The Continental Monthly, Vol. III, No. V, May, 1863: Devoted to Literature and National PolicyVarious
History
The Continental Monthly, Vol. III, No. V, May, 1863: Devoted to Literature and National Policy
Various
Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; United States -- Politics and government -- 19th century -- Periodicals
Nor are the apprehensions of those who dread the rapid increase of the
negro, at all sustained by facts. That fear of a coming internecine war
of races, in case the colored man is emancipated, which haunts some
minds, has no foundation except in ignorance of the real facts. In no
portion of our history has our colored population ever increased with a
rapidity nearly so great as the white population. From 1790 to 1860 the
colored population increased in the ratio of 1 to 5.86; and the white
population in the ratio of 1 to 8.50. If we compare them for any shorter
period, we shall always find that the white population increased the
more rapidly of the two. From 1790 to 1808, we might perhaps expect to
find it otherwise; for during that period the slave trade was in full
activity, and tens of thousands of Africans were imported as articles of
merchandise. But from 1790 to 1810, while the colored population
increased in the ratio of 1 to 1.81, the white population increased in
the ratio of 1 to 1.84, although during that period the white population
of the country was very little increased by immigration. How it has
happened that this point, which our tables of population make so
entirely plain, has been so much misapprehended, and why the prevailing
notions respecting it are so erroneous, is not easy to explain. The
above estimate also reckons all half breeds as belonging to the colored
population. (See De Bow's 'Compendium of the United States Census of
1850,' Tables 18, 42, and 71.)
But this is not all. A careful examination of Tables 42 and 71 of the
volume above referred to, will show that the increase of the colored
race in freedom is certainly not half so great as in slavery. Indeed
there is great reason to doubt whether our colored population has ever
increased at all, except in slavery. From 1790 to 1800 the free colored
population almost doubled, evidently by the emancipation of slaves; for
during that period the slave population of Connecticut, Delaware, New
Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont was greatly
diminished, while that of New Jersey and Maryland was very little
increased. In the last mentioned the increase of her slave population
was only 21/2 per cent. in ten years, while the increase of her free
colored population was 1431/2 per cent. in the same period. These
figures leave no room for doubt that the rapid increase of the free
colored population in all that decade was caused by the fact that the
great mass of the people were honestly opposed to slavery, and therefore
the work of emancipation went on with rapidity.
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