The Slave Power: Its Character, Career, and Probable Designs: Being an Attempt to Explain the Real Issues Involved in the American Contest

by Cairnes, John Elliott; Sproat, John G.; Smith, Mark M.

• ISBN13: 9781570035227
• ISBN10: 1570035229
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-12-01
• Publisher: Univ of South Carolina Pr

Author Biography

John E. Cairnes (1823-1875) held the Whately professorship of political economy at the University of Dublin before being named professor of political economy and jurisprudence at Queen's College in Galway in 1859. In 1866 Cairnes became professor of political economy at University College, London.

Table of Contents

Series Editor's Preface	xv
Introduction	xvii
Preface to the Second Edition	lxi
Preface to the First Edition	lxxxvii
Introductory.---The Case Stated
Causes of the War	2	(1)
The popular view	3	(2)
Its superficiality	5	(1)
Slavery the central problem of American history	6	(4)
The commercial theory	10	(5)
The claim of independence: how to be estimated	15	(2)
Real cause of secession	17	(2)
True origin of the war obscured by its proximate occasion	19	(4)
War the only arbitrament	23	(1)
Views of the North
The Unionist sentiment	24	(2)
The Anti-Slavery sentiment	26	(2)
Rapid growth of the Anti-Slavery sentiment	28	(1)
Present aspect of the question	29	(4)
The Economic Basis of Slavery
Different fortunes of slavery in the North and South	33	(10)
Various explanations of the phenomenon: Theory of diversity of character in the original founders	33	(2)
Theory of climate and race	35	(2)
The explanation of climate inadequate	37	(2)
Alleged indolence of the negro groundless	39	(4)
True solution of the problem---Economic	43	(1)
Merits and defects of slave labour	44	(3)
Merits and defects of free labour	47	(1)
Comparative efficiency of slave and free labour	48	(2)
Agricultural capabilities of North and South	50	(1)
Slave and free products	51	(1)
Further conditions essential to the success of slave labour	52	(4)
Fertility of the soil	53	(1)
Extent of territory	54	(2)
Exhausting effects of slave culture	56	(6)
In the Southern States	56	(3)
In Brazil	59	(1)
In the West Indies	60	(2)
General conclusion	62	(3)
Internal Organization of Slave Societies
Economic success of slavery, in what sense conceded	65	(4)
Structure of a slave society moulded by its economic conditions	69	(1)
Manufactures and commerce excluded	70	(3)
Agriculture---the sole career for slavery	73	(1)
Exigencies of slave agriculture	74	(1)
Results
Magnitude of plantations	75	(1)
Indebtedness of planters	75	(1)
Unequal distribution of wealth	76	(1)
Waste lands in slave countries	77	(4)
Social consequences	81	(1)
The ``mean whites''	82	(2)
Free industry in new countries compared with slave industry	84	(4)
Industrial development of slave states prematurely arrested	88	(6)
Net results of slave industry	94	(1)
Constitution of a slave society	95	(1)
Its oligarchical character	96	(2)
Baneful influence of the slave oligarchy falsely charged on democracy	98	(2)
Each principle to be tested by its proper fruits	100	(2)
The true delinquent	102	(1)
Character of the Slave Power	103	(1)
Tendencies of Slave Societies
In what direction are slave societies moving?	104	(2)
Importance of the question	106	(2)
Presumption in favour of modern slavery derived from the experience of ancient	108	(2)
Three circumstances connected with modern slavery destroy the force of the analogy
Difference of race and colour	110	(1)
Its effects	111	(1)
Growth of modern commerce	112	(2)
Its effects
In enhancing the value of crude labour, and thus augmenting the resources of slavery	114	(2)
In superseding the necessity of education, and thus perpetuating servitude	116	(2)
Modern slavery extends its despotism to the mind	118	(1)
The slave-trade	119	(2)
Its twofold functions in the modern system	121	(1)
In relation to the consuming countries	122	(2)
In relation to the breeding countries	124	(2)
Division of labour between the old and new states	126	(1)
Slave breeding in the Border states	127	(3)
Effects of the domestic slave trade on the census	130	(5)
Probable extent of the domestic slave trade	135	(2)
The slave trade securely founded in the principles of population	137	(2)
Analogy of emigrating countries	139	(1)
Analogy of cattle breeding	139	(1)
Internal Development of Slave Societies
Outline of the economy of slave societies	140	(3)
They include no element of progress	143	(4)
The poor whites
Growth of regular industry a moral impossibility	147	(1)
Consequences of the absence of regular industry	148	(1)
Extreme sparseness of population	149	(3)
Incompatibility of this with civilized progress	152	(4)
The slaves and their masters
Prospects of emancipation in the natural course of internal development	156	(1)
Inherent difficulty of the problem	156	(1)
Modern precedents inapplicable	157	(1)
Economic causes not to be relied on	158	(4)
Political and social motives the real strength of American slavery	162	(3)
Further support to slavery in the ethics and theology of the South	165	(1)
Growth of the pro-slavery sentiment	166	(4)
Its absorbing strength	167	(2)
Its universality	169	(1)
Moral aspects of slavery	170	(4)
Hopelessness of the slave's position	174	(2)
Social cost of the system	176	(1)
Terrorism	177	(3)
External Policy of Slave Societies
Its aggressive character	180	(1)
Twofold source of the aggressive spirit
The industrial	180	(4)
The moral	184	(1)
Tendency of slave society to foster ambition	185	(2)
Narrow scope for its indulgence	187	(1)
The extension of slavery---its sole resource	188	(1)
Concentration of aim promoted by antagonism	189	(2)
Position of the South in the Union, naturally inferior to that of the North	191	(4)
