The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-06-28
TIVE Labor Question and Free Negro ColOni-
zas1On.


TIVE Labor Question and Free Negro Coloni-
zasion.
The labor question is one of the greatest pro-
bleus Of the age and ii Il now being actively dis
cuseed in England under two of it's most lmpor-
tant aspects One of these is presented BY the
new movement 10 pour into the English. French
and Spanish colonies in America food of Afri-
can negroes, nomjnslly free, but in reality bousd
to slavery for term Of years. The other Is
called in England /" The Question of Cotton
supply"
A short time since adeputation of respectable
gentlemen connected with the West India inte-
rest called upon Lord Palmerston to urge the
new 8, stem of abolishing slavery, as this African
scheme is pleasantly styled Its chief features,
as recommended by these gentlemen, consist in
the making Of African emigration treaties with
France, Spain end Portugal a inducing them
to import into their colonies free negroes, at a
cost of e7 l0s head, instead Of slaves at
cost of yel4O q head In support of this it is
cociiy argued that slavery furnishes but tenn
porsry supply OF labor by individuals worked to
death in ten years, while emigration gives per-
maneat supply By colonization in fainilics' un-
der contract to BE- worked to Death in ten years
We have shown on former occasion bow com
plateiy fa!acious is the Humanitarian idea In this
sche1re Of African colonization. Divested "a. il
!, OF The obligation upon the employer to main
tain the slave after he has passed tfie poried Of
active labor, aDd TO care for his preservation in
bodily health end utility ss long as possible tho
scheme Of importing African apprentices for u
limited term is nothing less than premium to
avRJice to work 10 death every negro as soon as
its interest demands So long as new ones can
be obtained for 81 los. head, the most profta-
bic plan to the employer will be to work them
up as fast as possible.
The question Of cotton supply has not yet found
solution satisfactory to the English mind
which Is probably owing to the fact that It Is
not discussed in its true light as labor question
Yet bosa this and the West India difficulty are
questions OF the supply Of labor in its proper
quantities and Glasses as they relate to each
other. The torrent OF European thought, under
the lead Of flnatcisn and error, has been for
many years engaged in q war upon the social
oeeded in part in attaining its object with all its
necessary concommit;ln.s. The industrial pro-
duct, Of Hayti. Jamaica. aud the other West In
dim islands excepting Cuba and Porto Rico,
have either been totally destroyed or largely
diminished TIE Withdrawal OF the staples they
once supplied TO the world is now sensibly felt by
their Consumers, who are now loudly complain
ing that the supply of sugar and other tropical
productions ia inadequate to meet the demand.
The planting interests in those regions, and those
o. commerce that were connected with them,
hove dropped and decayed in the face of the
constantly increasing prices Of their staples.
The effect Of all this is felt by Euysnd's in
dustry.
Yet had not the people of this country pre-
seated barrier to the extension Of thea de.
str1ctire theories over the cotton planting re-
gio1s of these States-for which they have, no
WINE Zen more rabidly abused than in Eng
land--how much greater would have been the
banei1. effect upon the industry of Eagland.
Had ths supply Of cotton been dim;nished in the
same proportion as the supply OF sugar. the
cotton manufacture end all IT. ateuGaut Interests
must have dropped also. That il would have
fallen Of very much in the same proportion as
the production OF Jamaica has fallen of, no I'M
prejudicod man who has ever lived in commu-
nifty whtre tic black and white races form the
social organism can for one moment doubt One
Of Engla1ds greatest sIatsticians Mr. Mcqueen
--torctold thirty yeers ago in treaiises tnat now
read like prophecies the eittc. Of the hunanita-
rion theories upon the industry Of the English
colonies II is well for England now that the
United States did not adopt them.
The efforts now being made to restore the in.
dustria past, through vain discuftiou Of the
cation supply question and the inportations Of
hoi des OF new negroes from Africa, are the
efioI l. Of tukcrs 10 restore what took centuries
to construct. Negroes alone cannot rebuild the
Industrial communities Of tropical America
Where are the generations of Intelligent and
sl.illed shitcs who directed tho labOrs OF the
negroes tlcEc Of wore? Where are tho comu.e.-
cial science and capital that mediated between
producer ard consumer? Wncre the mechanicai
knowlcdgc that constructed and attended The
machines, huilt the houses laid out the roads.
cleared TIC rivers AID carried On tue thousand
occupations attendant upon agriculture. Where
are TIC arts literature science and developed in
telIeCt that must peryade every civilized com
munty, and Observe and conduct the silent ope-
rstiots OF it, Industrial social snd political life?
Can thcse be restored by immigration Of negroes
from Africa, or Empty discussions OF soil and
climate in Manchester No; Thousand Zines
no. Land and climate for the production Of cot
ton and suga exist in the greatest abundance.
But that knowledge aud accumulated capital
tina, are the growth Of generations do not
exist and cannot be supplied. These things are
the Accommodations Of many years, and spring
from the SLOW operations Of the laws Of supply
and demand For them the questions of cotton
and sugar supply must wait