Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-01-19

Blu; politicians and the public, and even the friends
# the slaves themselves, have now begun To mat
ters in clearer light Our own colonies are iIupCv
srsbed, but the sum of slavery is not dinnished; il
has only been transferred from us to more gras;,c
pitess, and uhscrupnlOus hands. Never was the
prospect of emancipation distant than now that
foreign slave owners are establishing monopoly
nf all the great staples of tropical produce
The islands wbic', in the old times supplied
30 much sugar, coffee and Gotten, are 90.
ing ont OF cultivation, while Cuba, the United
States, aud Brazil, are every day extend.
ing the area Of their cultivation and the number of
their slaves. So valuable, indeed s the slave in Gu
ba that in spite of treaties and penal laws, cruiser.
blockades, thousands of Africans are yearly carried
across the Atlantic to work on tho sugar aud tobacco
plantations The wealth of the island is such that in
spite of misgovernment, oppressive taxes, and Spa
nish army Of 5000 men, its proprietors among
the richest III the world. AZ to the United Sts,es, it
IT, indeed, folly expect any change in that quarter.
Slavery on the North American continent has OK.
tended, il extending will extend AS long the
supplies of cotton are below the demand in all the
markets of the world, long will slave labor be too
valuable to be parted with. 1t may be declared that
the attacks of hbotionsis and the interference OF the
North sre the cause OF this determination to uphold
slavery; but 10 sensible man will believe that mere
irritation and obstinacy c"nld lead 10 such great
suits. The existence of slavery is economical
question: and 80 long The system il profitable VIZ
cannot doubt that il will be maintained. Much the
same may be said with respect to Brazil, where the
institution prevails with features OF cruelty unknown
even in The worst of times under English rule.
Now, to these countries we have given moDopo
ly of products which the chief basis Of indus.
try, or among the chief sources 0t our revenue.-
They are becoming rich, powerful, arrogant, every
day less inclined to be guided by English counsels
moved by English interference. With all the readi-
ness which seinterest induces they have learnt the
arguments against limiting slavery and slave impor
tation from our mishaps, our acknowledgements OF
failure, from their own prosperity, snd from our de-
pepdencs upon them. They have the law Uf nations
on their side, and may quote it in answer to my
assertion of our rights 10 interfere in the cause
of humanity. They are free nations, and Africa
is free coast. Negroes are Necessary to rai.e
the cotton sugar, coffee, and tobacco, which The
world wants. The white m,n cannot work un.
der tropical sum- and, unless Tho African be used ms
a laborer, the fairest regions Of the New World
nust remain desert. In fine, negroes must he had
a any cost; and no nation haa right TO impose
its own scrupu0sty on other free communities. IL
England has ruined her colonies that is no reason
why she should seek to check ths progress of the
whole American continent Such ia the kind rea'
soning which ia becoming more and more common
every day; and Wa depend upon 1t that, in some
form under prete1t the sltva owners OF The
other hemisphere will again attempt to obtain sup.
ply of negroes from the coast of Africa. The recent
importation into the French colonies has naturally
aroused their attention. and it is no wonder that We
hear it asked why few cargoes Of such "emgranf-
could not be brought 10 New Orleans or Savannah,
there TO be settled according to the domestic insi-
tutons of the State. With this renewed vitality Of
slavery, owing to the rapidly increasing value OF the
slave, wa have now 10 deal.
And it is not by preaching, or protesting or threat.
ening, or denouncing, that the objects OF humanity
can be attained. The last genHation were content
to be merely destrucves they broke down the slave
system in the West Indies without attempting 10 re-
place il by better, and the consequence has been
the multiplication of the formsr evils, and deepen
ing of the guilt in which VIZ Indirectly participate as
consumers of the saverased poduce. After ~ years
experience now called upon to provide rern--
DIV. On all sdes va hear the Ame cry--tbe colonies
are periahing for want Of sufficient labor. By addi'
tional supplies alone the pri;lcps OF Tree labor
in the topics be vindicated aud real blow struck at
the iniques against which Wa have TO lorg declaIn.
ed. Our attention has been directed to report OF
the council on immigration fo- the Island OF lr'hIau'
which shows how British colony may decay while
all around il is ourishing. II Trinidad had remain
ed under Spanish sway il might, in spite oil tyranny
and msrule be the wealthy ISLAND when its positiou
and fertility would naturally make u. Dut we we
learn that, although The island contains i@oo'oo"
acres vet the extent Of al the land now under cuti'
vation s only about 52,8S7 acres and oil this area
the sugar plantations cover only 3i,Oo9 acrea. Inc
entire number of agricultural laborers WORKING 'nr
wages in the cultivation Of sugar and cocoa ls only
,,;s and rin. introduced at me puoic e1P"ns". ~
a q uaa aha ta by better aborers for wages
than the negro. who it s stated, "wil not be stini'
lated to greater industry by any ncrease OF wages
And at the present time the planters would gladly
obtain labor by advance Of wages. The high price
of sugar and other tropical productions has tinu!stea
enterprise. greater extent OF land is beng nroneht
under cultivatiOn and all that is wanted for the de-
velopment Of the colony is supply OF handa. such
are the fertility and the abundance OF land thst he
expense of establishing virgin land an estate capa
BILE OF producing 25O hogshsads Of sugar, inc!ndng
the cost of machinery and buildings would not e1.
ceed E6,0OD sterling" But with the present supply OF
labor even the present production OF the colony can
not be kept up. The coonists. therefore. beg the go
vernment to assist them in obtaining immigrants from
China and India. The colony, says the report. could
without difficulty meet the expense OF introducing
and without risk find employment for 5OO Chinese
Immigrant" But ii is to British India that the CO
lony chiefly locke Under free system the cooI'es
work better than Africans. The former are ambitious
and work for wages the latter 90 of and squa IN re-
mote distrcts content to support lie on ilttm'-
Now this document cOmes, We think opportuheiy ai
present There can be doubt that slavery Will
once more gain the ascendant unless We carry out
plan Of free labor. Our colonies in the West are the
field for such a scheme, our empire in the East may
furnish the ieborers, and the new hold shall have
on Asia will give facilities for doing what We wish
Whether we should send mutinous sepoys across the
water is matter hardly yet ripe for decision; but we
think, if they to be transported anywhere they
may az vel. people Trinidad as the AndamaIis or
any Asiaic island. But II is evident that the whole
question Of West Indian cultivation must now be eI
amined and with such colonies as jamaica Trinidad
and Guiana, there ia no reason why We should not
show that the culture of the tropics by free labor
not the impossibty which the partizans OF slavery
represent.