The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-01-23
NAPoLEON's DEFENcE or THE NEW SLAVE
TRADE OF FRANCE.
prom the Paris con,titutioaneI ofDoe. %.

false in principle the Times calls upon us to the
experiment on a new plan We have always thought
that complicated plan was unnecessary all that is
quired is To give labor in the colonies the same freedom
and latitude secured to it in Europe For instance the
planters have not been free TO labores to continue
and extend the cultivation of the soil This is of the
principal errors the abolitionists have committed In
Europe the supply OF labore has always exceeded the
demand. In the colonies, on the contrary the demand
has exceeded the supply The population insufficient,
and it can be augmented by European emigra-
ton In the tropics European venture TO cult
the soil To him it yields but deadly carnations,
while its richest products prodgaly bestowed repay the
labor of the African or Asatic. The white man may,
without danger carry his capital and his industry to the
colonies but his constitution is untitled to endure great
physical fatigue there
The colonists could procured aborers from Africa
and Asia that could not be surpassed if the aboonsts
had consented but this they would not do, and, with
their usual mode of reasoning claimed the in
terest of the slave while refusing to this reform the in
dspensabe elements of So eectnay have they
opposed Indian and African emigration that in the Eng
fish West India islands the cultivation OF the soil has
been left the caprice of creole abore Who enjoying
undstubed monopoly naturally abuse it by charging
high for a little labor.
1t is the business of Great Britain bring these anati
cal abotionss to But the consequences OF their
false doctrines have affected Our colonies have suf
fered from lack of hands well the English colonies,
and il cannot be any longer endured. If our neghbors
choose TO submit to the consequences OF their abolition
theories the of the world not obliged to adopt
them its law of conduct Their code OF philanthropy
is not law for Thus our government having recog
missed emigration at useful and moral has author
lied traders to engage labores in Asia and Africa for the
French colonies.
Up to the present time Asia has furnished very small
number of labores Will the supply be abundant
in futuref We know not India is not French colony
In that vast territory possess only few establish
ments of very limited extent Emigration has not been
viewed without jealousy by the Anglo-Indians. The in
tolerance of the aboonists has been made of there
to njure and ctrd operations AS for China, it is
lisfnn hat to he
expense would be too great Besides, the unsettled con-
don of the Chinese empire is obstacle that must not
be overlooked
But Africa continues to be the source whence the colo
MES first drew their laborng population 1t is convent
ent to American possessions Its inhabitants gen
tle robust sociable and inclined to agricultural pur
suits Them in addition to this they oppressed and
subject to the horrors of perpetual anarchy in their own
country.
Are not these sufficient to induce us to look to
Africa for aborers for our colonies And planters,
authorized by government careful OF their interests,
have turned their attention to that quarter African EN-
igration has commenced it is pursued with energy, and
hope it will continue until our colonies revive.
But it is great scandal the supcrannuated society
which accustomed for twenty-five to behold the
world bow before its DEGREES in matters of philanthropy
What 10y hands Africa the holy ark which has been
guarded with such extreme jealousy and defended
still by the prestige which it has acquired Yet
the Times thinks the present opportunity fortunate for
sezng it again and thanks to its proceedings Parlia-
already esounds with the declaration of grievances
the most revous of which is that they cannot have la
borers from Africa except they purchase them again 1t
is natural result of the social state of that country
Slavery the general condition of its working popula
ton As it is not among the merchants the mechanics,
the landed proprieton that find emgrant abo-
here in Africa do not seek among the free,
who enjoy certain degree of comfort and authority for
laborers willing to expatriate themselves to work for
wages under foreign climate. African emigration would
be reduced to the smallest proportion it restricted
to those only who free but becomes serious when
ON VIII have bppn from
Besides the philanthropsts unable to endure the
idea of this emancipation They that emigration
conducted is better than the slave trade But it
not enough to say so--it remains to be proved We
think this species of emigration does not exhibit
of the characteristics of the slave trade in every respect
it different The slave trade consisted in purchasing
Africans in order to transport them into country where
they sold slaves where they forced to work
der fear of the l and where they, well their chill
dren, become the property of new master Emigration,
the contrary carry it out, is based upon the i'm
mediate Acknowledgement of the African and, in
quence of this liberation the black freeman is transported
into the country free from bondage and takes his place
in the bosom OF free society Thus, from miserable
African emigration makes him free citizen and an in
dependent workman. He is likewise brought within
Christian influence Looked at in this light, it needs
neither justification excuset is work Of piety and
mercy, well as of sound policy.
But say the English when you buy slaves from the
African chiefs you encourage those chiefs procure Others
10y of incusions, and thus perpctuate intestine
in that unhappy country Unfortunately, the bar
barism which reigns in that continent exercised indie
pendenty of all outside pressure When African chief
does not sell his slaves he kills them
10 deprive Africa OF contact with civilization, under
the preex of preserving peace among her tribes is to
act like quack, who, to eruption, kills his pa
tent by the internal concentration OF the disease The
African chieftains have motive for making they
do out of pure instinct of destructiveness aud by
this alone they prove themselves savagcs The poor
gro capves destined for human sacrifice the occasion
of some public festival the tomb of warrior, would
hardly call it philanthropy to leave them to their fate
under preext of humane objection to their purchase for
emigration,
Bible eoceties have undertaken to submit Africa to a
regime Of preaching, distribution of edifyng tracts and
sanity communion Nothing desirable Christi
any, under whatever banner it may be propagated is
always benefit But, whatever their object the efforts
of these societies have not yet been crowned with any
very distinguished They tell of tribe here
and there territory of some leagues square, in which
the words Of the missionary listened to but what is
that in the immense extent of the African continent
Why will they not then leave to assist in the work of
civilization by which, in IDEAS eica
cous
In any case cannot why the ultra abolitioniss
should impose their particular views upon us Is not
Africa independent country Is il con6ded to the tu-
telage of Bible societies And Fancecannot she act
corng TO the dictates of her conscience There
lists in this respect international engagement that
limit her action The conventions relative to the right
of search have been suppressed Engagements entered in
since then have been abandoned The treaties of 1915
containing declarations against the slave trade have moth
ing in common with emigration based on the enfran-
chisement of the slave.
The landed proprietor is then rid ofevey encumbance
Following the Times, the philanthropsts have made