an earnest patriotism worthy of all
honor. But I have grave doubts of the adequacy of this solution to meet
the momentous exigencies of the present crisis. At least, I feel no
necessity of resting the whole cause upon it, when there is another
solution at hand, which certainly is adequate, furnished by the very
laws of nature which the Creator has established, and so certain in its
operation, that we have only to strike the fetters from the limbs of the
poor slave, and recognize his manhood, and God will take care of the
rest, and protect our country from the evils we have so much dreaded.

That solution is found in a great law of population. It is necessary,
therefore, that I should state this law, and prove its reality, and its
adequacy to meet all the necessities of the case in hand.

Whenever two peoples, one of which is little removed from barbarism, and
the other having the full strength of a mature civilization, are placed
in juxtaposition with each other, on terms of free labor and free
competition, the stronger will always either amalgamate itself with the
weaker, or extinguish it. In the former case, civilization undergoes an
eclipse, almost an extinction. The homogeneous people resulting from
such a union, occupies a position in the scale of civilization much
nearer to that of their barbarous than that of their civilized parents.
Numerous and conclusive examples of this have occurred in the progress
of the French, Spanish, and Portuguese colonies in proximity to the
various native tribes of this continent. They have generally amalgamated
freely with their savage neighbors; and a deep eclipse of civilization
has in every instance resulted. When that eclipse is to end, we have not
the foresight to determine.

The English colonies, on the other hand, in all parts of the world, have
steadily refused to enter into any marriage relations with their
barbarous neighbors, or to recognize as belonging to their community any
half-breeds springing from licentious and illicit connection with them.
Here, too, the results are almost entirely uniform. The extinction of
such barbarous tribes brought within the sphere of their competition has
been rapid and almost if not absolutely invariable; while the English
colonies themselves have preserved the civilization of the parent stock
in almost undiminished vigor.

A mere general view of the history of European colonization in barbarous
regions of the earth, does therefore af