COLOURED POPULATION. 121

By reference to the charter on Population it
will be seen that the slave population in Mary-
land, had increased from the year 1790 to the
year 1820, only four per cent, making an agre-
gate of only 4372 souls. The number of free
coloured people in the same time, had accu-
mulated from 8,043, to 39,730, which is nearly
five hundred per cent, in 1790 not one four-
teenth of the black population were free. In
1820 more than one fourth of them were free.
The spirit of emancipation continues on the
one hand, whilst on the other hand slaves are
drained off in considerable quantities by the
higher prices which they command in the cot-
ton and sugar countries of the south. The e-
mancipated negro is not admitted to the privi-
lege of citizenship. He is allowed to partake
in no political right. No state in the union
ought to be more interested for the success of
the colonization scheme, than that of Maryland,
because no condition of society so extensively
prevails, requuing the beneficial influence
which that scheme proposes—beneficial no
less to those that are left, than to those that
remove to a sphere where they can walk abroad
enjoying all the privileges of freemen. Free
coloured people are not permitted to come
from other states and settle in Maryland

It is an unpleasant fact to record that the
legislature of 1824 relaxed the laws, long in
force, prohibiting the introducton of slaves
into the state of Maryland, Whilst the price

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