Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-01-11
S.sve.n The neople Of ENGLAND ana France half

that Cotton Is King UT, IN otner WORDS,
that its anti-slayery policy 10 really death and
destruction to all interests which have pnssed
under its influence, and that its CONTINUANCE
threatens still greater disasters to the indus
trial interests of Britain, and cannot hereafter
effect the industrial interests of other countries
as injuriously as was intended in its Inaugural
ton by England, which country (Government)
in inaugurating it, sought, by making what it
hoped would be a very uncomfortable English
sacrifice, to offer up upon the altar of England
Unsuitable thirst after commercial gain, the
competing interests of other nations in which
thousand fold more disastrous consequences to
them would be involved than could possibly be
involved in her England 81 pretence Of sacri-
fee, by way of initiating the new philanthropic
policy for an advanced world
The thoughtful reader will recognize in what
We quote below from the Times, confirmation
strong indeed, of our own persistent views
upon the effect of anti-slayery labor on the
substantial interests of this land, as well as of
society in the United States-North, South,
East and West-to those of the African race
here as we'll rs the Caucasian.
From the London Times, December ~
1t requires no great foresight to perceive that
great contest is approaching on the subject Of Sa.
very and the Slave Trade. The battle of the
Negro will have to be fought by the phlanthro-
pists with great diminution of prestige, the re-
suit Of falsihed predictions and blasted hopes
The Broughams and Wilberforces of the present
day will have to adopt somewhat BUNDLED tone
The manifestoes of Exeter hall must for once be
defensive and apologize, for the world is now
wiser than when pulpit and platform resounded
INDIGNANT annoalC hnmsnitv Hyp md
twenty years ago. The touching descriptions of
philanthropic novel writer's will 20 for little now
are old enough, may recollect the traditional por-
traits of the West India proprietors, their wives
and children, which are to be found i'm the
- moral tales" Of the last generation. The owner
drinking sanSaree and swearing at Sambo, fine
mulatto youth, whose quivering lips and flashing
eye told how much he felt
The lady of the house, always represented as
a faded beauty with her brow wreathed with
pearls, was, Of course, being famed by two fe.
male slaves, whose delicate forms bore recent
traces of the lash. The youthful heir wandered
about the house Using whip given TO him
by his mother expressly TO beat the little Negroes
with. faithful and pious Pompey, exposed to
every kind of ill usage because Dnah, who loved
him-oh, how fervently would not listen to the
humanity proposals of Drive, the overseer, com
pleted the picture. BY such representations as
these body Of as hardworkng and LOYAL sub
Jects as England ever Possessed were held up to
obloquy, and Negro emanci patton was effected
without regard to the interests Of men who were
popularity supposed to be revealing in ILL gotten
gains But politicians and the public, and even
the friends of the slaves themselves have now
begun to see matters in u clearer light. Oar own
colonies are Impoverished, but the sum of slave
~ lis not diminished il has only been transferred
lous hands. Never was the prospect of emanci-
patton more distant than now that foreign slave
owners are establishing a monopoly OF all the
great staples OF tropical produce. The islands
- \" mil nI
coffee and cotton, are going ont Of cultivation
while Cuba, the Cnit,d States and Brazil are
every day extending the area of their cultivation
and the number of their slaves So valuable
indeed is the slave in Cuba that in spite of trea.
ties and penal laws, cruisers and bloc kades
thousands of Africans are yearly carried az ross
the Atlantic TO work on the sugar and cotton
plantations. The wealth Of the island Is such
than, in spite of misgOvernment oppressive taxes,
and Spanish army of 25, 900 men, its prcprietors
are among the richest In the world
As to the United States, 1t in. indeed, folly to
expect any change in that quarter slavery on
the North American continent has extended, is
extending, will extend. AS long as the supplies
OF cotton are below the demand in all the mar
kets OF the world so long will slave labor he too
valuable to he parted with. Even the Northern
Slave States, which but few years ago were
discussing the gradual abandonment of the sys-
tenn, are now silent about abolition Immediate
or prospective Their slaves are at present a
great, perhaps their greatest, source Of wealth
1.-THE - Hhnnt cultivate their own lands they breed
Negroes to supply new plantations in the South
u may be- declared that the attacks of Abolition
lists and the interference of the North are the
cause Of this determination to uphold slavery:
but no sensible man will believe that mere irrita
ton and obstIhdcy could lead 10 such great re-
suits The existence of slavery is an economical
question, and so long as the system IL profitable
We cannot doubt that IL will he maintained
Much the same may be said with respect 10 Bra
zli. 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 a mo-
nopoiy OF products which the chief basis of
our industry or among the chief sonces of our
revenue. They are becoming rich powerful
rogant, every day less inclined to be guided by
English co,Insrls or moved by English inteifef-
enc.. With all the readiness which self interest
induces they have learnt the arguments against
Limiting. slavery and slave importation, from our
mishaps, our Acknowledgements of failure, from
their own prosperity, and from our dependence
upon them. They have the law of nations ON
their side, and may quote Il in answer to any as
sertion OF our rights TO interfere in the cause OF
humanity They are free nations. and Africa is
1ree coast. Negroes are necessary to ia Use the
cotton, sugar, coffee and tobacco which the world
wants. The white man cannot work under
tropical sun, and, unless the African be used "a a
laboreT, the idiIeSt regions Of the New World
must remain desert. In fine, negroes mu st be
had at any cost, and no nation has a right TO i'm
pose Its own scrupuiosity on other free communi-
tles III England has ruined her own colonies
thdt Is no reason why she should seek to check
the progress Of the whole American continent
Such is the kind Of reasoning which is becom
ing more and more common every day: and we
may depend npon 1t that In some form or under
some pretext the slave owners of the other hemi.
sphere will again attempt to obtain a supply OF
negroes from the coast Of Africa. The recent
Importation into the French colonies has naturally
aroused their attention, and il is no wonder that
we hear IT asked why few cargoes o. such
- emlgrants" could not be brought to New or.
leans or Savannah, there to be settled according
To the domestic institutions Of the State With
this renewed vitality of slavery, OWN" to the
rapidly increasing value of the slave, We have
now TO deal.
And il is not by preaching, or protesting. or
threatening, or denouncing, that the objects of
humanity can be attained. The last generation
Were content to De merely destructives they
broke down the Slave system in the West indies
without attempting to replace il by a better, and
the consequence has been the multiplication of
the former evils and a deepening Of the guilt, in
which we indirectly participate as consumers of
the slave-raised produce. After 20 years. cxpe-
rience we are now called upon to provide a
remedy On all sides we hear the same cry
the colonies are perishing for want of sufficient
labor. BY additional supplies alone can the
principle Of free labor In the tropics be yindi-
Gated and real blow struck at the iniauities
against which we have so long disclaimed. Our