Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-01-16
Hrom the Ph,lsd.luhia Pres.


l
ished Il, until Il now exists only in the |
UnitedSAtss5 Brazil sndthe Spanish West
Indies.
Strenuous efforts have been increasingly |
made by the government of France and
Great Britain TO induce the Brazilian and
Spanish governments to prohibit the slave |
trade more vigorously, and to abolish |
slavery altogether. How far the designs of |
these governments were directed towards |
the abolition Of slavery in the United |
States, or were made to mingle in our late |
Presidential election, it is difficult to say,
but no doubt exists as to the sympathy |
that has been felt, if not expressed by |
them, towards the abOlitionists of this |
country, in all their agitations on the |
subject.
We have said these efforts to abolish
negro slavery every where had bccn con-
tinued down to the last year by France
and Great Britain. But how stands the
matter now? Recent accounts from these
countries show that both are driving
measures for the renewal Of the slave
trade, and the introduction of negro
slavery into their southern possessions on
more extended scale than has ever here
tofore been known.
Great changes have taken place in the
world since the abolition of negro slavery
began, that may materially affect the
question. Then the consumption of
tropical and Southern productions was
comparatively limited and it was be-
lieved, and SO argued, that they could be
produced cheaper and more abundant by
free than by slave labor. Then the use Of
cotton was esmall, very small matter
little or none of it in the raw state was
imported into Europe or America, or
manufactured then.
But since that period vast interests to
the world at large, and to the more civil
lied parts Of it in particular, have grown
up. dependent upon largo supplies Of trop-
ical and Southern products. Millions are
now more or less dependent for fuel and
clothing, all over its surface on tho pro-
duction of cotton, sugar and coffee, and
other articles formerly of partial use, and
conceded as luxuries, are now articles Of
general use and necessity. In reference
to cotton alone, what would the world do
without it? There are some, perhaps
many, who believe that if cotton was to
cease to be cultivated by slave labor, the
only effect would be to lessen the exports
of the United States and Brazil some
millions Of dollars. They have seen no
benefit arising from it but what has ac-
crued to the shareholders. They have
never thought of the millions that its loss
would "strip and starve" everywhere
But others have been witnesses of this,
and are now talking and writing about it
in q manner very different from what they
did year or more ago. We do not say
that the able discussion of the whole SUBJ
ject Of negro slavery, and its effects on the
slaveholding countries, the slaves them.
selves, and the rest of the world, that has
been going on in this country for some
years past, and particularly during our
late Presidential campaign, has produced
this change, but we have no doubt it has
mutually aided in its development. The
Emperor Of France, the British Parliament,
the leading British presses, instead Of an
athematizing negro slavery as they for
merly did, are now devising schemes for
peopling these desolate southern colonies
with negro slaves. France abolished
slavery more than half century since in
the West Indies, and left them to govern
themselves ever since. The British gov
ernment, at later period, abolished sla-
very in, her West India and Southern
American colonies, and has governed these
colonies ever since. The result in both
cases has been full and complete refGta-
ton Of the idea that tropical or Southern
productions can be produced in any con.
siderable quantities by free labor, no mat
ter how itmay be directed, by whom per
formed, or what may be its promised re.
wards We say nothing of the failures
elsewhere in other parts Of Southern
America. Nor have these failures been
confined to America. Great Britain and
France have failed in all their attempts in
Asia and Africa, TO produce by free labor
any considerable quantity of cotton ol
sugar or other Southern products. The
frequent and persevering attempts ot
Great Britain to grow cotton in her diff
ferent possessions in the East-in Africa
and in Asia-are well known. She has
employed American cotton growers to sI'
perintend some of her experiments, and
bought American cotton seed to plant,
and her press has boasted Of their sue.
cess-and yet they have one and all failed;
and this complete and universal failure ii
is that has caused the great change that
has taken place in the British and French
governments and press on the subject oi
negro slavery. Free negro labor, free
white labor, and free Indian labor, have
Ill been tried in every possible manner,
and have all failed failed in America
failed in Africa-hiled in Asia. =.
Nor has the recent and last experiment
the importation Of Coolies to the West
Indies and elsewhere-been more success.
ful than any Of the others, nOtwithstand-
ing it was characterized by the worst feat
ures Of negro slavery in its worst days.
The British and French anti-slavery prop
agandists now propose that the Govern
ment Of France and Great Britain shall
supply these southern colonies with negro
labor-not, they say, to be bought OF
stOLen from Africa, but to be obtained rol-
WatGriky Voluntary sEUSOrGnte,-not to
be cold to the southern planters for life,
but to be bound'tO them for term Of ten
or tsoelVe years.
Do they suppose these bondsmen for
years will be worked any the less, or their
bodies, or minds, OF souls, be any the
better cared for by their masters, than II
they owned them for life, and their pos.
terity after themr Are these bondsmen
to be allowed wives and children, and
honest Ifso, how will they be support
edP Does any one believe that any plan
ter would take any wild African on cOndi.