The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-09-23

ton, no feeling of interest, on the part of the
laborer for the interests of his employer, under
the working of such system; and, what is of
far greater consequence, no permanent settling
down of our peasantry 70 improve, morally and
socially.
REGULATIONS OF LABOR
IA Some few of the lsborers have been able
to purchase small freeholds, and others rent, in.
dependently of any agreement to labor These
two classes work, of course, where they please,
and as they please, when no. employed on their
own land. On the whole, they are by no mesns
less industrious or orderly than others. Those
located on estates as tenant-laborers, on the
tenure adverted to in the preceding query, are
generally under engagement to work five days
IN the week for the estate, at stipulated rate
OF wages, commonly twenty cents day. See
Query The sixth day they sre st liberty
70 dispose of as they please and, generally,
when not employed on their own allotments,
they work for wages on the estates requiring
labor, usually at an advance of four cents. In
other words, whilst attached labor, as it is
called, is rated at twenty cents, laborers not
attached commonly get twenty-four cents-an-
other cause Of disafeetion and unsettledness.
The attached laborers, it must be plainly stated,
pay a rent, either in money or labor, for their
cottages and allotments, or for the allotments
only, when the cottages, as is frequently the
case, are their own and the rent is usually set
at the full value of the property rented.
Is. In addition to what has Just been writ
ten under the preceding query, | would say
that, except in few instances Of old and in.
6rn lsborers, l Sun not aware of any houses
furnished rent-free on the estates. Generally
speaking they are al rented on the condition
of service mentioned in the preceding para.
graph, the rent being usually paid weekly, by
one member of the family IS regards the house,
but each member that chooses to take land
held responsible for the rent of his or her al
lotment. Attempts were made some time ago
to exact rent or conditional service on the ess1
tate, from all the adult and sdolescent members
OF family occupying house on the estate :;
but this was too clearly iniquitous a construc
ton to be sanctioned by Law, ard it was given
up after little struggle. The practice now
In such cases, is to raise the rent upon the ten
ant, and eventually eject the family from their
holding. We have an abundance of labor, and,
like our other blessings, are apt to abuse it. ]
should be unjust, did l not add here, that many.
of our planters do not give in to these very
questionable practices, but, from all that cam
gather, are every day more and more strongly
impressed in favor of better tenure for these.
lsborers' holdings on the estates, and this as
much for their own sskes as the lsborers. u
Is. There is no peculiar tsx levied on this
class. Those who have taxable property pay,
of course, the same taxes as other owners ots
such property and all, in proportion to their
consumption of commodities paying duty,
whether of excise or customs, contribute to the
puslic revenue of the Island. These dutiet
cannot be said to press heavily on this particu,
lar class. -
RIGHT OF VOTING
II. There is no distinction in this respect,
All who possess the qualification required b.,
law have equally the right to vote and severar
OF the emancipated laboreIs, having acquirey-
the qualification, are voters. The objection
70 the qualification, as being too high, not fq
this class only, but for the poorer classes geh.
orally. 1t Is q freehold of EGO late currencr
($6l.44l annual value, or occupancy in a towa
of premises of the annual value OF ESQ late
currency, (Sl53.60,) and is considerably beyond
the reach OF numbers of our industrious and it.
telhgent middle classes, colored and whit,
whom it is desirable, on every consideration Il
sound policy, to admit to the suffrage.
HAVE THEY BEEN BENEFITED.
l8. Those who deny that the emancipat,i
slaves OF these Colonies have greatly benefite>..
II at all, by their emanci patton, are either groas
ly ignorant on the subject which they ventuse
TO pass judgment upon, or have some sini,-
ter purpose 10 serve by a perversion of TIE
II ~
results of emancipation, shared more or less FS
every class and condition in our communil
have been specially marked as regards the Ia e
slaves themselves. In their case IL has be,
felt IN every respect, without qualification ar
exception. Working now for themselves and
enjoying the fruits Of their own labor. not ou'y
rs their physical condition improved, but their
moral and social also. They have improved
l sm speaking of them as a whole-in allthss
distinguishes man from the mere animal; far
the freedom that made them men, by g..
dowing them with the proper rights and inn
mites OF manhood, has induced aspirations "a
aims heretofore unfelt, save perhaps occasion.
ally, and without hope, by individuals among
| them, and, at the same time, has developed, 40
70 speak, a new faculty for their attainment,
That which renders advancement po,sibIe n
any class OF men tends, need not tell Won. so
advance them. 1t is too much the fashfon-o
| compare them, not with their former selys.,
| their present state with what it was in Slave 4.
some twenty years ago, but with some fancSxi
IDEAL OF abstract manhood, in which all Ee
possible virtues are present, without any shadf.,e
OF vice. But the truth lie, they are very much,
In this respect, like ordinary men of other
races, from whom they essentially differ Il
must beg pardon of the physiological in &C n.
plexlon only. If their Improvement on ne
1
sired, and confess to some regret myself Sn
this score, the perturbing cause is. perhaps to
be found in circumstances that have indi.
Gated IN the course of these queries as operatsag
concurrently with emancipation. Much Tat
we see to regret IN their condition are the I'm
gering effects, in fact, of Slavery, not vet Grad.
lcsted and il the process of eradication g5es
on more slowly than the friends of emanci5s
lion could wish, 1t must be remembered t5at
the leprous faint of Slavery pervsded our En-.
tire community in all its relations, and that he
cure Of the emancipsted slaves cannet be ftlly
Effected until that of the other and supesjor
classes is oonplsted. On view like this,.~e
have no reason, as Aboitiouists, to hang our
heads, or despond.
| EFFECT on THE POOR WHITES
| ~. This Is perhaps the class that has b=en
least affected permanently By emancipats3n,
and should say, from its circumstances, Che
one least calculated to be so affected. But,.on
The whole, ss class, the effect, as far a. it
| gees, has been without doubt beneficial T. ia
no small matter, as regards them, that the
stigma has been taken from labor; and the
really well disposed and improbable AIMING
them are placed by this means alone in a,far
better position than they held before. weuld
here refer you, for pretty fair notice of his
class, to work of the late DR.. Davy, Inspe- tor
OF Army Hospitals in these Islands, a few wars
sgo, who, if not always accurate when sn-ak.
| ing OF classes ogtside of the circle in whicf he
/ moved, is never unjust, and nsy be genei ally
relied on an impartial witness.
EXTRACT FROM A SPEECH OF JAMES S. PIKE,
OF CALAIS