The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-05-18
BALTIMORE.
.
TUESDAY, MAY Is, 1858. 7

Nearly quarter of n century ago. Engiand
abolished slavery in all her colonies. AS compen-'
sation money to the slave holders, she distributed
amono them one hundred millions of dollars. 1t
was one of those phanthropic acts which the rest
of the world was willing to admire, but was by no
means disposed to initiate. Theoretically speak
ing, it was worthy of all praise. Practically, it
has led to those happy results which thefriends
the colored race predicted would flow from it
But public opinion was strongly in favor of the
measure, and after parliamentary struggle which
lasted for twenty years, the law was adopted
While the question was pending, every possible
means were used to invoke public sympathy in be-
half of the enslaved In the shop windows of book
sellers were displayed pictures of naked Africans,
kneeling in chains, and asking of every passer-by
the pertinent question, Gam l not a man and
brother?" Books and pamphlets were published,
critical, statistical and decamatory, on the sin OF
slavery and the horrors of the Middle Passage
Grocers hung out huge pacards in front OF their
establishments on which was imprinted in bold
letters, 'No slave grown sugar sold here" The
black coated and white neck-clothd saints OF Ex-
eer Hall shed tears the pathetic narratives of
eloquent orators, who seized upon isolated cases of
cruelty on the part of slave holders, and gave to
them general application. The politician, the
prose writer, the poet, and the itnerant lecturer
runs '>~i~ainas changes On benighted Africa,
and tile "Ivae i.Iniotoa eiU negro Gre.- c
members of the Society of Friends, cheerfu1ly
submitted to personal privations rather than
consume in their households or wear upon
their persons, any article that was the product
of slave labor. The pious WnBERFoRCE, and the
sarcastic BRoUGHAM, fought side by side in Parlia
ment, and the hustings, for the abolition of
slavery within the limits of the British colonies.
At length, the battle was won In 1884, the Brit
ish Parliament declared that slavery was thence
forth abolished, and that after serving an ap-
premiership of six years, the African should be
entitled to all the rights and privileges of native
born Englishman. Well what has been the re-
suit? The Planters soon discovered that their
swarthy apprentices would not work, and having
lost the right to exercise their ancient authority
over them, they consented to give them their free
dom before the full term of their apprenticeship
had expired, in the hope that the offer of liberal
wages would induce the liberated African to labor
cheerfully and industriously. But in q tropical
climate there are fruits always to be bad for the
gathering, which afford means of sustenance
without the necessity of labor. Naturally, the
negro has no love for work. Careless and improv-
ident he lives from day to day with no thought
of provision for the morrow, and with no higher
aim than to satisfy his material wants with the
least possible amount of trouble. Where the bread
fruit, and the banana are the spontaneous growth
of the soil, and yams sufficient for the require
ments of large family, can be grown upon q
small patch of garden ground, a man need
not die of hunger, even if he does nothing
in the way of productive industry. So the negro
got his freedom, and the planter lost his crops
The plantations, rapidly deterioratcd in value.
Thrift could do nothing where labor was wanting.
The weeds sprung up where once the sugar-cane
hourished the buildings fell into decay, and thou
sands of busy and tractable workmen were suddenly
transformed by an act of questionable philanthropy
into idle and insoent ldzzaroni.
To restore the colonies to their former fourshinr
condition, various schemes have been tried but
none have succeeded. The Planters of Jamaica
now advocate the emigration of free colored
people from the UNITED STATES, and the project
has met with the warmest approval of the Colonial
Government The only difficulty we perceive in
the matter is, that our free negroes will not emil
CRATE That they have greatly disguised their friends
at the North, of late years, is evident enough
And it is also certain that the Canadians are
heartily sorry that there ever was such improve
ment started rs underground Railroad But
the negroes are free men, and if they choose to live
in idleness and wretchedness, can prevent
them? Whether the good people of Jamaica would
find themselves benefited by such colonists, is
question which it is not at all probable that they
will ever have the means of answering by expert
ence; but that aoe should be benefited by the loss
of the greater proportion of the proposed colonsts
admits of no question at all.