Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-09-20
A LETTER
M. JEA N-BAPTISTE' SAY,
ON THE COMPARATIVE EXPENSE OF
FREE AND SLAVE LABOR.
BY ADAM HODGSON.

| ON THE COMPARATIVE EXPENSE OF
FREE AND SLAVE LABOR.
BY ADAM HoDGsoN.
Continued.
OF that mo i'ihcation of slavery, under
which the slave pays tax or tribute to
his master for permission TO work on his
own account, and 10 which such impor-
tan; effects are ascribed in the preceding
extracts, Storch observes, " This modi-
fication of slavery, has been permitted
by difieren. nations; but doubt whether
| It ever existed any where to that extent
in which ii is found in Russia. Il is
there ore Of the effectual means of sof-
| tening the direiul consequences of slave
ry: and if its abolition should ever be
seriously intended, this system would
present the means, The most simple,
and the least subject to Inconvenience
Now ii would be difficult 10 find strong
er proof OF the paralyzing influence OF
slavery on human exer,lon, than The be-
pehcial results which have followed the
substitution in its place of system so
oppressive as even this mitigated form
OF bondage Is represented to be by intel
ligent travellers, Mr.. Hcber remarks,
The peasants belonging to the mobiles
in Russia, have their abrock raised by
their means OF getting money. l, then
becomes not a rent oil land, but down
right tax upon their industry. Each
male peasant is Obliged by law TO labor
three days for bis proprietor. 1.-The pro-
prietor chosses to employ him the other
days, he may; as, Tor instance, IN a ma
nufactory, bus he then finds him in food
and clothing. II slave exercises any
trade which brings him in more money
| than agricultural labor, he pays high
er abrock. The peasants employed as
drivers al the post-houses, pay an abrock
out OF the drunk money they receive
for being permitted TO drive; as other
wise the master might employ them in
other less profitable labor, on his own
account. Sometimes they pay an abrock
for permission to beg" ain despile,"
says DR.. Clarke, "of all the pretended
regulations made in favor of the peasant,
the tax he is called upon to pay on the
abor he is compelled to bestow, de-
ponds wholly on the caprice of his ty-
rant"
Task-work, another important al
though earlier step in the progress from
slavery to freedom, than participa-
| ion of earnings with master, and ano-
her instance of the substitution of
cheaper for more expensive system of
cultivation, l found to be almost uni.
versal in the Atlantic States of America,
where cotton, tobacco, and rice, are the
staple articles of production; but ne
YER heard OF an instance Of it in the sugar
plantations of Louisiana, where great
profits render economy less necessary.
II slave labor were cheaper than free
labor, we might confidently presume
that estates would be rendered less pro-
ductive than the emancipation of the
slaves which cultivated them; but the
presumption is contradicted by expe-
rience. 6 A few Polish mobiles, observes
Coke in his travels in Poland) Of bene-
violent hearts and enlightened UNDER
standings, have acted upon diHeren!
principles, and have ventured upon the
expedient OF giving liberty to their vas
sails. The event has shewn this to be
no less judicious than humane, no less
friendly to their own interests than to
the happiness OF the peasants; for it ap-
| pears that in the districts in which the
new arrangement has been introduced,
the population Of their villages has been
considerably increased, and the reve-
nues of their states augmented in
triple proportion. The first noble who
granted freedom to his peasants, was
Zamoiski. formerly great chancellor
who in l76l, enfranchised six villages,
in the palalmate OF Masorin. In l777,
the receipts Of this particular distric,
were nearly triple; and Zamoiski, pleas.
ed with the thriving state of these six
villages, has enfranc hised the peasants
on all his estates.
"The example of Zamoiski has been
followed by Chreptowitz, Vice Chancel.
lor OF Lithuania, and the Able Bryzol-
owski, with similar success. Prince
S,anislaus the King of Poland, has
warmly patronized the plan Of giving
liberty to the peasants. He has enfran-
chised four villages not far from War