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sons a lready assigned. It is more capable, more diligent, more f aithful, a nd, i n every respect, worthy of more confidence. In the l irsi s ettlement of some c ountries, or communities, capital may be unable to command the free labor which it wants, and it may therefore purchase that of slaves. Such was and yet is the condition o f many parts of the U . States. B u t there are others, and they a re annually increasing in extent, in which the labour of freemen c an be commanded at a rate quite as c heap as that of slaves, i n S tates which tolerate slavery. A lthough i n particular States, or parts of States, the increase o f the A f r i c a n p ortion of population would seem to be greater than t hat o f the European stock, this fact is believed to be susceptible o f an explanation, from the operation of c auses o f emigration, w hich w ould not assign to it greater prolific powers. O n the contrary, a l l the enumerations of the p eople o f the U . States sustain c learly the position that, contrasting the whole European race t hroughout the U nion w ith the whole of the A f r i c a n r ace, bond a nd f ree, also throughout the U n i o n , the former m ultiplies f aster than t he latter. A s time elapses, our numbers w i l l a ugment, our deserts b ecome p eopled, and our country w i l l b ecome a s densely p opulated as its a gricultural, m anufacturing and commercial faculties w i l l a dmit. In pro]K>rtion to the density of p opulation a re the supply a nd the w ages o f l abor. T h e demand for labor also increases w ith t he augmentation of numbers, though probably not in the same proportion. A ssuming our present population at twelve m illions, w hen it s hall be increased, as in about t hirty y ears it w i l l b e, to t w e n t j four m illions, we s hall h ave double the amount of available labour t hat we can command at present. A n d there w i l l c onsequently be a g reat though probably not proportionate reduction in the w ages o f l abour. A s the supply of laborers increases, a competition w i l l a rise b etween, not only individuals, but classes for employment. The s uperior qualities which have been attributed to free labor w i l l e nsure for that the preference, wherever the alternative is presented o f engaging free or slave labor, at an equal price. T h i s competition a nd the preference for white labor are believed to be already d iscernable in parts of M a r y l a n d , V i r g i n i a a nd K e n t u c k y , and p robably existed in Pennsylvania and other States north of M a r y land, p rior to the disappearance of slaves from among them. T h e i narch o f the ascendancy of free labor over slave w i l l p roceed f rom t he N orth to the South, gradually entering first the States nearest t o the free region. Its progress would be more r apid, i f it were not i mpeded by. the c heck r esulting from the repugnance of the white m an to work among slaves or where slavery is tolerated. I n p roportion to the multiplication of the descendants of the E u ropean stock, and the c onsequent d iminution of the value of s lave labour, by the general diminution of wages, w i l l t here be an abatement i n the f orce o f motives to rear slaves. T h e master w i l l not find a n adequate indemnity in the price of the adult for the charges of m aintaining a nd bringing up the offspring. H i s c are and attention w i l l r e l a x ; and he w i l l be indifferent about i n -