Mr. Calhoun On Slavery

The following statements and reason ings are e,xt meted, from a letter of Mr Calhoun to Mf. Packenham, the British Minister, April 18, 1844, in reference to Texas. Webelievc such a state paper it without ti precedent in the official correspondence of tliis government. One would think Ihat thcsole object of having a National Government, in Mr. Calhoun's view. was toprotect and propágate slavcry. AAer referring to the Free States who had eniancipated their slavfis, he continúes:"Xt belongs not to the Government to question whether the ibrmer have decided wisely or not; find if it did, the undersigned -would not regard this as the proper occasion, to discuss the subject. He does not, howcver. deern it irrelevant to state that, if the e.xperience of more than half a century is to decide, it would be neither humane nor wise ín them lo change their policy. The census and othcr autlientic documents show that, in nll instanees in which the States have changed theformer relation between the two races, the condition of the African, instead of being improved, has become worse. They have been invariably sunk into vice and paupcrism, accompanied by the bodily and mental inflictions incident thereto - doafness.blindness, insanitv, and idiocy.to adegree without cxample; vhile, in all other States which have retaincd the ancient relation between them, they have improved greatly in evei-y respect - in number, comfort, intelligênce, and moráis - as the following facts, taken from such sources, will serve to ilústrate:The number of deaf and dumb, blind, idiots, and insane, of the negroos in the States that have cbanged the ancient relation between the races, is one out of every nincty-six; while in the States adhering to it, it is one out of every six hundred and seventy-two- that is, se ven k one in favor of the Jatter, ás comparec with the forixier. The number of whites, deaf and dumb. blind, idiots, and insane, in the States that have changed the relation, is one in every five hundred. and si.ty-one; beipg nearly six to one against tiie free blacks in the same States. The number of negroes wlio nre deaf and dumb, blind, idiots, and insane, paupers, and in prison, in the States that have changed, is one out of every six; and in the States that have not, one out of ovcery one hundred and iifty-four; or twenty-tyo to one against the lbrmer, as.compared with the Jatter.Taking the íwo extremes of Nortb and South - in the State of Mainc, the number of negröês returned asdeaf anddumb, blind, insane, and idiofs, by the "census of 1840, is one of every tweivo; and in Florida j by the same returns, is one out of every eleven hundred and five; or ninety-two to one in favor of the slaves of Florida, as compared with the free blacks of JMaine.In addition, it descrves fo bc remarkcd, that in Massae hu.se tt.s, whore the chango in the ancienl relation of the two races was fïrst made, (now more than sixty years since,) where the g ren test zeal has been c.hi!)ited in their behalf, and wliere their number is comparatively few, (but littk) more than 8.000 in a population of 730,000) the condifion of the Airlcan is nmongst the most wretchcd. , By the lalest authentic accounts, tbere wasxjiiei out of every twenty-one of tlie black popuiation in jails or houses of correction; and one out of every thirlcen was eít'Hei' dêaf and dnmb, blind, idiot, insane, orin prison. On the öiher band, the census and other authentic sou-rees of inlbrmation establish the fíicf, .tha-t the condition of the A frican race throughout all the States, where the ancient relation between the two bas been retained, enjoys a degree of hcahh and comfort which may well compare with that of the laboring population ofany country in Christendom; and it may lic added, that ín no other condition or in any other age or country, has the negro race ere r attained so high an elevation in moráis, intelligénce, or civilization.lfsuch be the wretclied conditionof the race in thcir changedcondition, wlicre their.number is coinparatively few, and whcrc so rnuch interest is manifesten! for their improvcmenf, what would it be ín thosc States wheré tlie two roces are ncarly equal in numbers, and svlicre. in consequence, would nnccssarilv spring np mutual fear, joalous}' and halred. between them? It may, ín trntb be áasumed as. a niaxim, that two races diilering so grcatly, and in $o many respccts,.can not possibly exist togetlior in the sanie country wiiere thcir nmnbers are nenrlvequa], without one bcing subjcctcd to the other. Expcrience has proved that ihc existing rolation, in which the one. is siibjected to the other in the slaveholding States is consistent with the peace and safety of both; with great improvement. to the inferior; while the same experience proves that the relation which it is the desire and object of Great Britain to substituto in its stead, in this and al] other countries, under the [xlausible name of theabolitionof slavery (ifitdid notdestroy the inferior by conflicts,to which it would lead) would reduce it to the extremes of vice and wretchedness. In this view of the subject it may be asserted, that what is called slavery, is in reality a political institution, essential to the peace, safety, and prosperity of those States of the Union in which it exists. Without, then. controverting the wisdom and humanity of the policy of Great Britain, so far as her own possessions are concerned, it may be safely affirmed, without reference to the ineans by which it could bc eiTected, that, could she succeed in accomplishing in the United Statas, what she avows it to be her desire and the object of herstáftf exertions to effect throughout the world, so Par from being wise or humane, she would involve in thegreatestcnfcnnity the whole country, and especia]) y tho race wbi ch it is the avowed object of her exertions to benefit." The errors in the census on whïch Mr. Caihoun relies, have been refuted in lengthy articles in severa] papers, wliich tie have not thought worth wHile to copy. Cotnmon sense alone is suflkient to cxplode his theory. l)oes t]lc posse.ssion of liberty ever mnko men deaf and dumb? Does t put out their eyes. so as to make I hem blind'? Does it destroy their understandings so as to make them insane?:Does the possession of liberty by the parents cause their öifepring to be born idiots? Mr. Calhoun will have the honor of originating a ncwsystcm of Political Economy. The greater the freedom enoved by a people, tho more wrelched and ritiable in their conditicn. As an instance of the egregious errors of the census by which Mr. Callioun hns )een misled, we may mention that in Ihe nsane Asylum at Worcesler, Mass. are 1ÍV2 insane persons, all, or nearly all of vhom are white. And yet this one town s entercd as containing 132 colorad insane persons, and in nmny towns oojored nsane, blind, idiots, &c, nro entered where there are no colored persons whatever.