt. We have seen that the white population in the five original slave States increased in thirty years only 57 per cent. Whereas the whites in the middle and eastern States increased in the same space of time 112 per cent., notwithstanding the thousands, and tens of thousands that migrated annually to the western country-viz. In the middle and eastern States, in 1790, there were 1,947,073 souls-In 1820, 4,309,946.

The increase of the whites in the States of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, was 180 per cent.-viz. In 1790, 954,508 souls-In 1820, 2,662,529.

The increase of population, white and coloured, in the five original slave States, was only 65 per cent.-viz.

In 1790, 1,783,710 souls-In 1820, 2,956,275.

Whereas in the other ten States, the increase was 120 per cent.-viz.

In 1790, 2,027,248 souls-In 1820, 4,432,468.

These facts ought to arouse the citizens of the southern States to a sense of the necessity of affording a cordial cooperation in the Colonization scheme, as they regard not merely their own welfare, but the interests, welfare, and safety of their children.

A calculation in Mr. Darby's Geography bears strongly on

this subject. According to the past increase of the coloured population, he states that there will be of that race,—

In forty years, therefore, unless an efficient remedy is applied, we shall have in one portion of our country, above ten millions of a degraded caste, cut off from all connexion or commingling with their masters, whom, by that time they will greatly outnumber; probably from 30 to 50 per cent. at the relative ratio of increase from 1790 to 1820. This presents a most fearful prospect, on which I forbear to dwell. Who can reflect on this probable state of things without horror, and without lamenting over the infatuation which leads our southern fellow citizens not only not to strain every nerve in aid of the Colonization scheme, but strenuously to endeavour to prevent its success!

An expenditure of $1,000,000, per annum, as we have seen, would prevent any increase of the coloured population, which in 1870 would then, instead of 10,669,236, be only about 2,000,000: whereas the whites would be 36,000,000. Would not such a result be cheaply purchased by tenfold the sum? HAMILTON.

Philadelphia, September 4, 1829.

P.S. Since the preceding calculations were made, and just as I was preparing to put the essay to press, the writer of an elaborate dissertation on this subject, which appeared in the American Quarterly Review, vol. i. p. 329, referred me to it; and on examination I find he objects to a comparison between the coloured population of 1790, and that of 1820, on the ground that the importation of slaves into the southern states, was not

* I have strong doubts of the correctness of this table. The increase appears to be greatly overrated. According to the past ratio of increase, the number in 1870, is not likely to exceed 5,500,000. The two estimates are submitted to the public, and let them pass for what they are worth. The smaller number is sufficiently alarming. Mr. Darby assumes the coloured population in 1820, at 2,102,809, whereas according to the census there were but 1,771,658.

"Non nostrum tantas componere lites."

discontinued till 1808-of consequence that the importations unduly swelled the numbers; and that the aggregate thus formed afforded no criterion of the regular increase. The calculations were also materially affected, as he states, by the separation of Kentucky and Tennessee from Virginia and North Carolina. Unwilling to deceive myself, or to be instrumental in deceiving the public, I resolved to obviate these objections by comparisons of 1800 and 1810 with 1820-the two new states "having been formed previous to the first date, and importation having ceased previous to the second. I now submit the results.

The white population in the five original slave states in 1800, was 1,377,152 In 1820, as before stated

1,748,751

It is to be observed that the exportation of slaves from three of those five states to the southward and westward, during this period, was carried on to an enormous extent.

I now present a statement of the increase in South Carolina and Georgia, between 1800 and 1810, and between 1810 and

1820.

The slaves in South Carolina and Georgia, in 1800, were

205,850