New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-03-22

sumed at the close Of which the Senate adjourned.
House not in session.
An Act
10 grant NE aS,se s ss s,s Of u:.ns s The impo
SEcTIos /. BE il enacted by the Senate and House
Of Representatives. of the State Of Louisiana IN
General Assembly concerned, That James II. Brigham
ana MS ee and they are hereby authorized
and other laborng purposes, twenty five hundred free
Africans pTocided, they shall be indentured as ap-
prentices to labor for term Of years, which the
parties may agree upon between themselves less
than fifteen years.
REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE
To which referred bill grant authority state
= Louisiana for the importation of free black .borers within
The select committee, to which was referred bin
to grant the authority OF the State Of Louisiana for
the importation Of free black laborers within the
State, beg leave respectfully to report that
We have had the same under our deliberate con-
sideration, and, after viewing it in all its bearings
have come to the conclusion that the measure Is o
good one and ought to pass.
Our consideration was inst directed to the point
TO whether the proposed act would be in violation Of
the State Federal Constitution Of treaty stpu-
latons and, having fully satisfied ourselves il would
not be, nor OF any law of this State which would not
to this particular subject matter be superseded by
the act itself we next proceeded to consider it in
reference to moral principle, and, on this point we
had no hesitation in arriving at the conclusion that
humanity and philanthropy unite in commencing the
| measure.
The barbaric and slavish condition Of the African
negroes under the absolute and brutal swuy Of their
chiefs, Is well known to all who have any knowledge
Of their history. The condition of no people on the
face Of the earth illustrates in greater degree the
| extreme degradation TO which humanity can be sub
jected, than the African in his native country. Lv
| ing in hopeless mental darkness and moral debase-
ment, they are but the chattels of their chiefs and
cOnquerors mere beasts of burden, to be driven,
lashed sold, murdered, passion, caprice,
pdity may dictate An emigration 70 the soil OF
louisiana or OF any Of our Southern States, would
not only be relief but positive blessing Itwould
be to them as the passing out of night into day 1t
would literally be transition from the most abject
servitude intellectual darkness and moral degrada-
ton, to condition OF assumed protection and com
paative freedom to condition of labor it is true,
but one on which is ever shed the benign rays of the
| Christian religion.
This state Of negro servitude as it exists among u.s.
is it is true, the object of uncessng and most malig
| nant attack on the part of Northern abolitOnists
| aud sefstyed philanthropists; but we, who have
| most Intimate knowledge OF the institution, well
know there is not happier class OF persons in this
Union, in any part OF the world than the South
ern wellied, comfortably clad, and carefully pro-
tected negro laborer. Those among us, therefore,
who object to the transfer of the rude, benighted
degraded native African to the soil Of Louisiana,
the score OF humanity or Christian philanthropy,
take position not only wrong in itself, but, to
tain extent, place themselves though with no inten
ton to do SO, by the side of abolition enemies Of
the North.
On the ground of sound policy. the proposed mea-
sure has everything TO recommend it. The superior
adaptation OF negro labor 10 the cultivation OF our
great staples cotton and sugar, is established fact
Indeed it will not be questioned that other class
of laborers be advsntageously employed in this
service. 1t is, aso established fact that there is
now a sufficient quantity OF these commodities pro-
duced fully to supply the yearly increasing demands
of commerce, and the wants Of the world The eonse
quence is that the demand for negro labor is greater
than before known in the history of the country
and the price of negroes has reached figure unpre
| cedentp1y high with still inward tendency. With
no extraordinary supply Of negro laborers from
abroad, in few years the purchase of q valuable
slave will be unattsnsbe except by the wealthy, in
whose possession will thus, by the force of crcunl-
stances, grow up estates of enormous magnitude, at
variance with the general veal, and not altogether
consistent with the genius of Republican institutions
In addition to this consideration, Louisiana is pecu-
lary fitted, by its climate and the wonderful fertility
OF its SOIL to the production OF the great staples re
terred to. For the want OF an adequate supply Of
suitable labor, millions Of acres OF the richest soil
on which the shines lie untouched in their native
forests. This soil could not have been intended by q
wise Providence to lie in its hidden unredeemed state
the abode alone OF untamed beasts in il there are
the undeveloped resources of food and rament fol
countless millions of human beings. At this mo
ment, commerce and the whole civilized earth are
asserting their demands on the fertile soil OF Louis
. lana and the Southern States Fortunate is it thai
there is among citizens intelligence and spri
of enterprise ready to respond to these demands
We want more aborers, and to supply this desiderd
= fum to some extent. is the purpose of the measur,
). under consideration.
!, But the demand OF an increased amount of labo
is not asserted alone in the cultivation of cotton an6
sugar in the soil Of Louisiana. 1t is in many quar-
tiers OF the world, and in various channels OF indus
trial enterprise pressing and imperative in its char
acter, that the ordinary conventonates OF nations
in regard to the importation of foreign labor are Sc
aside as opposed, at this day, to practical politics
= economy and the world wide interests Of humanity
Already has France embarked upon extended sys
Of ten of importation OF free native Africans TO he
West India colonies and defends it before the world
not only necessary for her colonial interests but
proper, phlanthropic, and Christian in its most Ell
I, sreed sense. The ideas of many OF the leadip
British journalists and statesmen have taken the sam
81 direction with view to a supply of British eoonle
F" with suitable and reliable labor. And coming neare
home, already some of our sister Southern state
- moving in the same direction. II we want prece
dents to guide action, we have them. IL we d
not look to precedent, but would be controlled py en-
lightened judgment. independent thought directed
w. our future agricultural, commercial and pohtea IN
Of terests still have abundant reason or giving gu
e, approval to the measure before u.s.
10 On another point we will make a single remark
in reference to the assertion that 1t would be In con
travention of sound policy to introduce among gu
slave population so dangerous an element as III
ig class OF ipdentured blacks would constitute. Tn
dangers or evil Influences from such introduction al
az wholly imaginary The dOcile, tTactabe, and subse
Went natures and habits OF native Africans whe
ND transferred to our soil are notorious They are,
is universally known, the least disposed, OF ever
description OF cOored population, to disconten
T. turbulence instruction. And, as to the imm
st. grant Africans that may be introduced under the
emtinns of this Act, though indentured for term
years. and in this not having the political status
s longing to involuntary and unlimited servitude, st
their color their instincts habits and the character
70 their service, will place them precisely lev
with the black population already established amor
rs u.s.
n. And, on another point which is presented oil
wo of some difficulty, as to the disposition that shall
made of them when their term OF service has ende
n we need say no more than that they may indentu
themselves for further time, il it should be for
longer period than would be necessary to realize
sufficient amount of means to enable them to retu
to their native country to Liberia, for the app
citation and eniovment of the Tennhlican and Chr
cry tian institntons Of ,vhich oovarpment they will
some measure. be fitted by temporary sppfenticesh
ms on American soil.
by ~, ,,.,... -. -. -,