Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-01-07
From tho New York Evening Post.
COST OF FREE AND SLAVE LABOR
JAMAICA AND CUBA.
HAyANA. Deeember s. 1853.

. HAVANA, BecemDcr ., 1000.
believe, my inquiries as to the cost and profit Of
the production Of sugar in this island, enable me to
afford fair opportunity for deciding TO the com
paratiyo cost Of slave labor in Cuba and free labor
IN Janaicn. Before however, entering upon the
question as to the "rcatiyc cost deem il reauisitc
to give some details which have gathered as to the
manner the slaves in this island are worked togeth-
cr with some other matters connected with the
question. In this island, considerable tracts OF
land hitherto unculiyatcd, annually taken into
cultivation. ] have been upon sugar estate OF
considerable extent, the owner Of which, Creole.
told me that the estate had been established thirty
| six years, ard that he could add 20 the extent OF
his cane cultivation, for twenty years more, which
he intended TO do. So profitable il the cultivation
OF sugar, that nearly all the negroes have been
taken rom the coffee estates and transferred TO the
sugar plantations whilst largo portion of these
coffee estates have been thrown out Of Cultivation,
rs such, and canes planted on them. which canes,
owing to the extraordinary fertility of the soil and
the excellence ofthc climate will cOntinueto rdtioO
and yields for from thirty to fifty years. Land
here is Of comparatively little value, and upon old
and small estates, on which, excepta steam MILL
they haze mono of the modern improvements" for
\ tho manufacture ofsugar, their profits amount to
about twenty-five per cent, per annum, on the en-
tire outlay, whilst on the new and larger estates,
possessing vacuum pans, centrifugal machines &C.,
%c the profits amount annually to about iorty-iye
| per cent. met n gentleman recently who is the
proprietor OF two estates near Matanzas, which
distant from each other about three miles, the one
having the modern Improvements" the other not
having them, and he has been engaged this year in
lying down glass pipes, eight ten inches in
diameter so as to bring the whole Of his cane juice
to the estate where he has vacuum pans and all the
other appliances, equal in extent, for the manuiac-
ture OF his sugar. and he believes that notwithstan
ding the large outlay requisite toay down the glass
pipes, yet he will the cost of thcm by lis econ
omy of manufacturing the sugar upon the estate
with the modern improvements in one or two
crops. There is no manufacture known 10 me in
which continuous labor is requisite as in the manu-
lacturc Of sugar, nor any cultivation where it il
more requisite than in that ofthc sugar cane and
the Cuban planter avas himself of the power he
possesses over his slaves to work them eighteen, or
'oyentwcnty hours out Of the twenty four. In the
crop tlme say from December until the following
June or July, the poor wretchcs are worked seven
days in each week, iOr, upon an average, eighteen
hours each day. As necessary consequences the
lives of the slaves are sacrificed by oyerwork but
what cares the Cuban planter, the slave dealer from
Africa will supply his demand for fresh victims.
IL is moro profitable for lin to buy bozai or "new
negroes" aud supply his demand Of the British
markets Tor cheap sugar. than to restrict his
cultivation. During the year, almost past, sud
hayOck has been made amongst them by cholera.
ltand want of rain, in many districts will cause the
coming crop to be "shOrtonc; :" unless indeed the
70 cargoes of slaves that shortly expected arrive
IN time to manufacture every care that is brought
~ Allc Hlllls W siOll luNtf kNiu planter III NV
presence recently, "a short crop this year. but next
crop will be good one and we shall have plenty of
new negroes to take it Off" AS respects the cost
OF sugar, an extensive planter unhcstatingly told
mo, that the price obtained iorhis rum and moasscs
paid the entire cost Of cultiyating, manufacturing
and shipping the sugar." which consequently, costs
him nothing. The difference between free aad
slave labor consists in the stmuaut TO the freeman
being the hope OF reward or payment for his labor,
whilst the slave is compelled to work under the
fear Of the LASH So pr. f;abc is sugar cultivation
/ here that planters never make any inquiry to
| the cost Of n new piece Of machinery but simply
inquire II any advantage or profit can be derived
from it's use. If that is shown to lie likely, the
machinery is ordered, no matter what may be the
cost know that one proprietor of an estate, an
American gentleman, near Matanzas, has caused
aI experienced sugar refner from Philadephi to
come out to manufacture and improve the present
crop. The sugar refner is to receive high wages
and to have free passage to and from Phiadcl-
phia. lie has recently arrived in this island aud
proceeded to the estate, OF the cultivation and
manufacture OF sugar in Jamaica, you know quite
sufficient to enable you TO arrive ~ a correct con-
clusion, after perusing the foregoing statements,
tor the truth OF which pledge my reputation as to
the comparative cost Of free and slave labor. To
me, confess, it appeared that whilst the free man.
at one shilling and six pence sterling per day. the
highest rate OF wages paid in jamaica does not cost
so much for the days labor as docs the Cub
an slave; yet the free man--and who can blame
him?-wiI not toll 50 iaccssantly as tho slave is
forced TODD tho gyolt advantage ofslave free Ia
borits being gcontinuouswhi tile free laborer,whcn
tired, rests himself or if the description Of labor
does not suit his tastes--and the negro has his 1
tastes as have other men-he disconiinues it alto
gether and proceeds to his ''yam piece" "pump-
kin patch, "by Of which lie is independent Of
the necessity of laboring upon the sugar estate,
Slavery, at best, is cruel and unjustiiablc, alike
in tho sight of God and man What then, can be
said of the African slave trade which England in
directly encourages, pretending, too, thatshe would
fain put an end 10 il? The new Captain G enoral,
the Marquis de pezuela, who arrived on Saturday
last, is reported to be an anti-savery man but we
shall see. That the slaye trade in this island has
heou encouraged by the authorities here is capable
Of proof, denied thought may be, and ii would be