University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER IX.

THE PRESS.

In the language of DeBow: "In every country the press
must be regarded a great educational agency. Freedom of
speech and of the press are the inalienable birthright of every
American citizen, and constitute the ægis of his liberties."

The earliest newspaper in North America was the Boston
News-Letter, issued April 24, 1704. There were in 1775 but
37 Newspapers in the American Colonies.[1]

Of these there were three in South Carolina, two in each of
the States Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, and one in
Georgia; making in all 10 in the present slaveholding States.
In New Hampshire there was one, two in Rhode Island, four
in Connecticut, the same number in New York, seven in Massachusetts,
and nine in Pennsylvania; making 27 in the present
non-slaveholding States. At that time the white population
in the two sections was very nearly equal.

The following tables show the number of papers and their
circulation, in the several States, in 1810; also the number of
papers in 1828, and of papers and periodicals in 1840. They
also show the character of the newspaper and periodical press,
the number of copies printed annually, the number of papers,
and the circulation of each class, in 1850.

TABLE XLV.
Newspapers and Periodicals in the Slave States in 1810, 1828 and 1840.

                                   

SLAVE STATES.	1810.		1828,	1840
	Papers.	Circulation.	Papers.	Papers and Periodicals.
Alabama			10	28
Arkansas			2	9
Delaware	2	166,400	4	8
Florida			2	10
Georgia	13	707,200	18	40
Kentucky	17	618,800	23	46
Louisiana	11	763,900	9	37
Maryland	21	1,903,200	37	49
Mississippi	4	83,200	6	31
Missouri			5	35
North Carolina	10	416,000	20	29
South Carolina	10	842,400	16	21
Tennessee	6	171,600	8	56
Texas
Virginia	23	1,289,600	34	56
Total	117	6,962,300	194	455

TABLE XLVI.
Newspapers and Periodicals in the Free States in 1810, 1828, and 1840.

                                     

FREE STATES	1810.		1828.	1840.
	Papers.	Circulation.	Papers.	Papers and Periodicals.
California
Connecticut	11	657,800	33	44
Illinois			4	52
Indiana	1	15,600	17	76
Iowa				4
Maine			29	41
Massachusetts	32	2,873,000	78	105
Michigan			2	33
New Hampshire	12	624,000	17	33
New Jersey	8	332,800	22	40
New York	66	4,139,200	161	302
Ohio	14	473,200	66	143
Pennsylvania	71	4,542,200	185	229
Rhode Island	7	332,800	14	18
Vermont	14	682,400	21	33
Wisconsin				6
Total	236	14,673,000	649	1,159

TABLE XLVII.
Newspapers and Periodicals Published in the Slave States, 1850.

                                   

SLAVE STATES.	Daily.		Tri-Weekly.		Semi-Weekly.		Weekly.
	Number.	Number of copies printed annually.	Number.	Number of copies printed annually.	Number.	Number of copies printed annually.	Number.	Number of copies printed annually.
Alabama	6	869,201	5	266,500			48	1,509,040
Arkansas					3		9	377,000
Delaware						62,400	7	358,800
Florida			1	31,200			9	288,600
Georgia	5	1,086,110	3	146,380			37	2,609,776
Kentucky	9	2,243,584	7	1,125,280			38	3,053,024
Louisiana	11	9,947,140	6	676,000			37	1,646,684
Maryland	6	15,806,500	4	499,700			54	3,166,124
Mississippi			4	245,440			46	1,507,064
Missouri	5	3,380,400	4	273,000			45	2,406,560
North Carolina			5	414,310			40	1,530,204
South Carolina	7	5,070,600	5	549,250			27	1,413,880
Tennessee	8	4,407,666	2	266,240			36	2,139,644
Texas			5	525,400			29	771,524
Virginia	15	4,992,350	12	1,416,550			55	2,518,568
Total	72	47,803,551	63	6,435,250	3	62,400	517	25,296,492

TABLE XLVIII.
Newspapers and Periodicals Published in the Free States, 1850.

