Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-10-07
From "The States"
unite Slaves

The English, who are so opposed TO negro slavery /
under the American regime are not at all opposed
20 q system which, in their own hands, Is an out
rage of the blacklist and most heartess nature
.sW estminster Review, and, other humane pen,and
INK mouth-pieees of the Euglish nation such trou-
lie and anxiety il is notorious fact that system
Of slavery, in Chinese and other Asatcs, infinitely
worse, is openly sustained and patronized-
This Asiaiic slave trade, from the temporary re-
iations existing between master and slave, is pr
vocative Of such crimes would, if attending AT
rcan slavery in America, outrage the Whole Popu-
iation Of the country.
Between the Asiatic slave and his master there is
no bond under the benign influence of which the
latter can hope 10 survive bis term of apprentice
ship He IS called a free eolonst; he is hired for
% many years; bound TO his master, whose only
desire is TO get as much work out OF him for that
period as he can. What becomes of him after bis
term of labor has expired is without the masters
consideration. He has no business with him then.
He has whipped and tortured the slave into "use-
fulness" He has exhausted his vitality broken his
spirits and the slave has claim for shelter after
he has made the fortune of the callons and mean
employer
What contrast Is afforded by the happy homes
of the negroes on our Southern plantations Fore
thought if nothing else, suggests wise and judi
cious care of the slaves They not hired to
make mans fortune in few years. They belong
to the planter for life. They are part OF him
one of his limbs which necessitate prompt care 10
its meridianal existence and satisfactory susten
ance in quiet hen it's life of activity is the
Wane.
The European governments whose organs so vi
olenty abuse the American system of African sla-
very, might take many humane lessons from it for
the management of their Asiauc serfs. The diff
ence of the systems pursued by the respective con
tinents is just this
The American system prolongs the lite of the AZ
rican; the European system acceerates the whole
sale murder OF the Asiatic The property system
protects the blacks; the apprentice system protects
| the whites.
In the Havana correspondence OF the Herald we
have outline of the horrors attending this awful
system of 'ree coonists, which meets the appro-
baton o! England, France, and the widest Aboh
1 tionists nf the Northern States. The communica
| ton from which we yuote is dated Havana, Sept.
| 23:
'Snce last there have been two arrivals of Ash
attic free cOlonsts at this pOrt-tbe first the 18th
( inst $50 in number, under the Dutch flag. They
both came via ST. Helena. OF the first cargo sixty
| died
! 1.-The following circumstances will prove to you
the cruel treatment these poor white slaves under
go upon the sugar estates 10 this island:
! "a wealthy Creole family the proprietors Of
several sugar estates. Que of these is TILED al
most altogether by Asiatics who are in derision
suppose, called free cclonists. Upon this estate
| especially, for several successive days, three or
| four of these Asiatics committed suicide The num-
Der that did at length attracted the attent of
! the authorities, and investigation entered
into if possible to ascertain the cause of so
many of these unhappy taking their own lives.
By examining the persons not only of the deceased,
but also of those of the living Asiatics, it dis
| covered that they we're covered with scars caused
by the whip, from the vanes of their napes down
| to their very ancles-that no negro had ever been
more cruelty whipped. Under the terms of the
contracts entered into by these Chinese, a copy Of
which 10 Chinese and Spanish is in nv possession,
they bound to submit to the discipline OF the
estates upon which they are engaged. By this
find, from intelligent Chinese, they understa nd
a cOuformance to the hours of labor on the estate,
the performing of such work as they may be Greet
ed to do, the best of their ability, and, in short
conducting themselves good laborers should DO
but they did not suppose they were, under any cir
cumstance, to be whipped with the Lash. IF, sai'
this Chinese to me, any one committed THEFT
then thought the punishment would be impris
onment, and in bad cases the bastinado.' In reply
to my inquiry, what he would do he whip
ed?' 4 would he exclaimed passonatey, frs
kill the who whipped m a, and then kill myself
L could not live after had been logged"