New-York daily tribune., 1858-09-09

strike hi. con suar fag at Norfolk, Virginia. and
uufurl il again over the hundred isles OF Venice
He has probably, lived long enough in the Old
Dominion TO lhy in store Of materials for future
romsnces, which may be- depended upon for coun-
ierac.ing the mschryous decisions spread o'er the
world by the false presentments Of /" Uncle ION
Cabin" and thinks il il now time TO shit the
scene and TO go elsewhere in search Of his adven-
lures We may hope from this eminent novelist,
perhaps d pastoral romance which will portray IN
the lSeliest col0rs the sweet tranquility and iuxn-
rous leisure of the negro slaves, diversified only BY
easy tasks and festive dances. The sable swans and
sbrpherdesses crowned with flowers, their crooks
garlanded with roses vii celebrate in alter
nste strains the blessed conditions Of their
lot. To Mr.. Jsme-, blessed above all Englismrn
has befallen the happy task of undeceiTing his
country men as to the real nature Of negro bondage
and If disipaing those false impressions and inju-
riou. preludices uuder TIE influence of which they
robbed their West Indian wards OF It's tutelary
blessings.
Mr. James has given q taste OF the materials
be- has collected in recent description OF country
and plantation life in Virginia. He says the ne-
gro life Of Virginia differs very little, | believe
from the negro life all through the SOUTH W.
think our fellow-citizens Of the Far South and
Southwest have some reason to complain of this
statement Ravishing ss ia the felicity Of these
happy creatures in Virginia. the cotton plantations
aud yet more those Ot sugar are believed To be
made by the kind soliotudes of the masters, scenes
Of still more exalted delight. In return for food
clothing, house room, medical attendance. and
support in old age, about one-thrd OF the labor
(Which is required Of the white man in most
countries is demanded of the black" And yet,
such is the innate deprayty of heart of every son of
Ham, az Mr.. James goes on to tell Us, he per-
" forms it badly, and would not perform it at all If
he were not compelled" In view of this hard
ened ingratitudc hardly know whether We ought
to rejoice at the bright picture which he next pre-.
sents to our view. ''The rest of his time is spent
- in singing, dancing, laughing, chattering, and
bringing up pigs and chickens" Still they are
&" the worst servants in the world, as every man.
believe, but thorouehbred Southern man, will
a. admit" and yet, Notwithstanding this ungratetu
return for all his goodness, Southerner has i'll
general tenderness and affection for them of
- which Northern men can nave no conception :"
Indeed Mr.. James does us injustice; We know, by
weekly reports IN the Southern papers, the high
value the Virginia master puts upon his slaves,
varying from five 20 fifteen hundred dollars accord
ing to age, character and education.
Such being the Arcsdian relations between the
masters and slaves in Virginia, do not exactly
understand why Mr.. James should think il neces-
sary to add that great care is taken by the law
d" to guard them from oppression and wrong"
Considering the lncOnceiyable tenderness and az
fection felt by the former for the latter We cannot
imagine the necessity Of such laws, unless, indeed
they are designed to guard the moral nature of the
slave from being spoiled by excessive indulgence
aud iDiudcious kindness. Perhaps, however, Mr.
James explains this paradox in the following as
sertion Il can safely say, that never saw more
than one instance of cruelty toward negro
and that eaS perpeira'sd By JoreigHo.' so
it may be these inexplicable laws are intended
solely for the restraint of foreigners who, not
having the indigenous tenderness and affection felt
by the Virsinisns for the negroes msy wreak
upon them those bad passions and evil propensties
which have called into being the great
Know Nothing party. We are further per-
picked by the admission of NJ James, that
there may still be evil in the system
(which might be removed by law, and
that there may be individual instances of oppres-
sion. and ereH bad treatment"-bad treatment
being something different from, and worse than
.rpression-and can only explain il on TIE suppose
ton that foreigners are multiplying in the Ancient
dominion who must furnish these exceptional IL
stances and those anomalous evils for which he
suggests the interpostion of the law. But we are
ccmf0rted by the assurance that - these instances
:. are not so numerous those of cruelty 10
" Northern wife or child in Northern lands, and, in
point of general happiness, it would notbe alnlss 10
alter an old adagc, and say, as merry as negro
=. slave" And the conclusion OF the whole mat
Ter is. that. ..as race the more | see of them,
the less DO think them capable OF civilization,
=. or even fitted 10 take care ofthemselyes."
l. il almost pity that Mr.. James should be
torn from such yaradisiacal scenes of bliss just
be has proved his title clear to- enjoy them. We
rrcorc, when he first went To Norfolk or was first
talked of as n candidate for the place, that some
co.rive editor moused out poem or ode, which
h, had written long before he thought Of coming
70 America, in which he had given utterance 10
some Of the commonplaces OF malignant philan-
thropy. and his appointment came very nesr being
smother British outrage" We DO not precisely
racoUeet how he extricated himself from the
dilemma. but the soundness of his orthodoxy at
this time makes il probable that his conversion
., ,vssa atf.a al
very soon after his finding himself within reach OF
the means Of grace. The negroes in Jamaies, in
The hsnny times before they were taken from the