                                     

FREE STATES.	Daily.		Tri-Weekly.		Semi-Weekly.		Weekly.
	Number.	Number of copies printed annually.	Number.	Number of copies printed annually.	Number	Number of copies printed annually.	Number.	Number of copies printed annually.
California	4	626,000					3	135,200
Connecticut	7	1,752,800	4	374,400			30	2,117,232
Illinois	8	1,120,540	4	214,500			84	3,575,936
Indiana	9	1,153,092	2	195,000			95	2,920,736
Iowa			2	577,200			25	923,000
Maine	4	964,040	5	302,900			39	2,906,124
Massachusetts	22	40,498,444	4	351,000	11	2,070,016	126	20,371,104
Michigan	3	1,252,000	2	52,000		3,116,360	47	1,685,736
N. Hampshire							35	3,538,152
New Jersey	6	2,175,350					43	1,900,288
New York	51	63,928,685	8	776,100	13		308	39,205,920
Ohio	26	14,285,633	10	1,047,930		62,400	201	13,334,204
Pennsylvania	24	50,416,788	2	78,000	1	25,200	261	27,359,384
Rhode Island	5	1,768,450			2	228,800	12	963,300
Vermont	2	172,150			1		30	2,142,712
Wisconsin	6	1,053,245	4	198,250			35	1,395,992
Total	177	181,167,217	47	4,167,280	28	5,502,776	1,374	124,475,020

TABLE XLIX.
Newspapers and Periodicals published in the Slave States in 1850.

                                   

SLAVE STATES.	Semi-Monthly.		Monthly.		Quarterly.		Aggregate.[2]
	Number.	Number of copies printed annually.	Number.	Number of copies printed annually.	Number.	Number of copies printed annually.	Number.	Number of copies printed annually.
Alabama	1	18,000					60	2,662,741
Arkansas							9	377,000
Delaware							10	421,200
Florida							10	319,800
Georgia	6	228,600					51	4,070,866
Kentucky	8	160,950					62	6,582,838
Louisiana			1	146,400			55	12,416,224
Maryland	1	48,000	3	92,400			68	19,612,724
Mississippi							50	1,752,504
Missouri			7	135,600			61	6,195,560
North Carolina	6	76,050					51	2,020,564
South Carolina	5	102,600			2	9,600	46	7,145,930
Tennessee			4	127,200			50	6,940,750
Texas							34	1,296,924
Virginia	3	267,600	1	24,000	1	4,000	87	9,223,068
Total	30	901,800	16	525,600	3	13,600	704	81,038,693

TABLE L.
Newspapers and Periodicals published in the Free States in 1850.

                                     

FREE STATES.	Semi-Monthly.		Monthly.		Quarterly.		Aggregate.[3]
	Number.	Number of copies printed annually.	Number.	Number of copies printed annually.	Number.	Number of copies printed annually.	Number.	Number of copies printed annually.
California							7	761,200
Connecticut			1	6,000	2	8,800	46	4,267,932
Illinois	3	43,200	7	147,200	1	900	107	5,102,276
Indiana	1	48,000					107	4,316,828
Iowa			2	12,600			29	1,512,800
Maine			1	30,000			49	4,203,064
Massachusetts	3	61,800	29	1,357,200	7	24,000	202	64,820,564
Michigan	3	134,400	3	123,600			58	3,247,736
New Hampshire	1	15,600	2	13,800			38	3,067,552
New Jersey	2	23,040					51	4,098,678
New York	9	1,704,000	36	6,629,808	3	24,600	428	115,385,473
Ohio	23	1,781,640			1	24,000	261	30,473,407
Pennsylvania	19	6,972,000			2	7,600	309	84,898,672
Rhode Island							19	2,756,950
Vermont			2	24,000			35	2,567,662
Wisconsin			1	18,000			46	2,665,487
Total	64	10,783,680	84	8,362,208	16	89,900	1,790	334,146,281

TABLE LI.
Character of the Newspaper and Periodical Press.—Number of copies
printed annually in the Slave States, as given in 1850.

                                 

SLAVE STATES.	Literary and Miscellaneous.	Neutral and Independent.	Political.	Religious.	Scientific.
Alabama	265,200	313,000	1,889,169	158,400	36,972
Arkansas	171,600		205,400
Delaware	46,800		374,400
Florida			202,800	117,000
Georgia	1,411,976	747,340	1,491,350	239,200	181,000
Kentucky	650,800	250,400	5,245,888	429,450	6,300
Louisiana	657,300	3,335,100	8,356,224	52,000	15,600
Maryland	14,654,000	8,400	4,196,924	669,400	84,000
Mississippi	233,480		1,519,024
Missouri	608,800		5,496,280	90,480
North Carolina	266,200	113,750	1,457,664	182,950
South Carolina	474,800	2,140,400	4,310,930	1,092,040	24,800
Tennessee	206,200	503,930	5,138,580	195,500
Texas	350,324	148,400	660,400	137,800
Virginia	247,880	1,251,900	6,698,176	1,001,112	24,000
Total	20,245,360	8,812,620	47,243,209	4,364,832	372,672

TABLE LII.
Character of the Newspaper and Periodical Press.---Number of copies
printed annually in the Free States, as given in 1850.

