The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-09-16

PLANTERS-CHEAP LABOR-ABOLlTlON
OFsLAvERY THROUGHOUT THE w ORLD
II often happens that IN the commencement of a
battle, good generals cannot discover the posi-
tons of their adversaries. They cannot discern in
what lines they are moving their principal bodies.
The dust and smoke Of the first movements conceal
the main stress of the fight Beside this, the enemy
employs feints to conceal his real desgus,as when
Napoleon pretended to wish retreat and fear con-
test at Austerltz; or as when Hannibal escaped the
cunning old Fabus by getting out at the back-door
from the tolls in which he had enanged him, while
he thought him cooped up efeclually.
In civil and diplomatic contests The same thing
often happens A feint, an ambuscade, plausible
pretence, to hide real object, has often been the
resort of diplomatic disputes, and of national politics.
Whether England anticipated the effects which
have resulted from emancipaton-in enhancing so
the price of the cultivation ofsugar-as to exclude her
from competition with the markets Of the continent
of Europe-or not-may be task difficult to deter
NINE She did, however, liberae her West India
slaves. Certain ], is that many contended it would
have the effect which actually followed-while 9TH
ers, jealous in the cause denied it, The latter main
a. more satisfactorily to themselves, than slaves
and that the competition of their labor would so
keep down prices that the loss Of the grower Of
gar-cane would not be considerable. In their view
humanity would be gamer, while the sugar plan
ter would suffer but little loss Now, without med
ding with the argument the ground of hu-
manity, time has elapsed sufficient to enable us
to determine certainly which opinion was correct,
with respect the difference between slave and free
labor in the culture of sugar In most pursuits, no
thing clearer general rule than that free labor
u preferable, the Of productveness, TO
that Of slave labor, But in the West Indies it is
certainly not so in sugar raising The reason is
plain. The raising of sugar requires much capital
and the manufacture of it in large quantities is dis
agreeable process, in which free laborers will no, en-
gage for wages afording a profit to the capitalist
unless they should be forced to it by density Of po-
Pulation not now existing in the West Indies. The
slaves there being made free, very naturally they
had right after their emancipation, refused to work
at the sugar manufacture but for wages which would
leave the planter no proh-nay, which would, in
some instances, on large plantations leave him large
ly in debt by annual surplus of expense The fact
snce, the English Government cast about to find a
remedy. One set Of the state doctors proposed the
importation Of free white laborers as If free white
lsborers could any where in Europe be found in suf
6cient numbers who could have health to toll under
the West India climate, even if at rate Of wages
sufficient to compensate them. Another set propOs-
ed importation Of free lsborers from Africa Blu,
both these propositions seem abandoned as moi
feasible and the whole force of English policy on the
subject directed to the abolition of slavery-no,
throughout the world-but really and practically in
the sugar growing countries The immediate eHec
Of this would be to enhance he price of wages il
such countries to level with their own in the Yves
Indies, and give them the only chance for competition
in sugar and cotton in the markets Of the world
The former they calculated could, in tina, even,
be successfully effected in the West Indies, tn,
latter in the East, where the price Of human Ia
Dor ia lower than among any civilized people Of tn
earth The London Quarterly says respecting il
"The reason why cotton is grown so cheaply il
Hindosan is that its cultivation depends wholly o.
manual labor, OF which the wages are lower in Hin
dostan than in any other place where labor come
freely to market" Again, its remarks in another al
ticlet necessarily imply the truth oil The precedin
sssertiop--tbe very low state Of the wages: "Th
great mass Of the population under our immedist
government, with some limited exceptions, whic
shall be noticed is undergoing progressive degrs
dalton. The aboring classes, to whom the 6nancia
necessities Of the Government have permitted no re
taxation Of their heavy exactions pressed to h
utmost limit Of their power TO pay. The Europea
collectors Of the revenue were distinguished, as III
whole body Of the company's servants now is beyon
the employs Of perhaps any other Government, 70
intelligence and integrity, finding themselves value
rather in proportion to the amount they may reaiz
than to the prosperity Of the districts inru.ted
their charge and left without any intelligent an
sDecember, 1895, p. las.
tScenss and Characteristics in Hindoslsn, Decem
Der, 1895, p. lol.