Compensating forces
The three-fifths vote	195	(1)
Superior capacity in the South for combined action	196	(2)
Democratic alliance---its basis	198	(2)
Terms of the bargain	200	(1)
Twofold motive of Southern aggression	201	(1)
The political motive mainly operative	202	(1)
True source of this motive	203	(1)
Relation of the political motive to the federal position of the South	204	(2)
The Career of the Slave Power
Position of slavery at the Revolution	206	(2)
Rise of the cotton trade	208	(1)
Early progress of the planters	209	(1)
Acquisition of the Louisiana Territory	210	(2)
Missouri claimed as a slave state	212	(1)
Motives to territorial aggrandisement	213	(1)
Importance of Missouri	214	(1)
Opposition of the North	215	(1)
The Missouri Compromise	215	(1)
The Seminole War	216	(2)
Designs upon Texas	218	(1)
The tactics of aggression	219	(1)
Views of the annexationists	220	(1)
Texas annexed	221	(1)
Mexican war---division of the spoil	222	(1)
State of parties in 1850	223	(1)
Designs upon Kansas	224	(1)
Obstacle presented by the Missouri Compromise	225	(1)
The Kansas and Nebraska Bill---``squatter sovereignty''	226	(1)
Kansas thrown open for settlement	227	(1)
Preparations of the Slave Power	228	(1)
Invasion of the territory	229	(1)
The Leavenworth Constitution	230	(1)
Atrocities of the Border Ruffians	231	(2)
Reaction---defeat of the Slave Power	233	(2)
Alarm in the North	235	(1)
Formation of the Republican party	235	(1)
Declaration of principles	236	(1)
First trial of strength	237	(1)
Southern policy of ``Thorough''	238	(16)
Re-opening of the African slave-trade	239	(1)
Agitation started	240	(4)
Importation of slaves actually commenced	244	(2)
Perversion of the Constitution	246	(1)
Claim of protection to slave property throughout the Union	247	(1)
A judicial decision necessary	248	(1)
Reconstruction of the Supreme Court	249	(1)
Dred Scott case	250	(1)
Effect of the decision	251	(2)
Further requirement---a reliable government	253	(1)
Breach with the Democratic party---Secession	254	(1)
Apology for Southern aggression	255	(1)
Aggression of the Slave Power, in what sense defensive	256	(1)
The apology admits the charge	257	(2)
Attempt of John Brown	259	(1)
Its place in current history	260	(3)
The Designs of the Slave Power
Essential character of Slave society unchanged by independence	263	(1)
Inherent vices of the Slave Power intensified by its new position	264	(3)
Possible conditions of independence
Limitation of slavery to its present area	267	(1)
Results of this plan	268	(2)
Territories opened alike to free and slave colonization	270	(1)
Probable effects	271	(2)
Equal partition of the Territories	273	(1)
Argument by which this scheme is defended	274	(1)
Paradox involved in this view	275	(1)
Geographical conditions ignored	275	(1)
Effect of success on Southern ambition	276	(1)
Northern jealousy not a sufficient safeguard	277	(2)
European intervention still less to be relied on	279	(3)
Modification of slavery involved in the success of the South	282	(1)
Probability of a revival of the African slave-trade considered	282	(15)
Restraining influences
The anti-slave-trade clause in the Montgomery Constitution	286	(2)
Anti-slave-trade legislation by a Slave Republic	288	(2)
Protests of the Southern Press	290	(2)
Interests of the breeding states	292	(1)
Presumption from the past	292	(1)
Strength of public spirit in the South	293	(1)
Sacrifice of particular to general interests	294	(2)
Sectional resistance powerless before the exigencies of public policy	296	(1)
Conclusion on the whole case	297	(2)
General Conclusions
Duty of Europe---neutrality	299	(3)
Impolicy of intervention	302	(1)
Obligation to render moral support	303	(1)
Two modes of settlement equally to be deprecated	304	(4)
Practical issues at the present time
Reconstruction of the Union	308	(1)
Subjugation of the South, how far justifiable	309	(5)
Subjugation of the South, how far practicable	314	(6)
Reconstruction of the Union, how far expedient	320	(1)
Necessity of a recourse to despotic expedients	321	(3)
Plan for dispensing with despotism by reforming Southern society	324	(2)
The condition of time ignored	326	(1)
Disturbing effects of immigration	327	(2)
Secession under conditions
Two cardinal ends to be kept in view	329	(1)
Peculiar position of the Border states	330	(2)
Mr. Lincoln's proposal	332	(2)
Free cultivators in the Border states	334	(2)
Facilities for incorporation	336	(1)
The line of the Mississippi	337	(1)
The negro question---three conditions to be satisfied	337	(16)
Immediate and universal emancipation
Main difficulty of the problem	341	(1)
The West Indian experiment---its lesson	342	(2)
Natural difficulties enhanced in the South	344	(2)
Impossibility of protecting the negro	346	(1)
The ``mean whites'': their corrupting influence	347	(1)
Progressive emancipation
Advantage of dealing with the evil in detail	348	(1)
Facilities offered by society in the Border States	348	(1)
Operation of natural causes in the more southern states	349	(1)
Prospects of the ultimate extinction of slavery	350	(3)
Appendices
A. Southern tactics in Europe	353	(2)
B. Slave labour	355	(1)
C. Failure of the South in manufactures	356	(2)
D. The ``mean whites''	358	(18)
E. The Slave aristocracy in Brazil	376	(1)
F. Industrial revolution in Virginia	377	(1)
G. Competition of free and slave labour in the South	378	(1)
H. Popular education in Virginia	379	(1)
I. Mr. Stirling's argument for the extinction of slavery through economic causes	380	(1)
J. Economic strength of slavery	381	(1)
K. Spirit of the Slave laws	382	(4)
L. Recent importation of African slaves into the South	386	(4)
M. The Philosophy of Secession	390
L. W. Spratt