Letters from the Slave States

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1857 edition. Excerpt: ...labour for the money as a hired class of superior workers, it is possible that she may lay aside the cowhide, and offer wages to her niggers. The chances of the continuous prosperity of sugar-planting seem poor indeed. Resting on artificial props, it has to fear social and political disturbance as well as natural calamities. The progress of Free Trade notions may destroy it. So would the annexation of Cuba, the duties being equalized; for those planters only who could transfer thither their slaves could continue the production. Planting in Louisiana must at once cease. This is already seen by the more long-headed among the planters, although the senseless crowd halloo for Filibusterism as lustily as if its success were not their certain ruin. LETTER XV. Macon, Georgia, 7th February, 1857. The great difference between English and American civilization is the greater thoroughness of the former. This arises, I conceive, from the greater age of society with us, and the greater concentration of our energies. The civilization of the United States, on the contrary, has had but a brief duration, and is extended over a vast surface; hence, both in its industrial and intellectual aspect, it is essentially superficial. The distinctive characters of English and American civilization are represented, to a great extent, by the comparative density of population in the two nations. The density of population to the square mile was, in 1850, in the whole territory of the United States, 7.90; in Great Britain and Ireland, 325.91. In Great Britain, 18,720,394 persons are concentrated within 121,91a square miles of territory; whereas, in the Free States of the Union, 13,434,912 inhabitants ENGLISH THOROUGHNESS. 185 are at work on 612,597 square miles; while...