The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-16


in advance their spirited resolves. II they have
not the chivalry of their fathers, let us hear no
more of Southern chivary. As humiliaung as
may be, il certainly will be the better grace "ever
after TO hold their tongues.
Thus far of the Free-Soilers, who have their
own plans, but who, nevertheless, disguise them
under the mask of phanthropy-the ground as
signed for the exclusion OF slavery is the lmmo-
rality ofpropery IN man. This is a bold charge
against the Christian religion. The relation OF
master and slave is distinctly recognized in the
New Testament. The duty of the master to the
slave is set forth in these words: Masters, give
unto your servants that which is just and equal. ;"
(Episte of Paul TO the Colossians, chap w., W ID
The duty of servants 10 their masters is thus pre-
scribed 90 Servants, be obedient to your masters,
with fear and trembling, - Paul to the Ephe-
slams chap. vi, ". 81 And to show that this
applied 10 slaves, Paul says" Knowing that what
soever good thing men doeth, the same shall he
receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
Now, unless man is more wise than God, slavery
is not sin, and must either reject the Bible, as
doth Garrison and the extreme Aboliionsts, or
admit slavery to be one Of the legitimate forms of
human labor. EN
The question, then ,recurs, Shall we ofthe South
submit to any legislation Of the Federal Govern
ment against our institutions, based upon the as
sertion that slave labor is sinful? IL we do, we
are henceforth in the midst of peris. "When
was such declaration made by an imperial
lTOVernment, tDat ~ uu mol result III the eiiidiic
patton of the siares2" The expression of the SEN
tment in the French Legislature led to the horrors
of ST. Domingo. But recently, the response of
the Provisional Government at the Hotel de Vile,
in Paris, to coulmittee of colored persons, caused
the emancipation of the slaves at Guadaloupe and
Martinique and it win be impossible for our slaves
to learn that this mighty Confederation has pro-
claimed from the Capitol that slavery is as t,with-
out their at once becoming discontinued, lnsubor-
dlnate, and discretionary. They will feel that
| they have the sympathy of those who rule the
| Republic; and when, at length, their number shall
have increased and the value of their labor dImin-
islied, they may realize the fondest anticpatons
of the most ardent Abohtionist. Depend upon it,
we and our children shall not be exempt from the
operation of these causes which entailed such hor
rible caamities upon the French isles.
Now, sir, the Northern capitalist disregards all
this, because he seems convinced ola supply Of
cotton, whether the negroes be slave or fee. But
greater mistake cannot exist; his supply of the raw
material will be cut of--utterly extinguished.
Cotton cannot, to any extent, be the product of
free labor. There is no inducement of profits
no moral suasion which will make the masses
work upon the production of Southern staples.
To destroy slavery is to destroy production, and
that very production which employs so much of
Northern capital. And herel enunciate propo-
siton as true as it may seem bold No country,
thirty degrees North or South of the equator,
ever did, or ever can flourish, without the appli-
cation of slave labor All the regions tropical, or
nearly tropical, require coerced labor; and the
products and importance Of those regions diminish
in the exact ratio of the withdrawal of this CO.
creed labor. The causes are two fold: first, the
means of subsistence are IN many sunny chimes
acquired with such little labor, that one days toll
yields subsistence for the remainder of the week;
and, secondly, the action Of the climate so induces
to repose, that the laborer prefers, the azzaron
Of Italy, to spend the other days in repose or
sports. Steady, CONSTANT industrial application ia
out Of the question. The history Of the world
shows this. Italy, Greece, the entire Mediterra-
mean coasts, Egypt. and the East Indies, once
were hourishing, trading, commercial countries
They had slave labor. In all of these, with the
exception of Egypt and the East Indies, slavery
has been abolished; in all of them, with the ex-
exception of Egypt and the East Indies, agricul-
ture has decayed, commerce languished, and en-
tire people and nations demoralized and degraded.
Now, look at this side of the atlantic Fifty
years ago, all America, within thirty degrees,
North and South of the line, was cultivated by
slave labor 1t was covered with trading and pro-
ducing communities. The Southern States, Mex
leo, Central America, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil,
the French and British Guinea. the French and
British West India isles, all held slaves. From
revolutions and SSther causes, slavery has been
abolished everywhere in America, save the Bra
ziIs, the Spanish isles, and our own Southern
States. Every one Of the nations abolishing sla-
very has dwindled into insignifcance; every one
preserving slave labor is furnishing, to wit: Brazil,
Cuba, and the Southern States of North America.
Sir, in every one of the countries aboshing slave
labor, efforts have failed to substitute free labor.
Upon the emancipation of st. Domingo, Tousant,
an intelligent negro chief, organized system of
free labor. What is the result The beautiful
island of Hayti, which, under the operation Of
slave labor, exported three hundred thousand
hogsheads Of sugar, does not export one. In this
island the faculties Of the negroes were uninfuen-
cd Inv the w hitas III laft tber
own wiH; they have become slothfu, licentious,
sem-barbnrious. Mexico, with soil, CLINE, popu-
lation, mineral production, once SO fourshing.
has, through the abolition OF slavery, almost
ceased to be nation. The experiment of substi-
tuting free for slave labor tried under the most
suspicious circumstances in the English West In
dies. Jamaica and the other isles were productive
under slave labor, employing much British capt.
tai, and furnishing abundance of sugar, coffee,
and tropical productions of the mother country.
In an evil hour British legislation decreed the
freedom of the black; but not until system of
apprenticeship had been formed, to train and pre-
pare the negroes for the blessings Of freedom. |
What now is the condition of those isles Guilt |
yation is neglected the negroes will not work for
wages, the estates are dilapidating, and capital |
rapidly passing away to Europe, an almost cess
'ation Of trade, and much increased suffering TO |
he chtes-nay, an apprehension of entire ruin.
Coolies have been imported, Irish labor been tried,
rec negroes from the United States have been en-
,aged--ail, all have failed The causes of the
ailures are in nature, and as irrevocable as the
avs of nature. 1ae
The experiment Of free labor has even been
ried in our own Southern country--in South Car
,lina, in Florida. The Rev. Mr.. Capers, a dis
minister Of the Methodist Church gave
lp plantation to his slaves. He first instructed
hem in ethics and religion IIe left the planta-
ion after harvest with the bard6 full, stock of cat
lie and sheep, and horse to plough. He delivered
over the estate, with suitable monitons and appro-
pirate blessings, and went into far country, eav-
ng the negroes to their own volltons. Time
passed. and after the lapse of several harvests he
visited the field Of his philanthropy. To his sor-
row, he found all his benevolent intentions frus-
trated-the fields were uncultivated, the cattle
were eaten up, the barns empty. The horse how
ever, remained, but not to plough or cart, but to
convey the negroes to the neighboring plantations
to depredate. Yet, in spite of all this, there are
sensible men who believe that if all the negroes
transported to Africa, our cotton fields would
be cultivated by free white labor. UnhappiIy for
their views, the experiment has been tried fire.
queptly tried in several States. Before recte the
cases of free white labor, will mention one more
of the efforts 20 supply free black labor In
the year 1910, the estates in Trinidad, which had
Aourxhed under slave labor hsca,,o a., ao,..