The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-12-04

InPovEMsHKD CONDITION OF JAxAIcA.-At this
PERIOD when 50 much interest has been awakened in
the public mind with respect to the social and poll
tcal condition Of the slands Of Cuba and Of &c. Do
miDgo-the one oppressed and exhausted by Spanish
despotirm, and the other apportioned between .
white republic and black empire-it may be inter
esting to give little attention to the state of a.
fairs in the next Of the West India islands in point
Of extent and Importance to these, namely, JAmai-
CO The modern policy exercised by Great Britain
towards her colonies in modifying the system Of OPP
preston, plunder and devastation, hitherto univer
sally pursued by that country, and in establishing
colonial leg slatures and governments has efs little
to be desired by Jamaica in political point of view;
and in this respect that island presents striking
contrast to its northern neighbor the " ever faith
fup Cuba II is not. therefore, in that relation we
mean to treat Of Jamaica, but merely to present
facts illustrative of its retrograde progress
since the Emancipation Act came into operation
throughout British territory, and since the with
drawa of the colonial protective duties the prin
cipal products Of the island--cotfee and sugar-in
the years 1874 and 1916.
When Wilberforce and the British abolitionists
were some twenty years understanding all their
abilities for the passage of law in the British Par
lament, providing for the emancipation Of the
slaves throughout its dominions, it was in vain
that all who were interested in the prosperity of
Jamaica and the other West India islands asserted
that such measure would inevitably result in tho
destruction OF their trade and commerce, and in the
impeachment Of the colonists. These arguments
were overruled, or declared to be founded false
premises, and the Emancipation Act was finally car
RED This was the first great blow to the prosper
ity of Jamaica. The manumittsd negroes, rs had
been predicted, we're too lazy and indolent to work
as free aborers on the sugar and coffee plantations
but preferred living in dleness, cultivating little
patch Of land with such esculents as might supply
their own actual necessities only working OCCASION
ally the plantation,as suited their convenience or
inclination Thus, the large plantations particular
~ became seriously deprecated in value, from the
deficiency of aborers to assist in their cultivation,
and, in 1886, those estates which had formerly en-
ployed seventy or eighty negroes, were reduced to
the possession Of ten twelve, and others, whore
two hundred hands had been Heretofore engaged,
could procure no more than twenty or twenty-five.
The natural consequence of this ,ency in labor
srs propsrtionate deficiency in the productsof
the island, and depreciation in the value Of pre-
perty in general $50
In the year lS44, the protective duties on coffee
were withdrawn, and two years after, the sugar
monopoly received like blow. These measures,
benefcent they were to the inhabitants of Great
Britain, completed the commercial ruin of her
West India possessions. Slave grown products were
admitted into English ports At the Same rate Of
duties as that imposed on the goods raised by free
labor, and Jamaica, being unable to compete on
these unequal terms with other sugar growing
countries, saw her trade irreooverably Frustrated
Insolvency and general bankruptcy succeeded, nun.
bers Of the sugar and coffee estates were abandoned
and the general condition Of the island has been for
years back theme for pity and regret
We a,s in possession of . statistical tabls, COM
piled in Kingston, in August last, which gives
correct view Of the deplorable retrogressisn whish
has taken place in Jamaica since the alteration Of
the coffee ana sugar duties, ia 1914 and 1916.
From this it appears that within that period the
number of sugar estates on the island that have
been totally abandoned amounts to 165, and the
number partially abandoned to 63, the value of
which 231 estates assessed in 1S4l 81 655 no.
or nearly eight millions and half Of dollars.
Within the same period, 223 coffee plantations have
been totally and 90 partially abandoned the assess-
cd value Of which was, in ls4l .f500 900, or two
million and half Of dollars; and Of cattle pens l22
have been totally and 10 partially abandoned, the
value Of which was q million and half of dollars.
The aggregate value of these COG Estates which have
been thus ruined and abandoned in the island of
Jamaica, within the las. seven or eight years,
amounted, by the regular assessments, ten years
since, to the sum of nearly two and half millions
of pounds sterlirg or twelve and o hall millions of
dollars.
In this plain aggeratsd statement of facts, we
have excellent view Of the practical operation of
those advocated by visionary aboitionists
ard philanshropists The island Of ia naca, which
some twenty years ago was the most wealthy, pros
porous, and productive of the West India islands, is
to- day impoverished, bankrupt, its trade and com
merce snpihihilsted its soil uncutivated, and its
natural products neglected What caused this sad
and wonderful change from prosperity to adversely
Every ore knows the reason. 1t was FIRST, the pas.
sage Of the Emancipation Act-ths success of the
fanatical abolitionists Of the day-and secondly,
the change Of policy introduced by the British gov
eminent, in Withdrawing protection from their
then weak and debilitated colonies tits aqusstioa
whether Jamaica or Cuba has, at present, most
cause to complain Of the conduct of the mother
countries and We do not know but that the annexa-
tion of these islands to the United States or their
absolute independence, would bs as justidabls a
subject Of rejoicing to the inhabitants OF Jamaica as
No the Creolss of the Il" Gem Of the Antilles"
FATATICIsM IN New PHAsE-Fanaticism
sometimes exhibits itself in opposition to the liberty
OF eating and drinking sometimes to the liberty Of
the stage, someti mes to the rights of Southern
States to maintain those domestic institutions
which they deem most conducive to their own
interests, sometimes in favor Of pantaloons and
masculine employment for women, and sometimes in
favor Of the doctrines Of clarvoyance and mediums
with the invisible world The latest exhibition
We have bad Of fanaticsm is an effort TO interfere
with the Sunday newspapers and Sunday travelling,
which, however, is but revival Of former attempts,
that failed in their object, and must fail again, and
fail forever, as long as the human mind ia oonsti-
tuted as it is Thu Young Mems Christian Asso-