Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1850-07-12


regulating the investment of capital.
1t will always go where, under all
circumstances, it will yield the great
est return to the owner. Upon this
principle | am very clear, that slave
labor IT unrestricted, could be en-
Piioyed in Oregon, with at least dou-
bic the profit to the owner of the
slave that it now yields in any State
OF the Union. am unimformed as
to the usual price ofslave labor in the
States, but the price paid to indians
IN Oregon during the past year, for
labor, has ranged from two to three
dollars per day. Domestic negro
servants, whether male or female,
/ who understand the business of house
work, would command, readily, five
or SIX hundred dollars a year. re-
collect well, that there was mu!atto
man on board the vessel in which |
took passage from Oregon to San
Francisco, who was paid one hun
dred and eighty dollars per month
Tor his services as cook. ] will not
stop to particularize further, in regard
to the inducements Oregon would
offer to unrestricted slave labor, but
will simply add, that a very large
number of slaves might now be EN-
/ p!oycd i'll Oregon at annual wages
sufficiently large to purchase their
freedom. ! think, therefore, that the
point is settled SO far as Oregon is
concerned; and that slave labor, if it
had been left free to seek profitable
employment, would readily find its
way to that Territory.
AS to California, / am eqaully clear.
California will always be a mining
country, and wages will range high.
AT present slave labor in California
would be more profitable than in
Oregon. And have always been of
the opinion, that wherever there is a
mining country, if not i'll climate
uncongenial to slave labor, that spe-
cies of labor would be proftable.-
That it would be in California
Is evident. A good, able bodied
slave, would have commanded in
California, during the past year, from
eight TO ten hurdred dollars per an
mum. Whenit is recollected that one
hundred dollars per annum, upon on
average, is considered a good com
pensation for their labor i'll the South
ern States, it is idle, in my Judgment,
to contend that slaves would not be
carried to the California market, if
protected by law.
The greatest impeachment which
white labor has to encounter in the
mines, is the intensity of the heat and
prevalence of bilious disease. The
one is almost insufferable, while the
other is pesti!cntial. Against both of
these the negro is almost proof
Now, while white labor is so high, it
is evident that no one can hire
white laborer, except at rate that
would consume his profit. Not so
with negro labor. That species Of
labor might be obtained for half the
amount which you would have to pay
for "'h;tc labor. The result will he a
profit alike to the hirer and seller of
slave laOcr. There is no doubt, in
my Judgment, that almost any num-
Ter of slaves might be hired out in
California, were tie whites willing
to allow it, at from eight to ten hum
dred dollars year. This is pay so
much above what their services com
mand in the States, as to satisfy any
one, that could this species of service
be protected in California, it would
rush to the Pacific in almost any
quantity.
Let us turn our attention to Utah
and New Mexico. have no doubt,
from what knowledge | have of those
countries, that they will turn out 10
be filled with the richest mines. |
clip the following from recent pa
Per, containing the news from Texas
and Chihuahua:
"Mr. James was informed, by Mai.
Neighbors and Mr.. Lee Vining, that
they had been shown by Mai. Stein,
some gold washed out by his troops,
on the ella river, in short excursion
to that stream.
'lt is reported that, at the copper
mines above Ell Paso, there are about
100 tons of pure copper lying upon
the ground. This had been got out
by Mexicans, and abandoned when
attacked by Indians.
"Ihere are at El Paso, inthe hands
of different persons, several large
amounts of silver ore, taken from the
mines in that neighborhood. With
tguaranties of titles to lands, and pro-
/ lection from Indians only short