Star.
London, England, 1825-01-03 00:00:00

WEST INDIA SLAVERY.

LETTER XI.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR.
s—ANGLO has the following passage in his
foirth letter:—.“ The Qtarterig Revises hiss chosen to
„confine his argument for the necessity of maintaining
„ Joey to tither). point,th at, withodt it, sugar cannot
',continue to be Cultivated as at present." The fact is,
au this argument is not so confined, and applies, though
tai less degree, perhaps, to the cultivation of ginger,
atop, coffee, &c. but it is evident that the Reviewer
thought it more suitable, in the spirit of the adage,
„tow *Ors &Wind ix se mixes," to arg• e the ques-
t:oo on the staple commodity, sugar, from its para-
mount importance.—What, then, was the tendency of
t.e argument upon this subject. throughout the Review?
hs.ent to prove, that if the West India Planter-were
ssidenly deprived of the services of his slaves in the
onitiyation of sugar, and could only command those
twice' for the future, by the present temptations
,Inch be could it old out for inducing them to work for
ors, be would not be able to continue his cultivation
int any chance of adequate remuneration. The ob-
itbi
• t of ANGLUS, in the quotation which I have selected,
ic to maintain a precisely opposite argument, and, as
,i, a question of fact, it must be left for the judg-

t of the Public.
The Reviewer proceeds to chew, that until the mean
employing free labour be afforded to the Planter in
the Sugar Colonies, from the effect of a change brought
0)011L in she feelings and inclinations of the free negro,
sth telerence to his peculiar situation, forced emanci-
pation would be ruinous to the Planter, and even pre-
judicial to the Negro himself, who would be let loose
spon society without any preparation qualifying him
wln
to take his natural position in it—the maintenance of
his phlsltal existence, with the least possible degree of
erertioti, would form-. the main principle
made be rinciple of
theh w
his
reward
d feelings but f emancipation
cf industry, and of industry long continued, and if
aural and religious improvement awaken in the negro
mind a desire for necessaries, and even enjoyments,
which are now without the pale of his conceptions,—if
a tense of the value of money be created in his mind,
as the means of acquiring all things desirable, and of
bettering his own condition and that of his family—if
libour be sweetened to him, from the conviction that
be is himself to share the full proportionate sum of
4.tivantage that is to be derive.' from it, that indisposi-
tion to exertion which now characterites the race may
be changed into a very different frame of mind. It isl
tofcctly true, that in marry instances, by a process of
luso:ling, he might be satisfied that many of the com-
fats, which, under circumstances of freedom, he would
Derive, as others do from the wages of labour, he now
derives under the Slave system, such as food, lodging,
tlothing, medical attendance, &c. But is it to be sup-
posed that so circuitous a process of reasoning, relative
w the natural and market price of wages, could recon-
cile his mind to his position, if he has the faculty of ex-
ercising any such processes of thought? His work
appears, to the Slave, to be the work of the Mister, that
work is compulsory, and the SIaIIMIAM bonum which
his mind can frame, is that state in which he would be
relieved from all and any sort of labour, in a tropical
climate, where the natural price of wages can be ob.
taMed with little physical exertion.
ANGLVS proceeds to state, that the Abolitionists con-
sider the cultivation of Sugar by Slaves as a service so
*mei and deathful," that " they have no choice left"
bat to " deliver themselves from all participation in its
'guilt by abstaining from the use of slave-grown
"sugar :" and; in conformity with this express principle,
rime shops have been established for the exclusive sale
',East India Sugars. Now, if the maintenance of
line doctrines can be identified with the profits that
*eta arise from the sale of those East India Sugars, it
Wield be unnecessary to argue the case, as the whole
wield appear to be one of those elaborate puffs which
taracterize our present advanced state of commercial
'emotions ; but if the argument be meant seriously,
to enquiry naturally presents itself, why those persons
silo have worked themselves up to that frame of mind,
that they cannot conscientiously eat " slave-grown
togas," should continue to eat, with very conscientious
appetites,rice, coffee, and chocolate, or should wear gar-
ants made of cotton ;—all thete articles being equally
?mined by the labour of Slaves? And I would enquire,
whether those who have reasoned them into this prac-
ticed* self-privation, have taken care to lay before them
I true and faithful account of the circumstances of the
hbour, and of the general circumstances of the cultiva'
lion of the Sugar in the East Indies; 'thereby affording,
It the judgment of every person, the contrast be-
attar the situation of the East and the West In-
it cultivators? On the contrary, do they not know
le a true and faithful exposition of that state
i!alel leave doubts in the minds of many persons,
"tier it was not more suited, in the furtherance of
i!tir principle, to follow the example of the self-priva-
t!iniits of 1790,wh0, with a view of bringing about
le.ai!tst humane, just, and enlightened measure, the
,olitton of the Slave Trade, consented to abstain
leal, the use of sugar altogether? That the service of
lives i
n the process of cultivating sugar, has occa-
-1441L . 4 been "cruel ,and deathful" may be granted,
that it is the general preponderating character of
• •
service, is capable of the strongest and most con-
tte disproof.
..ale already referred to Mr. Clarkson's Pamphlet,
'lL__r w what the evidence was as to the degree of la.
'4oo.in:donned by the Slaves in West India agricul•
lit sop.
and some of the colonies, from the povertyof
° Ilthour the uncertainty of the seasons, the quantity
, employed, as compared with the produce of
n ittgar crop, varies peal from similar exertions in
al* and fertile soils: and it must beremem bared, that
r
.propositionshave _ been made, under such cr..-
4141%eaketsess, to tra which
he Shire to a more genial sail,
may produce more profit to his pro-