The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-29


In their anxiety to substitute slavery OF
any other color in the place Of blacks, The
British philanthropists," and their American
sympathzers, are advocating the enslayement
of the Monaghan race.
The Boston Courier, thus discourses ON the
proprety and philanthropy of putting the
Chinese in the place of the African:
SUBSTITUTE FOR NEGRO LABoR-A point of
great interest with all persons who have exer-
ciscd their thoughts nationally upon the subject
of slavery, and the means of getting rid of it,
has been that Of finding an adequate substitute
for the African race were they removed from the
soil they now occupyin America. The physical
nadequacy of the constitution of the whites To
the labors OF u tropical climate has long been
notorious and this acknowledged fact was for
many n day maintained as the strong ground on
which the slaye-trade could be defended. The
Spaniards and Portuguese defend it still on this
ground, and contend, with much plausibility,
that Cuba and Brazil would fall back to the
condition Of wild land, were they deprived Of
their periodical supplies of Africans
Were it possible, therefore, to provide an ef
fcient substitute for the blacks in those parts
of the Western world where the cultivation Of
the soil depends upon their industry, one very
important point would be gained in the endeavor
to extinguish slavery. We have now before us
fact of much interest in relation to this topic
An experiment has been made to ascertain how
far the Monaghan race can be made to take the
place of the African. The results are worthy
OF serious attention. -Four or five years ago,
some planters of Cuba conceived the design Of
hiring Chinese laborers instead Of negroes. Ac-
cordngly,sx hundred young men were shipped
from Annoy to Havana, and distributed as ap
prentices among different plantations in the
island. As is Common with bran-new expert
ments, the first operations were discourasing,
but further trial has quite removed the original
diihculies, ana the experiment is pronounced
highly successful. The local authorities Of
Cuba have become much Interested in this un-
dertaklng, and have made formal Investigations
relating to it. The planters have declared in
answer to official enquiries, that they find the
Chinese to be well adapted to the labor required
OF them,-almost equal in physical qualities to
the Atricans-much more intelligent, and per.
fectly docile under good management The
same parties expressed themselves DESTROYS that
immigration should be encouraged, and ready
to take certain number into their employ and
there are some who deem it quite possible to
v,
In consequence of this, contract has been
made by an English house to introduce 5000
into the island, and the entire number is by this
time subscribed for, the planters engaging to
pay the importers ST. % head. The Chinese
as they arrive, will be apprenticed for eight
years, and will receive 81 month each, for the
time of their service. II is the opinion of the
planters, that should this enterprise 90 on as
well as it promises to do at present, an entire
stop will be put to the importation of negroes
from Africa.
To those acquainted with the physical and
moral characteristics of the Chinese, this pro-
ject will appear by no means visionary These
people not only occupy an empire of their own,
extending from the cold deserts of Tartary in
the North, down to the region of the tropics
but they are spread in colonies throughout the
eastern archipelago beyond the equator Where
ever they are found, they are distinguished for
their industry, patience, fortitude, perseverance,
ingenuity, thrift, sobriety, and all the qualities
both of body and mind, by which men are en-
abled TO adapt themselves to every variety Of
soil, climate and local circumstance race of
people, who can thrive alike on the banks of
the Hoang- no, and the shores of Java and Ma
lacoa, need not fear the influence of climate in
Cuba or Carolina We already see them swarm
ing across the Pacific into California. Is il
quite impossible that the great empire of Chins
should become to the Southern parts of our con.
tinent, what Ireland has been TO the North, q
storehouse Of industry, throwing or its surplus
population to meet the wants ofagriculture and
mechanical labor In the warm regions Of Amer.
cat Such a prospect may well be thought in.
teresting TO ell who are concerned in the for
tunes Of the African race in America