                                   

FREE STATES.	Literary and Miscellaneous.	Neutral and Independent.	Political.	Religious.	Scientific.
California	135,200	626,000
Connecticut	489,900		3,422,432	223,200	7,200
Illinois	721,700	403,770	3,384,162	499,044	93,600
Indiana	647,504		3,569,324	100,000
Iowa	36,000	187,200	1,281,800	7,800
Maine	987,216		2,501,680	438,568	275,600
Massachusetts	11,794,304	13,591,000	32,996,800	4,405,200	2,033,260
Michigan	456,500	26,000	2,556,836	134,400	74,000
New Hampshire	579,480		1,673,672	778,000	36,400
New Jersey	181,640	93,900	3,823,138
New York	18,449,016	37,317,010	45,463,015	12,438,432	1,718,000
Ohio	3,865,880	4,220,805	18,865,282	3,334,240	187,200
Pennsylvania	18,515,028	21,908,548	37,808,960	6,588,136	78,000
Rhode Island	280,800	782,500	1,693,650
Vermont	208,600		2,025,430	333,632
Wisconsin	130,000		2,517,487		18,000
Total	57,478,768	79,156,733	163,583,668	29,280,652	4,521,260

TABLE LIII.
Number of Papers, and the Circulation of each Class, in the Slave States, in 1850.

                                   

SLAVE STATES.	Literary and Miscellaneous.		Neutral and Independent.		Political.		Religious.		Scientific.		Aggregate.
	Number.	Circulation.	Number.	Circulation.	Number.	Circulation.	Number.	Circulation.	Number.	Circulation.	Number.	Circulation.
Alabama	11	5,100	1	1,000	45	24,336	2	3,450	1	711	60	34,597
Arkansas	3	3,300			6	3,950					9	7,250
Delaware	2	900			8	6,600					10	7,500
Florida					7	3,500	3	2,250			10	5,750
Georgia	18	29,638	6	3,046	20	20,900	3	4,600	4	9,300	51	67,484
Kentucky	12	14,900	2	800	42	55,936	5	12,525	1	525	62	84,686
Louisiana	13	22,025	6	12,000	34	45,522	1	1,000	1	300	55	80,847
Maryland	20	71,000	1	700	39	31,637	6	13,950	2	7,000	68	124,287
Mississippi	10	4,490			40	26,380					50	30,870
Missouri	17	19,400			42	48,340	2	2,740			61	70,480
North Carolina	8	5,675	2	875	35	24,564	6	5,725			51	36,839
South Carolina	10	12,700	5	8,300	24	28,115	5	4,600	2	2,000	46	55,715
Tennessee	5	10,350	2	1,610	36	33,147	7	22,770			50	67,877
Texas	17	6,737	1	1,400	14	8,350	2	2,650			34	19,137
Virginia	10	5,690	5	4,200	62	51,988	9	25,256	1	2,000	87	89,134
Total	156	211,905	31	33,931	454	413,265	51	101,516	12	21,836	704	782,453

TABLE LIV.
Number of Papers, and the Circulation of each Class, in the Free States, in 1850.

                                     

FREE STATES.	Literary and Miscellaneous.		Neutral and Independent.		Political.		Religious.		Scientific.		Aggregate.
	Number.	Circulation.	Number.	Circulation.	Number.	Circulation.	Number.	Circulation.	Number.	Circulation.	Number.	Circulation.
California	3	2,600	4	2,000							7	4,600
Connecticut	12	11,200			28	34,916	4	5,400	1	1,200	45	52,716
Illinois	22	17,725	1	1,290	73	51,111	8	12,097	3	6,400	107	88,623
Indiana	21	12,452			84	47,900	2	3,000			107	63,352
Iowa	2	1,000	1	1,200	25	20,150	1	650			29	23,000
Maine	15	20,458			29	29,695	4	8,434	1	5,300	49	63,887
Massachusetts	80	283,027	9	50,700	82	171,387	24	117,650	14	94,205	209	716,969
Michigan	13	13,625	1	200	39	28,793	3	5,600	2	4,500	58	52,718
New Hampshire	10	11,790			22	32,186	5	15,500	1	700	38	60,176
New Jersey	6	4,010	1	300	44	40,144					51	44,454
New York	101	528,908	15	127,370	263	399,755	37	507,246	12	59,500	428	1,622,779
Ohio	37	111,790	6	13,485	192	189,304	21	90,130	5	10,400	261	415,109
Pennsylvania	71	445,364	12	70,396	198	267,940	28	198,018	1	1,500	310	983,218
Rhode Island	6	5,400	1	2,500	12	18,075					19	25,975
Vermont	5	5,550			27	33,990	3	6,416			35	45,956
Wisconsin	3	2,500			42	29,236			1	1,500	46	33,236
Total	407	1,477,399	51	269,441	1,160	1,394,582	140	970,141	41	185,205	1,799	4,296,768

