Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-02-11

Z first quarter. by the advent OF n class of iner
known Philanhropisis. who vninly imagined
, that it was possible rtfprm and cure all the
abuses Of government. all the vices Of social life
and all the intellectual, moral and hysieal defor-
mites and drfrct- Of humanity. by net Of Paria
menf For fifty venrs This returning process
I'M been in operation. and the result il before
The present generation in inonsira1s nbortions
aud failures in every quarter Of the globe. It
would be interesting aud instructive to invesii-
gafe the practical results Of The various reforms
set ON foot by the Towards, Clark sons and Will
berfnrceS, but our space compels us 10 restrict
our observations to one reform ony-the abo-
ton of slavery by England and France To their
West India Possessions.
For thousands of years the negro race had
negotiated on III" western coast Of Africa. W ,hout
advancing an inch in civilization, adding tho
| first idea 10 the general stock of knowledge, or
| atiordng the first example of moral heroism or
contributing the first article to the commerce
of the world by their industry, skill enter
prize. cuifee lived and died and left no sign
lie was the same ihriftless improvident. stupid
aud debased savage when America was discover
ed, that he wis during the reign of Pharoah in
/ Egypt, aud useless an incumbrance up
The ground as the wild beasts of his native for
| ests
When America was discovered there was IA
great need Of laborers, and the hardy pioneers
who first broke the stiffness of these western
! the lazy Africans and compelled them to earn
/ their bread by the sweat of their brow. For
| long yenrs the African slave trade was not only
tolerated. but encouraged and participated in, by
Kings. Lords mud Commons, and the whole world
began II feed the benefits If system which
made industrious workers of n race OF idle vaga.
/ bonds, and The class must benefited were the ne
grors themselves who began 10 improve rs soon
/ as hey communicable work. and have gradually
| advanced in civilization until they are mt this day
| confessedly very useful portion OF the pnpula
ton oi the United States. BY their labor the
world Is clothed and in part fed ships freigh,ed
with the products of then labor, !arrow every
! sea. and factories. unexampled in splendor, ON
ploy millions at tnen in its manufacture. Such
lie the history # slavery in the United States.
Bat this beneicent system fell under the ban
| of the English and French Phanthrops's, and
beeauselt did not square with their notions OF an
| abstract mural Truth. it was ruthlessly abolished,
! and the ignorant and thrittcss slave was turned
| loose in the French aud English Antilles to live
or de. Il advance or retrogade AS chance might
determine Now let us not" This practical result
| of this insane and silly effort to make free man
! Of degraded savage.
The first triumph of these theories" we quote
! from the New York Herald, "was witnessed in
! 81. Domingo, There community, which IN 1883
| produced li5.O0O 100 pounds of sugar, 10000,
/ 600 pounds of cof' and 6,OOO0OO pounds of cot
1 and its plnco has been filled only by comnuni
/ ties organized on n similar social system. Tho
/ next triumph is exhibited in the West India colo
/ mics ot all the European powers, except Span.
! The change in their social organization has redu
ced the production Of sugar in the English French
| Danish aud Dutch West Indies, since 1888 near
i youc bali preeluding ut the same time my nd
. sanee ia tn culture of cotton. Wero these the
p.,e, aud their attendant results to be applied 10
the southern portion of the United States and 10
lhr colonies Il spain, which still holds to the
system 81 involuntary negro labor,not only would
/ Uss1 L." involved in social ruin, hut the shock to
] iuaa-lrla England would be of the most disas-
I trinu- mn t,Iitude,"
l3at Ia degradation of the African race is not
linz aulp. nnd perhaps not the least evil of this
! n philanthropy.
Disappointed in the hope that the freed African
J "a4iI continue 10 produce coffee, cotton and
sugar, under the old system,nnd even increase
! thin contributions to commerce, England and
France have gone on cruise round the world
/ committing the most horrid atrocities upon fan
! distant aud un"liendine nations, ovrrtnrnng
governments and setting mp their authority
ii Their sicnd, iur no other apparent purpose than
to find - soil, climate and labor with which they
cnn success fuiiy compete with slave labor in the
United States IN the production If our great
1t pics aud even onsenting Ia ensavr the coo
lbs of Asa under the fiction of an apprentices
ship, which, ull prtunttey but seldom ever comes
10 an ond, and is wanting in all the hnmnniIie.
which temper African slavery in the hope Of re
storing the " est Indies to their original fertility
and productisenc>s. And now that their long
aul ,Npeasive. experiment. has ended in faure
the lcading m5uds Of Gront Britain have come Il
the conclusion that without slave labor cotton
Cannot hr produced with the certainty e par
pose aud regularity of result necessary for com
Inerctnl purpos, -
! The London Times, the great organ of tn,