1850, that New York, compared
with Virginia, had nearly ten times as many pupils at schools, colleges,
and academies, twenty times as many books in libraries, and largely more
than seven times the value of churches; while the ratio of native white
adults who cannot read or write was more than 10 to 1 in Virginia,
compared with New York. We have seen, also, that in North Carolina
nearly one third of the native white adults, and in Virginia nearly one
fifth, cannot read or write, and in New England 1 in every 400, in New
York 1 in every 131, in the South and Southwest 1 in every 42 of the
native white adults. (Comp. p. 153.)

My next comparison will be that of two great new Western
States--Illinois, a Free State, and Missouri, slaveholding.

The comparison is just, for while Missouri has increased since 1810 in
wealth and population, much more rapidly than any of the Slave States,
there are several Free States whose relative advance has exceeded that
of Illinois. The rapid growth of Missouri is owing to her immense area,
her fertile soil, her mighty rivers (the Mississippi and Missouri), her
central and commanding position, and to the fact that she has so small a
number of slaves to the square mile, as well as to the free population.

The population of Illinois, in 1810, was 12,282, and in 1860, 1,711,951;
the ratio of increase from 1810 to 1860 being 13,838.70. (Table 1, Cens.
1860.) The population of Missouri in 1810, was 20,845, and in 1860,
1,182,012; the ratio of increase from 1810 to 1860 being 5,570.48. (Ib.)
The rank of Missouri in 1810 was 22, and of Illinois 23. The rank of
Missouri in 1860 was 8, and of Illinois, 4.

AREA.--The area of Missouri is 67,380 square miles, being the
4th in rank, as to area, of all the States. The area of Illinois is
55,405 square miles, ranking the 10th. Missouri, then, has 11,875 more
square miles than Illinois. This excess is greater by 749 square miles
than the aggregate area of Massachusetts, Delaware, and Rhode Island,
containing in 1860 a population of 1,517,902. The population of Missouri
per square mile in 1810 exceeded that of Illinois .08; but, in 1860, the
population of Missouri per square mile was 17.54, ranking the 22d, and
that of Illinois, 30.90, ranking the 13th. Illinois, with her ratio to
the square mile and the area of Missouri, would have had in 1860 a
population of 2,082,042; and Missouri, with her ratio and the area of
Illinois, would have had in 1860 a popu