New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-10-08

The abolition Of Slavery in the Dutch West ln-
dies about to be proposed in the States-General
of Holland is Of less Importance from the numbers
upon whom it may confer the boon Of Liberty than
from the new proof il affords of the growiog force
of the sentiment Of humanity among ell civilized
nations Upon the continent of South America the
Dutch once held very extensive possessions The
Dutch West tdis Company carried on for time
successful struggle with Portugal for the pos.es-
sion of Brazil But the insurrection of the con-
quered Portuguese before long exps led them from
those regions, leaving them, in South America,
only their settlements on the River Belize Dem.
erara and E,sequibo. Even these districts, how
ever, are no lorger Dutch. During the wars
of the French Revolution, they passed into the
bands of the Ell glsb, ard now constitute the COL
ony Of British Guiana. All that remains to the
Dutch of South American territory, constituting,
in fact, their principal possession in America, is
the colony Of Surinam, between British Guiana on
the west and French Guiana or Cayenne, on the
east-a colony the more interesting to US from the
circumstance that, having once been English, IL
was yielded up to the Dutch at the peace OF Breds
in 1867 in exchange for the province OF New Metz
erlsnds and the city Of New.Amste' dam, OF which
the English had taken forcible possession three
wears before, changing the name OF both to New
York.
There was con. idersble discussion among the poll
ticians and poticL economists Of the times whether
in making this exchange England had not made
very bad bargain. la point of extent of territory,
both colonies stood about on level. Neither had
apy de- finite boundaries inland, and both claimed
large extent Of unsettled territory As their respect!
i've boundaries have since been established Surinan,
50 far as square miles concerned has taken the
lead The extent of that colony is reckoned BY
geographers at about sixty thousand square miles,
while we of New York, after claiming during the
progress of the Revolutionary War, all Upper Can.
aud the Mississippi have been cut down to forty ak
thousand square miles. At the time of the exchange
now near two centuries age, the population aud COM
merce Of the two colonies were pretty nearly equal;
and indeed for the ne,t hundred years Surinsm
kept pretty equal progress with New York, and at
times, especially after the introduction of the cul-
iivstion Of coffee, 6rst carried there from Java
epsus NV, oho uhuCA tuC AmYuicc VI tho sAoN c
trade, it seemed to justify the arguments Of those
who had maintained that colony in the tropics, OF
such extent and fertility, was Of far greater value
| than New York could ever become.
The fret blow to the prosperity of Surnam grew
out Of an instruction of the negroes body Of
whom escaped into the uninhabited district in the
rear of the colony, where they maintained them.
selves against every attempt at their subjugation
Finally, the celonists could do no better than to
enter ito treaty Of peace with them Another
instruction of the came sort broke out about the
tine Of our revolutionary war; and Captain Stcd
man, who served as enc Of a party of English mer.
censries enlisted to fight the rebel negroes, hal
given in his book on Sarinsm very interesting
description Of the colony as be saw it. This wal
ended, like the former. IN recognition Of the
rtvolted negroes as free AID indcpeodent. they,