Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-07-28
"ScOtt'S Yard, Cfyy,

"ScotrS Yard, city.
May %, 1866.
MY DEAR SIR.-I really had not prepared any
thlhS 10 say on friday evening more than to think
over some of the traits of character &c. likely TO
interest our friends; as, that they were as apt to
learn as othcrs-ready imitators-that our schools
were sufficient to teach reading and little writing
and cyphering but as to real eclucation or t,Qit.
ing tie mind to real usefulness, fear they arc gen
orally very defective: there are, however, some
exceptions, believe. They form almost the en-
tire of our tradesmon, as carpenters cabinet max
ers, coach builders, coopers, smiths, jewellers,
tailors, shoe makers, machinists, attendants upon
engines, &c, &c, and in all respects will bear
comparison with others. That ON my own Estate
l ;, had erected largo overshot water-wheol, and
all the mechanism to drive saws, &C., entirely DONE
from cutting the timber in tho woods to com plc-
ton, by colored and black people in my immediate
neighborhood.
There are some beautiful traits in the nerro
character, naturally light-hcarted and kind to One
another. have often noticed old and Young du-
ring the breakfast hour, when thoy generally sit
down under tree to eat that it is their inyariabc
custom to give to those who may be upproyided
This habit of breaking bread with one another has
always struck me as beautiful. l have, indeed,
noticed readiness to help others. This DISPOSE
tlon has enabled me to form sort of Mutual Life
Assurance Company of a tory primitive character,
In my neighborhood. A few years ago a cottage
took fire, and, as usual, many came to help, and.
as usual, some said they would help their neighbor
to rebuild the house. | took the opportunity to
propose to them that they should all give a days
labor with all their families to rebuild tho house,
pointing out that by little management all might
help; some going to the woods to cut posts rafters
&c., others to carry them out, others to cut and
carry the fox-tail grass to thatch and SO on and
that if they would all agree always thus to help
each other 1t would DO great mutual benefit. 1t
70 hna ft,n O.
Massa! it good plan for true &C.; and they did
meet and concert, and rebuild the house. A sec
ond case occurred about two years after was at
the fire. and asked if they were still of the same
mind. The ready Yes, Massa' was followed by
the erection of larger and better house than old
Matte Doway' had before.
"You will readily understand that their houses
arc very slight-usually two rooms, built with us,
of mountain wood, roughly dressed and thatched
the floor very often of clay, ashes, &C., mado very
firm. 1t is rare case not to see pig fattening
in the pen, often good SOW also; usually some
goats and sheep Or two. Very often COW forms
part of the family property. Fowls always, ducks,
turkeys, guinea birds frequently. These cottages
stand in gardens generally well cultivated often
some fruit trees, as the orange, shaddock, mango,
ayogada, and always some plantans and bananas
Some keep poney. In Antigua, in the free
villages scattered over the island there are many
pretty good cottages. Many of the people keep
horse and cart and carry manure on the Estates,
and other useful work. ] remember when Sir
| William Colebrook was Governor General of
Antigua he advocated the settling the people in
this way but he was thought the Planters en-
emy. Now it is admitted, believe that he was
right
81 have often been asked here whether the
black people are not a very lazy race. l don't
think so. All things in the tropics tend to make
them take life easily. The wonderful fruitfulness
of the soil requires but little labor to provide the
simple food the negro lives upon the climate rem
ders an open light house sufficient residence; the
smallest quantity of clothes necessary. Here arc
a people who, fifty years ago, were much in the
same situation as the cattle of the fields. They
were fed and cared for as to their bodies, and
worked; but who cared for their minds? What
moral or religious training had they? What ex
ample? They have been free for twenty-five
years. Now believe it would be difficult to find
a country where, in the same time, so many have
acquired property, land, houses, &c.; they mus
have worked and saved to get this.
"No doubt they,-as our miners and others il
England do, am told, when wages are high,-a
times idle away portion of their time.
"On my way to England, in the Royal Mai
Steamer, very intelligent Cornish miner, who
was returning from mining in Jamaica, told me i
he went back there he would work the mines almos
entirely with blacks.
" For my own part, / find my tenants and 9th
ers employ work satisfactorily on the whole ant
indeed am often astonshed at the loads they car
ry when getting logs of wood from the mountains
1t is true they do picce-work, which stimulates t.
eXcrton.
i There are small farmers-owners or lessees O
land-who support themselves and families entire
ily out of their land, never working for hire.
have several such who lease one to three acre
OF land from me; but generally they work par
OF their time for hire and partly on their owl
grounds.
|, All this, however, abstracts labor from tn
can c%ane-ields, and it is the acquisition of proport
either real or personal, that has lessened tn
amount OF labor available to the Sugar Planter
Still the cuare oi sugar by free labor is no failure
Slavery as it always must; worked badly for al
classes. All was done by mere brute force. No,
g ""''ivotion has changed. Til
the whole system y. v....,
plough mo weeding-machino, Co., are at ,vorr
uoihS much better and much cheaper work
IS tact, that fro m less land moro snnnn