It will be seen on examination of these Tables, that in 1810
the number of papers in the Slave States was 117, and in the
free States, 236; almost exactly two to one. The ratio of circulation
was a little larger.

In 1828, the number of papers at the North was to that at
the South as 3 to 1; and in 1840 as 2 1–2 to 1. The circulation
for those years is not given.

In 1850, the number of papers at the South was 704; at
the North 1,799; while the circulation at the South was
782,453, and at the North, 4,296,768; or over five at the
North to one at the South.

The circulation in Michigan, is 52,000; in Arkansas, 7,000;
in Kentucky, 84,000; in Ohio, 415,000; in South Carolina,
55,000; in New Hampshire, 60,000; in Mississippi, 30,000;
and in New Jersey, 44,000; in Maryland, 124,000, (which
is far the largest circulation of any Southern State); and in
Massachusetts, 716,969. The circulation in Massachusetts,
is but little less than that in all the slave States; that in Pennsylvania
is greater by one-fourth than of that entire section;
while the circulation of New York is considerably more than
double that of the whole dominion of slavery. The circulation
of the single paper, the New York Weekly Tribune, is at the
present time greater than was, in 1850, the circulation of all
the newspapers in the States Virginia, North Carolina, and
Mississippi; indeed, we might add a couple more slave States,
and it would still be greater.

On examining the character of the Newspapers and Periodicals
in the two sections, we see that a large proportion (more
than one-half,) of the Southern Papers, are political; and a
much larger proportion than of the Northern, the proportion in
the North being less than one-third. In this class they have a
circulation nearly equal to one-third of the Northern, while of
the literary and miscellaneous, neutral and independent, it is
one-seventh; in the scientific, one-eighth; and in the religious,
one-ninth.

These ratios are in some instances greater, if we compare the
number of copies printed annually.

The number of copies, of neutral and independent papers,
printed in a year, in the slave States, is 8,000,000; and in the
free States, 79,000,000. Of the religious, in the slave States,
4,000,000; and in the free States, 29,000,000. Of the scientific,
the number is, at the South, 372,000; and at the North,
4,000,000; while of the political, the number at the South, is
47,000,000; and at the North, 163,000,000.

The number of copies of scientific papers printed in the fifteen
Southern States, is 372,000. The number printed in
Massachusetts alone, is 2,000,000; more than five times as
many as in all the slave States. The number of copies of
religious papers printed in the fifteen slave States, is 4,000,000;
in the State of New York, 12,000,000. Of neutral and independent
papers there are, in the slave States, 8,000,000; and
in Pennsylvania, 21,000,000.

The political press of either Massachusetts or Pennsylvania,
issues annually more copies than half the political presses of
the slave States; while that of New York issues but a slight
fraction less than the whole.

Finally. The daily press of the South issues 47,000,000
annually; that of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania the same;
and of the free States, 181,000,000. The weekly press of the
South issues 25,000,000 copies; that of Pennsylvania 27,000,000;
of New York, 39,000,000; and of the free States,
124,000,000. The New York Daily Herald had a circulation
nearly, if not quite, half as great as all the daily papers of the
slave States, in 1850.

The aggregate number of copies printed annually in Arkansas,
is 377,000; in Wisconsin, 2,665,000. In Kentucky,
6,000,000; in Ohio, 30,000,000. In Maryland, Virginia,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi,

Florida, Louisiana, and Texas, together less than Massachusetts.

In the fifteen slave states, 81,000,000; in Pennsylvania,
84,000,000; in New York, 115,000,000; and in the sixteen
free states, 334,000,000.