The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-06-09


She would not barter hers - sufferer's-boon
Ofpowerto sympathize, for even the love
Most fearless, snless, sorrowess, in heaven!
FREE COTTON vs. CHATTEL SLAVERY
Professor Stowe has gone into England very
much as man is apt to enter a tOlerably
warm room in winter day He has been SC
long in the cold, that the atmosphere feels
chilly to him, and the first thing he does is to
seize the poker and stir up the fire. At Glas-
Cow and London he tells them plainly that
slave cotton supports slave labor, that they
consume four-fifths of the staple, and are re.
sponsible for four-ffths Of the Slavery of this
Union. He urges them to the sacrifice that is
necessary to acquit them of such participation,
and suggests the policy and duty of preferring
the article which, by proper arrangements and
conscientious discrimination in commerce, may
be produced, without the crime of encouraging
the chattellixing of the laborer.
That is as pretty an idea as one could wish
to sport at a banquet; but we own to doubt
of its practicability, and with the most earnest
respect for the Professor, his mind and motives,
we take leave 10 enter our most unqualified
dissent to the conditions upon which he puts
the project. He told the fair company at Ex-
eter Hall, on the 10th of May, that "the Chi
nese are nov fiocking into America, and will
work at sixpence a day, and the people of
Great Britain now have an opportunity of
making the shareholders feel that they are in
earnest and determined to do something to.
ward the abolition Of the SYSTEM
| We tell the Professor, and the company
which sanctooed this suggestion by passing a
n luton in accordance with it, that we repu-
d. tho project with our whole heart for the
weakness the unprofitableness, and the I'M
righteousness thereof
We need not waste, words to show that there
is no working power in such a resolution which
can possibly effect its intention but it is well
worth while to expose the miscellaneous inhu-
manity there is in it.
The Professor says in the same speech, that
slaves in America average about s. 900 each,
which is very near the mark. The interest
upon one thousand dollars is sixty dollars q
mOro--one hundred a year is then the cost of
a slaves labor to his master, or thirty cents a
day. The Chnaman will work for twelve
cents or less than half the amount. The
proposition is to starve down the stakeholder
to the necessity of emancipation.
This is not the first time we have heard of
the plan, but we never had it before from any
source that We were bound to treat with re-
spect. In 1851, the merchants and planters of
Jamaica addressed circular letter to the lead
ing politicians and Swans Of the United States,
requesting their advice and assistance in the
matter of inducing the free people of color to
immigrate to the island. Their complaint
was, that land was abundant, and the laborers
scarce and independent. In Barbados, they
said, there was nothing of this evil of plenty Of
} land and Independence Of the people Its
population is redundant every acre of land
} is applied to profitable cultivation, population
presses on the msaas Of snbastrncs, and the PEG.
pie are industrious from necessity Importa-
ton of the FREQ people of color from the United
States in numbers sufficient to get up pres.
sure upon the means of subsistence in Jamaica
was the drift Of that movement Among 9th.
ers, Henry Clay, under date of the 10th Of
May, 1851, answered his correspondents at
large upon the points presented but proposed
better remedy than any they had thought of
The Exeter Hall philanthropsts had better
ponder it a little before they endorse it withou,
reserve. He says" Have you ever turned
your attention to China, as source of labor
to supply your colonies ? \ When
! was in Cuba few weeks ago was inform
ed that planter had seventy or eighty Chi
nese, brought from Northern China, employed
on his estate; that he had engaged them a
the very low price of four dollars per month
each, for seven years" Four dollars per
month is fifteen cents day closely agreeing
with the Professors calculation. Did he Dor.
row the idea from Mr.. Clayl
Another instance: About year ago there
was movement made in the Legislature Of
California, to enforce contracts made in China
for labor in California at seven dollars per
month, by making the breach of the contract
on the part Of the laborer penitentiary offence
We do not recollect the issue, but think i,
: failed, under the indignant resistance of the
people, who would not be underworked in thu
! mines, and those who would not allow Slavery
r to be established among them under color o
: enforcing such contracts.
I There is another example Governor Rob
J. erts, of Liberia on the Goth Of February last
issued q proclamation, in which he says tina