The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-09-11
From the British and Foreign An'iSlavery Reporter
EMANCIPATION IN TaG WEST INDIES = IN.
TRLLIGRNT VIEWS.

'lbHh'
After an absence Of nearly year, the treasurer
Of the society, Geo. w. Alexander, and his com
panion, John Chandler one OF its honorary cor
responding members, with their wives, returned
TO this country from their tour OF inspection In
the British and Foreign West India colonies, In
good health, and possessed Of large materials, the
result of observation and inquiry for forming an
accurate judgment Of their present state ana their
future prospects. In a series OF papers published
in the Anti Slarery Reporter, IN the months OF
February, March, and April, Messrs Alexander
and Chandler have given condensed report OF
their visit to the British West Indies in $780, To-
gether with notices of the French and Danish
colonies which were comprehs nded in their tour.
The Committee invite attention to these valuable
and important papers, but more particularly to
their concluding remarks, which contain sum-
mary of tho opinions they were led to form, and
to the important suggestions which they give for
advancing the prosperity and consolidating the
interests of the emsncipated colonies.
"At present we find the free laborers OF the
British West Indies in a state OF comfort that
might compare favoraby with the working classes
of cur own country. Judging from the great
number of young people whom we saw in almost
every part Of our travels, and from the easy cir
cumstances Of the peasantry in general, we may
safely conclude that there is no longer decrease
Of population in our colonies and that, in some Of
them, the increase must be considerable. The
people do not everywhere inhsbit houses sufh-
GENTLY good or commodious but large proportion
Of the dwellings they occupy are their own; and
there are few, indeed that are not much superior
10 the wretch ed slave cabins of former days They
have an abundance Of nutritious food, and their
appearance almost universally denotes health,
strength, and the enjoyment Of large amount Of
happiness They have the port Of free men, and
contrast, in this respect, very favorably with the
serfs Of the Danish colonies.
"That the emaucipated slaves are not the in.
dolent beings that ignorant, rtjudiced, or inter-
ested persons are wont to affirm, is proved by the
large amount Of produce they raise for exporta-
ton, in addition to that which they cultivate for
their own use We have seen that the exports Of
sugar, in producing which the Creole population
is assisted by q comparatively small number Of
foreign immigrants. are nearly or quite three
fourths as large they we're during the period Of
slavery, although men, women, and children, can
no longer he forced to the field with little regard
to their ability, and compelled to work by day,
and often by night, in the staple manufacture IL
is also, no small proof of industry, that the peas
antry have been able to buy tens Of thousands OF
freehods, and that they have placed upon them
nearly akess.s $500 t@&1..l>s,a, aess k-cZA
ucCceo$Tily auctThCh0Q IFOul tuc Sino Hciuo III
building these, as we'll as the very extended Guilt
walton OF provisions, may satisfactorily account
for a portion Of that which has been withdrawn
from the production Of sugar.
We think it creditable, Also to the industry
and intelligence Of the emancipated laborers that
they have been found willing TO work at a very
low rate Of wages when this was rendered need
full by competition with slave labor on the fruitful
soil Of Cuba. Thus, too, has it been shown, that
there in freedom capabty Of adaptation to cir
cumstances, which its enemies would have re-
garded as impossible. Who would have dared to
predict, few years ago, that men, who were then
slaves in the West Indies, would work industri-
ously, free men, in some colonies for six-pence,
in others for eght-pence, and in others for shl-
ling a day-a rate Of wages little, if at all, ex-
cseding the average cost of slave labor in the same
regions
In estimating the intellectual, moral and re-
ligions improvement Of the negro peassntry since
emancipation, disadvantages and advantages must
be equally taken into account. IL can scarcely be
supposed that many Of those whose education,
when young and enslaved, was wholly neglected,
should now apply themselves to letters although
there are not few pleasing instances of this de-
scription. Mental improvement must be princi-
pally looked for in those upon whose early years
freedom has shone, and many Of these have re-
struction both In day and Sabbath schools At "a
period when the value of instvuction is generally
admitted, this will not be thought small benefit
secured by freedom. Ia morals there has been
much improvement, although the deep rooted and
almost universal profigacy in this respect, during
slavery has left bitter fruits, II is, also, no small
to the psasantry, as regards purity
Of character, that q large number Of owners and
administrators Of estates still set them bad ex-
ample, althoGgh they are less corrupt than for
merly. Much attention is paid by the common
people to the outward ordinances Of religion, and
there are no longer the hindrances to an attend
ance on them that existed during slavery. Many
are exemplary in their conduct, and afford much
encouragement, and, in some instances, important
help to the missionaries by whom they have been
instructed. There are persons who were once
slaves, and are now pastors Of churches, or who
are likely soon to All that responsible Office
1.-THE situation of the planters and the results
of abolition have, in all respects, been complicated
aud seriously injured by the Sugar act Of 1916,
which admits the produce Of slave countries of
great fertility into competition with the British
colonies This has not only proved an injury to
all classes Of the community in our colonial pos
sessions but has thrown out Of cultivation estates
in which the soil is not very god, or which are
distant from a place of shipment. IL has also
served to discourage the application Of capital in
our colonies Had not this fatal act been passed.
there is much reason to believe not only that the
extent of sugar cultivation would have been now
much larger than it is, but that it would have af-
forded fair remuneration to all parties engaged
in its production We speak not as Protectionists,
but as men who think that the honest and fair
cultivaor and trader should not be forced into an
unequal competition with the dishonest slave
holder who OF in rot for ha oh ha
the barest necessities Of human existence.
I'VE cinnot enter here at large on the mis-
chievous and cruel effects Of immigration in some
of the emanoipated colonies where il has discour-
aged and extensively displaced native labor, SWELL
ed the inmates Of jsils and prisons and emptied
their treasures Worse than this, the introduc.
tion Of large numbers Of scarcely civilized or Of
heather men has seriously impeded the advance
ment Of morality and religion among the new race
Of free men.
Notwithstanding, however the disadvantages
which have hiudered the full development Of the
blessings Of emancipation notwithstanding I'M
favorable seasons and impoliic fiscal regulations
notwithstanding there have been too few men Of
hopeful, large, active, and intelligent minds, and
of devoted Christians to lead the people in the
path Of improvement-we rejoice to witness an
immense and beneficial change in our West India
community, as result Of the establishment of
freedom. We cherish the hope and belief that
this change will be permanent, and that the re-
suits will be Increasingly satisfactory
I'VE have, in the course Of our remarks on the
separate colonies, as well as in the preceding
paragraphs, indicated various causes which have,
in our opinion, impeded the prosperity OF the
emancipated colonies. Ia conclusion, We would
briefly state some Of, the measures which we be-
lieve are required to advance their interests
aFlrst. IL is very desirable we think, that the
general laws of these colonies should be assmila-
ted, and brought into harmony with the general
principles of British law and, so far as personal
A., IL L.. nordanca with the nreat