Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-07-18

Communicated for the Phenir Gasetfel
VIEWS
OF the Benevolent Society Of .4lsrandria for a.
n,sliorating and improving the condition 81 the
People Of Color.
No. 10.
On the Means of preparing Slaves for Emancipation.
The advantages thar would result from pre-
pairing Slaves, before their emancipation, tor
the rnjoymen, of liberty, will, we presume, be
admitted By all. The want OF this preparation
is one of the greatest obstacles to manumission
in this country, and probably at the present
time prevents manv patriotic and oeneVoieh'
individuals from obeying the dictates OF human
i,y and Justice. ii becomes therefore subject
Of the most interesting inquiry to every lover
of his country, and every advocate tor the
rights of man, what are the best means OF al
tanning so desirable an end? In some OF QUIZ last
numbers we gave an account Of the laws which
have been enacted in South America and In 81.
Domingo for this purpose, and which nave
been attended with complete success; we now
proceed to lay before the public, Concise his
tory of an experiment made by the Honorable
Joshua Steel, in the island of Barbados, be-
tween the years 1898 and 1870.
II appears that this gentleman lived several
wears in London, WAS Vice President OF the
London Society of Arts, Manufactures and
Commerce, and was person oil talent ana cru
dition. He was proprietor OF three estates III
Barbados, which were entrusted 10 the man
agement of agents; but the returns he received
from them were so unsatisfactory, that he de-
,ermined. though at the advanced age ofeighty,
10 90 there and attend 10 his affairs himself.
He found soon after his arrival, that "there was
something radically wrong in the magement OF
his slaves and he was DESTROYS, as well for the
sake of humanity as for his own interest, to Ell.
feet change in it," Instead OF the system OF
arbitrary punishment and compulsory labour
then in use, he determined to introduce new
system, in which the hope Of reward should De
The stimulus to exertion. 81 took, says he,
ssthe whips and all power Of arbitrary punish
,neut from all the overseers and their white SER
wants, which occasioned my chief oUerseer to re-
sign, and soon dismissed all his deputies, tcho
could no. bear the loss Of their whips; but at the
same time, that proper subordination and
obedience to lawful orders and duty should be
preserved, l created a magisiraey on. Of me ne
gyoes Memselues, and appointed cour, or jury
OF the elder negroes or head men, tor trial and
punishment of all casual offence, (and these
courts were always to be held in my presence,
or in that Of my new superintendent which
court uery soon grs,1 respectable Seven OF these
men being of the rank Of drivers In their differ
ent departments, were also constituted ruters as
magistrates over all the gang, and were charged
10 see at all times that nolhiEg should go wrong
i'm the plantations, but that on all necessary oc-
casions they should assemble and consult to-
ee,her how any such wrong should be imme-
dia,ely rec,i6ed; and I made it known to all the
gangs that the authority Of these rulers should
supply the absence or vacancy OF an overseer In
all cases; they making daily or occasional re-
pors Of all occurrences to the proprietor or
his delegate, for his appreciation or his orders.
He was SO well satisfied with this experiment
that the next year he went q step further, and
"tried whether he could not obtain the labor OF
his negroes by voluntayy means, instead OF the
old method by violence" "On certain day
he offered a pecuniary reward for holiug canes,
which is the mos, la5orious operation in West
Indian husbandry He offered two pence half
penny currency (about three half pence sterlins)
per day, with the usual allowance TO holers, OF
a dram with molasses, TO any twenty i've OF his
negroes, both men and Women, who would un-
der,ske to hole for canes an acre per day, at
about 96a holes for each negro to the acre.
The whole gans were ready TO undertake II;
but only Fifty Of the volunteers were accepted,
and many among them were those who on much
lighter occasions had usually plead infrmify a'e
inability; bur the ground having been moist
they hoied twelve acres within SIX days with
great ease, having had an hour, more or less,
every erening, 10 spare; and the like experiment
was repeated with the like success. But alter
wards some Of the same people being put, Difh-
oui premium, TO weed on a loose cultivated soil,
IN the common manner, eighteen negroes did not
do as much in given time, as sir had perform
ed of the like sort Of work a few days before
with the premium Of two pence half penny"
aTbe next wear he made similar experiments.
Success attended him again, and from this
time task work or the voluntary system became
the general practice of the estate
A few years afterwards he put into execution
the remaiuing part of his plan, which was per
hans still more important than the foregoing,
as Il aolered iAe condition ihsslarss Themselves"
II is remarked by Clarkson, that "Mr. Steel
took the hint for the particular mode OF impro'-
inc the condition Of his slaves, which we are
poine to describe from the practice Of our An
slo.Saxon ancestors IN the days OF Villianage,
which he says was "the most wise and excellent
mode of civilizing savage slaves" There were
ii. NJ VII