The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-13


plorer to England, has given rise to a curious
conflict there which indicates the tone and tide of
public opinion in Great Britain. This is nothing
less than the conflict between the true policy Of
the commercial and industrial classes, and that of
the family cliques which have for SO long time
governed England The London Times, the great
organ of the merchants and manufacturers, bold
ly announces, in commenting upon DR.. Living
stems discoveries, that "thc one great service
which the world demands from the negro race is
the production of ootton;' and, admitting that
the white man seems untitled for labor under
the peculiar conditions of place and atmosphere
requisite for the cultivation of this necessary sta
ple," propounds the doubt whether, even il it
were possible to transfer the scene of its produc-
ton to Africa, the negro will cultivate the soil
with the certainty of purpose and regularity of
result necessary for commercial purposes" 1t
goes even further than this and asks if the ne
gro proprietor will not employ the compulsory
labor CT slaves"
The London Post, the special organ of Lord
Pamerston and all the advocates of government
by class, takes alarm at these bold propositions
by assuming that the battle nov going on, and
whose existence it expressly admits, is battle
between geography and slavery. In the course
of its reasoning it admits that cotton aud sugar
are articles of universal use in all zones; but
points to India and the Cape Colony, to French
Algeria and Syria, where it says the cotton
plant yet fourishes in the gardens of Aeppo, and
tho bv fba T.
the course of its argument the Post is led into a
singular advocacy of the most ultra theories of
the American flbusters, in appealing, in support
of its propositions, to the French cOnquests in
Algiers, where e an immense tract of land of the
most exuberant fertility passes from the hands
Of the Arab, the Turk, the Moor, the negro, and
the MOzabite--indolent, ignorant, fanatic, with
cut industry or capital-into the haads of those
who are capable of giving that territory its due
and active part to play in the great drama of
the world" This is pure filibustersm of the
most ultra American school,
But the Times is right in its position, for the
commercial and industrial interests Of the world
are beginning to awaken to the true issues involved
in the discussion of the slavery question. Cotton
and sugar are the immediate results of the system
Of tropical labor established by the early dscov-
erers Of America Cotton and sugar have been
the great sources of ameloration in the dress and
food of man in every zone, and have produced
many of the most valuable improvements in his
bygienic condition. Cotton and sugar are at
the present day two of the most important foun-
tains OF the commercial and industrial movement
Of the world and therein constitute some of the
greatest springs of modern civilization. Not
only their production, but a continued increase
Of the product is demanded by the wants of civil
lization; and any policy which shall tend to de-
stroy the productive contributions of the existing
system OF tropical labor, before any substitute
Tor it has been established, is conflicting with the
material interests of civilization, and thereby
with its true Development and progress.
The existing humanitarian theories, based upon
an abstract moral truth, are found to conflict
with these social necessities, while at the same
time they fail to fulfil in moral point of view
the hopes OF their advocates.
The first triumph Of these theories was wit
messed in ST. Domingo. There a community,
which in 1889 produced l45,OOO,O 900 pounds of
sugar 100000 pounds of coffee. and 5000, 900
pounds of cotton, has been destroyed to the in
lustrial world, and its place has been filed only
~ communities organized on similar social sys-
TEN. The next triumph is exhibited in the West
India colonies of all the European powers, ex-
cept Spain. The change in their social organiza-
ton has reduced the production of sugar in the
English, French, Danish and Dutch West Indies,
since 1888, nearly one-half, precluding at the
same time any advance In the culture of cotton.
Were these theories and their attendant results to
be applied TO the southern portion of the United
States and to the colonies of Spain, which still
hold to the system Of involuntary negro labor,
not only would they be involved in social ruin,
but the shock to industrial England would be of
the most disastrous magnitude.
It is true that in the sugar culture the
coolie labor of India and the Mauritius
is beginning TO replace the loss OF St.
Domingo and the West Indies But there
il well founded doubt springing up in the
world whether the coolie system is any more
consonant with the abstract principles of hu-
manity than is the system of negro slavery 4
prsctised in America Waving, however, this
point il has been demonstrated that cotton can
net be cultivated as successfully in India as il is
In the United States. In Africa the experiment
has not yet been practically tested, and even
should il be positively ascertained, there rise the
great questions propoundcd by the TGmes:-Can
it be produced there with the certainty of pur-
pose and regularity of result necessary for com
mercial purposes? If so, will not the negro
proprietor employ the compulsory labor of
slaves?
Commercial England has to decide these ques-
tons for herself, and, shaping her own policy, TO
abide its issue. Here We are not disposed to in.
terfere with the desirable increase of culture of
staple so necessary as is cotton to the civilized