Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-04-04

il bounded by mountains. which rise in majesty
and grandeur till their peaks are almost blended
With the azure Of torrid cline.
As the steamer is being anchored at Kingston
the novel spectacle is presented Of a swarm OF
emancipated ~ eolored women and girls. who
with tubs of coal upon their heads, throng IN
Indian file up one of the after-gang- ways. and
emptyng their loads of 1nihr0cife-singng the
while, their old plantation airs. return by the
forward plank-thus forming a kind of eclipse Of
the wheel house. Most of the passengers now
90 ashore to take look at this dilapidated and
rottng city, and not few return laden with
bricks from old Jamaica"
The plantations throughout the Island ara in
waste-their former workers living life of indo-
lent dissoute and ,hieying freedom q more beg
carly and degraded than the Lazzdroni of Italy.
Not fresh streak Of paint breaks the monotony
Of grey old buildings which compose Jamaca's
once prosperous commercial metropolis. The
cause Of this wide spread financial and industrial
decay and ruin is simply emancipation, and the
attempt to substitute free labor in the cultivation
Of slave products in torrid climate. The Sc
cret or motire pooer in British West India elnan-
cipation is discerned not in the labors and elo-
qnence of Wilberforce, Fox, and C)arkson
hut in the cupidity and selfshness of the East
India Company-who, knowing that the intro
duotion of free labor would be followed by speedy
pecuniary blight and ruin to their western rivals
sought TO build up their own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT on
the ruins of all the West India isands-those
gems of the tropics. And believing the British
example would be initiated by the French and
Spanish governments expecting after annihils-
ton of competitor in the West-to supply from
the plains of Hindostdn tho worlds demand for
all tropical staples, that powerful company-which
then dictated to the throne-aid their bebest on
II supple Pa, lament, and tho world rang with
loud acclaim at the humanity ~ of England.
The sequence to that measure is the financial
ruin of Jamaica whilst the squalid poverty. the
vice and crime Of her liberated ~ population
furnish fine commentary upon the policy and
philanthropy of that plan of emancipation. The
ruin of British West India is complete, but the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of her more powerful rival in the
anticipated monopoly is less apparent.for to this
day american cotton feeds the looms Of Eng land.
and the markets and warehouses are supplied
with the other staples from the broad sayannahs
of our sunny South, and that beautiful but
msgoverned island which must one day be ours.
But notwithstanding this decay aud ruin the
natural advantages Of tho Island ere unsurpassed
for to n climate most delightful is added "A sol
fertile and exhaustess ms the praries of our own
Great West and teemng with all the rich fruits
aud products Of the tropics. Kingston stands
upon broad plain at the base of lofty mountains
The streets-laid out with obess-b lard REGULAR
~. are lined on either side with the orange tree
the cocoa, banana, pantuin and the waving palm
Flowers of every kind flourish in perpetual
bloom in the gardens, aud clothe in n varied and
gorgeous drnpery every latt CO and poriico.-
And the pisios being those Sublime mountains
aud the heaving, solemn sea, the SPOT is one of
the lovelicst on earth. Visiting the military
grounds,we saw, upon Grill,a regiment of blacks
ia red aud white, aud martial band of like hue
aud dress of thirty performers. In honor OF the
gathering of freemen present the bnnd led by an
Engshman-playe Yankee Doodle and Hail
Columbia And never did hear those stirring
national airs with such n glow Of pride and love
of my own native land, whfn listening to their
performance at sunset by n band of blacks. on
u foreign oil,under the rgis of the British Lion,
and amid the symbols and results Of monarchical
Iue every side.
Leaving Kingston after less than three days
in the Caribbean sea, wo land ut Aspinwall and
cross to Panama by rail road in less than one
twelfth the old mule tme,v viz: three hours, instead
two days. land the re embarkation takes place in n
very short time And the rapid passage by cars
wherein you cease to inhale the masmas of river
or swamp, and the speedy transfer to the deck Of
the Pacific steamer where you respre the fine
breo2os of Panama bay-have transformed what
was once n day or two OF more or less exposure,
vexation and toil,into brief episode in the jour
ney, aud welcome relief from the tedium and
langlor of the long days at sea. For the consum-
nation of the great desideratum of an iron union
of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans with SO much
to-and so vast an expenditure of money and in
the face Of unexampled difficulties and obstacles
- the tcorid is largely indebted to the wise fore
cast, energy and perseverance of one of the most
public spirited and wealthy citizens OF our Union
| who holds deservedly high rank among the
liberal and honorable merchant and commercial
princes of our land-Wm. II. Aspnwall of New
| York.
As the carry to the very verge of tho
vast Pacific we have time to survey modern
! Panama,to look at the old Cathedral aud Church
es,dospoed oftheir rich plate * pretended relics
| by such rapaeious tribute gathers a. the English
buccaneer Morgan. 4 he massive wall, able yet
though gradually crumblng TO ruin-to withstand
even Anglo French cannon nor the ruins of the
\ 1hcisnt city from whence went forth the ruthless
Pizarro against tho mild and peaceable Incas Of
Peru. But we step directly from the pier into
one of the Pacific Mail Cos, steam hdrbor boats
and IN Il few minutes are walking the deck of the
elegant steamship "John l.. Stephens" named
for the celebrated tourist, now deceased The
"Stephens' is one of the best modelled,we ven.
tlated and loetest steamers that ply in these
western waters. The whole coast from Panama
to San Francisco bears unmistakable evidence on
It's volcanic nature. mountains so lofty that their
submits are ever cloud capped, and between, deep
dark assures and ravines never penetrated by
the sun light. Touching at Acapulco for coal
water, etc, the passengers amuse themselves by
throwing dimes into the bay. to see the little ma
tive copper coored imps dive and regain them,
and though performed by the little brats in most
Eden-like nakedness this feat is often witnessed
with entire composure by the lady potion of the
spectators. Above Cape St. Lucas passed
the remains of the mournful wreck ofthe Indepen-
denoe. of the number of passengers by that i'll
tated craft too hundred were 'ia the deep bosom
Of me ocean buried, and their bodies rest be-
meath the green wave, or bleach and perish upon
the lonely and desolate lands of Marruerita is