New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-13
THE RUIN OF JAMAICA.


In reference to the alleged former prosperity,
and pretended present ruin" Of Jamaica, we
have already shown al some length, in what that
prosperity consisted and that, by the operation
of causes entirely independent of the nature Of
the labor employed, that prosperity, such as it
was, had already reached its period, and had com
menced gradual decline years before the abol.
ton of Slavery, or even of the slavetrade.
That prosperity, to restate the matter il few
words consisted in the diligent and laborous cul.
tivaton of q certain number of sugar and coffee
plantations, by upward of 100000 negroes, in
the lowest state Of degradation, misery ignorance
and barbarian, uDinttructed religiously or other
wise, naked, or nearly so, supported on scanty
allowance Of the coarsest food, land large part
Of that imported,) forced to labor some sixteen
hours day, and annually diminishing at the rate
Of nearly three per cent.-tbe number being kept
good only by fresh importstions from Africa
while all the profits of this forced and cruel toll
went Into the Golfers of few great British com.
nercial houses, except what stuck by the way, and
was employed in the maintenance Of about Is, 900
white residents of the Island, who alone were
taken into account when the people and the pros
perity of Jamaica were spoken of.
These white persons bad political represent.
alton In the Colonial Legislature aud except as to
matters Of trade, with which alone the Home Gov
eminent ihterfeTed, they were lords and masters
Of the Island, (alwsyssaving thesupreme authority
Of the nonresident proprietors and mortg sgees,
who controlled at pleasure the legislation Of the
Assembly, These white residents consisted iu
perhaps about equal numbers Of creolss, or per-
sons born On the Island, and Of aecsssions from
abroad. OF these creoles the larger part were
the descendants of the early British settlers, once
numerous, but gradually wasting away, without
slaves, poor and lazy, but to whom manual agr-
cultural labor would have been disgrace; living
as they could by odd jobs, and occupying posi-
ton somewhat like that Of the poorest and mean
est white population in our Southern towns and
yillsges The rest of the creoles were the chill
dren of more recent settlers, of whom q certain
proportion had been sent "hone," that 10, to
Great Britain, for education, but who were no
more able than the other class Of creoles already
described, to perpetuate their race; and who, in
the competition Of business, were entirely out
done by tho immigrant class, in whom, onjointly
with the sugsrhouses at home, resided the motive
power that kept the system in operation. The
most successful of this immigrant class were gen.
orally Scotchmen-hard, sharp, driving, and
close fsted-whO got what they could, and saved
what they got, and who found il not difficult to
conquer in Jamaica all the little "prejudices
and scruples which they had brought with them
from Scotland.
A few of these whites found employment as
lawyers and physcians-foS the Island was very
unhealthy for white people living as the whites of
Jamaica did, and the white inhabitants were very
litigious to say nothing of numerous debts to be
collected. Here and there a jolly p,rson might
be met with, for Jamaica had few old livings.
A somewhat larger number came out as clerks in
mercantile establishments, and a. millwrights,
carpenters, masons, or smiths-employments Of
which they SOON learnt to shift all the manual
labor upon negro slaves trained up to the bust
nesr. But the chief occupation was the manage
ment and superintendence Of the plantations
each Of which had chief overseer, with several
inferior overseers or book keepers, as they we're
called, and, in the case of absentee PROPRIETOR
an attorney to represent the proprietor.
The family circle was quite rarity in slave
holding Jamaica. Marriage was the exception,
not the rule. The male white population far ex-
ceeded the females in number, Of whom, how
ever, the greater portion was left to wither in
single blessedness. OF the immigrant population
very FEW were women, and such wives were
occasionally brought out from Great Britain
pretty generally soon wished themselves at home
again. he white men supplied themselves with
uistresses and housekeepers either from among
the slaves or the free people Of color, who formed
during the so-much regretted era of Jamaica pros
perity, third and equally distinct class Of tho
population. These free people Of color, with
whom were reckoned also few manumitted ne
groes, amounted to about 5000 In number, be-
ing the offspring of the connections above men
toned. In few rare cases these colored chill
dren were educated and provided for in fatherly
manner. If the mother were slave, IL was con-
sidered in Jamaica-our Democratic shareholders
think diFerently-only an act Of common decency
to secure the freedom of the child. Bat here,
in general, the care of the father stopped.
With few exceptions, the males, unprovidsd with
any means of gaining for themselves ereditable
livelihood, keenly aenEtive to the honor on the
one sde of their white parentase, and to the dis
grace of their African blood On the other, wore