Census of 1820Census of 1830Increase from
1820 to 1830.
Rate per Cent.
of Slave
Increase.
Rate per Cent.
of the
Whites.
Connecticut,9723
Rhode Island,4814
New York,10,08846
New Jersey,7,5572,246
Pennsylvania,211386175
Delaware,4,5093,305
Maryland,107,398102,878
Virginia,425,153469,72444,57110½15
North Carolina,205,017246,46241,4452010½
South Carolina,251,783315,66863,88225
Georgia,149,656217,40767,7614556½
Alabama,41,879117,49475,618180122½
Mississippi,32,81465,65932,84510067⅓
Louisiana,69,064109,63140,56758⅔21¾
Tennessee,80,107142,37962,2727758⅓
Kentucky,126,732165,35028,61830½19⅓
Indiana,190
Illinois,917746
Missouri,10,23224,98614,754144104½
Arkansas,1,6164,5782,962270⅔104½
Michigan,27
Florida,15,500
D. Columbia,6,377
Amount,1,531,4362,010,562479,136

The above table was compiled from Niles’ Register for January 26th, 1822, page 345, and for October 29th, 1831, page 176. The blanks in the fourth column show that instead of an increase, there was an actual diminution of slaves during the ten years comprised in the table. The diminution in Maryland was 4,520, and in the District of Columbia 313. In some others they have nearly disappeared. It appears however from the table, that in the Southern States, particularly those south of Virginia, there has been an astonishing increase of slaves. In some of the States it has surpassed the increase of the whites by forty, fifty, and even an hundred and fifty per cent. In Arkansas the increase of the slave population has surpassed the white by 166 per cent.

The following table shows the relative strength of the white and black population in the slave holding states, at the close of each successive 10 years, to the end of the present century, supposing the rate of increase to continue as it has been during the last ten. The table is taken from calculations made during the year by the Hon. Daniel Mayes, of Kentucky.

1840,Whites,4,523,248Blacks,3,041,456
1850,5,789,7374,136,380
1860,7,131,8636,625,476
1870,9,129,7709,010,647
1880,11,696,11012,434,451
1890,14,967,42016,910,853
1900,18,158,29722,898,700

From the above table it appears that in 1900, should nothing take place to diminish the increase of blacks in the slave-holding states, they will exceed the whites by 4,741,166—being an amount greater than the population of all the United States under Washington’s administration.

II. Civil Disabilities of the Slaves.

The following statements have been taken principally from Stroud’s Sketch of the Laws relative to slavery in the United States. They may be regarded as corollaries from the general law concerning the slaves, and also as matters of express legislation.

1. Slaves have no legal rights of property in things real or personal; but whatever they may acquire, belongs in point of law to their masters. (The bearing of this on the purchase of freedom is obvious.)

2. The slave, being a personal chattel, is at all times liable to be sold absolutely, or mortgaged or leased at the will of his master.

3. He may also be sold by process of law, for the satisfaction of the debts of a living, or the bequests of a deceased master, at the suit of creditors or legatees.