population, if it
is to be carried on at all. The question, therefore, to be considered
is, whether these states are to be inhabited and cultivated by a free or
a slave negro population. It must be remembered, that not one-twentieth
part of the land in the southern states is under cultivation; every
year, as the slates are brought in from the east, the number of acres
taken into cultivation increases. Not double or triple the number of
the slaves at present in America would be sufficient for the cultivation
of the whole of these vast territories. Every year the cotton crops
increase, and at the same time the price of cotton has not materially
lowered; as an everywhere increasing population takes off the whole
supply, this will probably continue to be the case for many years, since
it must be remembered, that, independently of the increasing population
increasing the demand, cotton, from its comparative cheapness,
continually usurps the place of some other raw material; this, of
course, adds to the consumption. In various manufactures, cotton has
already taken the place of linen and fur; but there must eventually be a
limit to consumption: and this is certain, that as soon as the supply is
so great as to exceed the demand, the price will be lowered by the
competition; and, as soon as the price is by competition so lowered as
to render the cost and keeping of the slave greater than the income
returned by his labour, then, and not till then, is there any chance of
slavery being abolished in the western states of America. See Note 4.

The probability of this consummation being brought about sooner is in
the expectation that the Brazils, Mexico, and particularly the
independent State of Texas, will in a few years produce a crop of cotton
which may considerably lower its price. At present, the United States
grow nearly, if not more, than half of the cotton produced in the whole
world, as the return down to 1831 will substantiate.

Cotton grown all over the world in the years 1821 and 1831; showing the
increase in each country in ten years.

+=========================+===========+===========+
Y Y1821 lbs. Y1831 lbs. Y
+-------------------------+-----------+-----------+
YUnited States Y180,000,000Y385,000,000Y
+-------------------------+-----------+-----------+
YBrazil Y 32,000,000Y 38,000,000Y
+-------------------------+-----------+-----------+
YWest Indies