The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-08-09
VOL. TX.

of color for religious instruction. Religion is
withheld from the slaves in nearly all the slave
States, except on such terms as are thought
compatible with the police regulations. They
are forbidden to read the Bible or other good
books, and they are forbidden to preach the
Gospel, on pain of whipping. They are for
hidden to assemble for religious worship, ex.
cept in the presence of white people, and their
minister must be a white man. This we know to
be the case in most Of the slave States and We
believe it is in Virginia-if we are mistaken
we shall be pleased to be corrected by the En-.
qtirer. But as to the privilege of reading the
Scriptures, that is certainly denied to coloreJ
persons, free and slave.
Now, what nation in Europe imposes such
penalties upon the acquisition of knowledge, or
throws such obstacles in the way of religious
instruction? Where else but in the South !,
literature withheld from whole class-from
the laboring class-and where else is the priest.
ly office withheld from it? The Church of Enc.
land and the Church of Rome, as well as all
the Sectaries, furnish scores of illustrious ey.
amples to the contrary-in which men have
risen from the lowest ranks in society to the
highest positions in the church. Popes, Bib.
ops, and the founders of sects, have, as ottenas
otherwise, risen from the condition of mechap.
ics common laborers, peasants, and even from
the dregs of society.
In like manner, some of the brightest name.
which figure in European civil history, in liter.
AZURE, in science, in the civil military, and
naval service, owe their origin to the humblest
classes of society. The peerless Shakespeare
was wool-comber, and the inimitable Burns
was Scotch peasant.
The South being new and sparsely PEG.
pied region, it of course, with ordinary indus
try, abounds with the necessaries of life; AMI
we are not disposed to deny that the physical
wants of the slaves may not be as well or even
better supplied than those of the laboring pop.
ulation in the crowded and misgoverned aud
over-taxed monarchies of Europe. Admittingthq
fact, therefore, is it circumstance to boast of?
Could it be otherwise without gross and wanton
cruelty?
The necessaries of life in this country cost
to his human cattle is as shortsighted as he is
despicably mean and cruel !; yet there are thou.
sands and tens of thousands such, just as there
are thousands and tens Of thousands who inAic.
cruel whippings for the slightest offences, or
for no offences, merely from the impulse of
unbridled passion. But even those who com.
ply with the law in furnishing a sufficient sup
ply of coarse food and clothing, return to the
laborer less than one fifth of his earnings, as
we shall proceed to prove from "the docu
ments."
Mr.. Secretary Walkers Report on the Fl
nances SENATE Doc, vol. 2, lS45-'6) furnishes
some reliable and tangible information on this
head. In order to ascertain the resources of
the country, he addressed a series of questions,
by means of circulars, to the merchants, farm.
ers, planters, and manufacturers. Question G
is as follows:
"Question 6. What has been the annual aver
age price of these agricultural products and
staples, during the same periods, respectively,
and what the annual average income per hand
or laborer, deducting all expenses, during the
same periods, respectively" 1882 to 1872, and
lofl TO 1870
P. w. Fraser, of South Carolina, answered:
1.-The annual averageincome perhandOrlabOr
er, deducting all expenses, can be easily eStima
ted by the hire, by which standard | am disposed
to be governed and consider full-task hands
must have brought annually, during those wears,
sixty dollars per head, and the furnishing NJ
teen dollars, leaving forty.f dollars. Many
planters realize 500 or more, but much de.
ponds upon the quality of the soil and its situa-
ton, whether safe or unsafe, old or new, and
many other circumstances"
Appalachicola, Fa.-Robert Myers, United
States Marshal, says:
The annual average income per hand, after
deducting expenses, and making no allowance
for interest on capital invested, from 1892 TO
1872, was about Sl65; and from 1912 to 1919
it was about $50.
p. A. Rost Louisiana, owns sugar and
cotton plantation, and compares their respect
i've profits. He says:
"Thc annual average income per hand on
the sugar plantation, from 1912 to 1915, has
been Sl75, and must have been the same in the
ten previous years. On the cotton plantation
since 1912 the worm and overhows have caused
in two years the loss of whole crop; counting
those two years for one, the average would be
Sl45 per hand and if the crop now on hand
were included in the estimate, the average would
be near 5000 per hand"
A number of gentlemen in the parish of st.
Mary's, La, give the following estimate of plant
alton expenses. Like the sugar planters gen
orally, they are the advocates Of a protective
tariff, and in their letter demonstrate with Mr.
Walker against a reduction of duties on sugS
To show him that protection is the life of The
sugar interest, they make this estimate of eI.
penses and profits. If they are tempted to ex-
aggerate, it is on the side of expenses-but we
presume their statement is candid and truthful.
1t is as follows:
Annexed you have statement showing the
annual necessary expenses pertaining to plant
alton, whereon is produced one year with an
other, one hundred hogsheads Of sugar.
Statement.
Household and family expenses $1,000
Overseer's salary 400
Food and clotainyy for Is scOrking hands, 49,,
at $50 $50
Food and clothing for Is old negroes
and children, at SIS 22J
i 4 per cent. on capital invested (which
is about $4o,OO0) to keep it in repair COO
2,G7j
so hogsheads sugar at cents
per pound met proceeds) $4,000
Is hogsheads sugar at 3 cents
per pound met proceeds) $50
Is hogsheads sugar at cents
per pound met proceeds) 500
1000 gallons of molasses at 10
cents 400