Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-12-15
SERYITuDE

European governments seem at last awakening to
the fact, that African or negro labor is the Only
kind well adapted to the tropics, and as We get
thence very many of what has got to be regarded as
the necessaries of ife the feeling Of hostility to
that species Of labor, or what is the same thing,
slave labor, seems to be undergoing quite revOlu-
tion.
The French government have as good as engaged
In the slave trade True the design Is sought to be
covered up BY the ridiculous pretext Of hiring Yet
on arecent occasion when Lord Clarendon waited
upon by deputatOn Of abOlitiOnists in reference to
the course of the French.gOvsrnment, his LOrdship
event SO far as to avOw that the French system re-
ferred to was slave trading in its unmitgated
and offensive form" And yet we venture the pre-
dictiOn, that England will not on this account
the ties Of eOrdiaI dnity and good 0i which sub
sist between the two governments.
ApprOpOs of this change Of English views upon this
subject, is sn article from the London Tines from
which We extract what to US seems, under all the
circumstances, covert if not downright svowal in
favor of re opening the slave trade, though it be
called free African labor. Yet we know that there
is no such thing in any practical straightforward
things like unsophisticaied peOp.e Whatever he
does must be upon the humanitarian policy of work
log for the good of mankind and upon principles Of
more elevated kind than such as influence common
mortals. 1t was to humOr this super refined, maud
deln sentiment, that Napoleon, who is practical
man, put the gloss free labor upon his recent pur
chase Of African slaves.
The broth begins to simmer-hoE long before it
bois we Eot not. But the following extract from
the London Times, taken in connection with others
Of like caste that have preceded it, is at least signif
can't Especially it must not be forgotten that the
same great exponent of English opinion has pro-
nouDced dOgmatcally, that negro free labor in the
emsncpated West Indies has proven 8 dead failure
IA curse to the master and the negro:
eve have once or twice suggested that, instead of
cofning our attention exclusively to the point of
supply il might possibly be servicesbe TO take into
consideration the point OF demand After all, there
is nothing unnatural in a mans not liking TO be
ruined whether he is an English merchant wanting
bank notes tropical agriculturist wanting labor
ers. We, too, side OF the Atlantic want the
produce which the tropical cultivator alone can
raise and il is simply because we are ready TO buy
sugar that the Cubans set General COncha at def.
ance in their resolution grow it by any manner Of
means. Over our own West Indies we had so strong
q hold that We could do pleased and it pleased
US that the estates of the colonies should 60 out Of
cultivation rather than that they should be cultivated
by the only labor aysIlAble-that OF slaves. Ger
tainy We took share in the sacrifice, for we paid
$4,000 00O towards the losses incurred, but other
nations not likely altogether TO admire the re-
suits to follow the example. But if they do not
follow it, and cannot Intercept their supplies by
sheer force, what the prospects before Us? Can
not some device some provision be imagined which
will leave tropical planters with alternative
bet Eeen ruin and sl8ve-dealng Slave labor is no
toriously not cheap labor. Planters are used TO it,
and in the cultivation of certain crops II is conve
nent on account of the resources which it yields
particular periods of the year; but always costly
agency, and just now more costly than ever. No
in his would long prefer TO buy slave for
e300 if he could hire a lsborer whose passage had
a thrtieth part of the money. As 10 the event
usl balance of advantages, that question has been
settled by the experiments in the Mauritius, where
free labor has actually done than slave labor
has ever been known TO do.
ave know full well the remOnstrances to be anti
cipated from veteran aboltionists, who denounce
the idea Of free negro labor, and with plausi
biIty as only cover for legalzed slave dealing
What they say about the operation Of such system
upon the African coast has very possibly some foun
dation but Il should not be forgotten that choice
lies between two evils, and evils ony. 1t is evil
10 rettace our steps, even in SO small degree and
for good purpose-if ii is evil TO revive bad
passions in the breasts of African chiefs, and to
show ourselves as the purchasers or purveyors OF
negroes in the very markets have been attacking
for years-it Is also an evil to be expanding money
and life task which does not prevent cargoes Of
blacks from being carried across the ocean as be-
FORE aud to De relying entirely upon system Of
preston which, even when we have the advantage
Of jealous co-Operator in the Captain General Of
Cuba, cannot be rendered successful and effective.