The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-17
Slavery and It's Results IN the New
W0riA.
African Labor and its Tropical
Products.
The SLAVE TRADE ANc AFRICAN EMIGRATION.
IT'S SUPPRESSION OF REGULATION
Conduct Of British Cruisers on The Coast 0
Africa Towards American and Other Vessels.
American and British Trade with Africa
Compared,

The increased commercial intercourse Of vle world
TO which steam navigation has contributed no small
share has, within the last quarter OF 4 century,
brought the character and resources OF Africa more
prominently into notice. The nature and character
OF the population Of her soil and productions, hsvo
become better understood
In locking at the map Of this vast quarter o! the
world, we find il divided its centre by the Equa
tor, with vast territories extending far 10 the north
and south OF it. We see IL stretching from Cape
Lagulas tCape Needless in south latitude "a de
grees 81 minutes TO Cape Blanco, oppositaSicy in
north latitude 81 degrees 20 Misunderstanding dis Cd.
tsoce from one point TO the other of about 900
ny with nearly equal extreme iseadth. ns
greatest eastern extension is found AT Cape Guarda
frie, in longitude 81 degrees 80 minutes seconds
and north latitude IL degrees so minutes; and
its most western projection, at Cape Verde,
in longitude u degrees 80 INMATES and
north latitude IA degrees 43 minutes. The
whole area is estimated at little less than twelve
millions OF square miles. The population Of this
vast continent has been estimated by Babi at sixty
millions, by Maltebrun at seventy millions, and by
the Wiener Almanac at l0l millions.
The region Of Africa more especially occupied by
the negro race embraces a belt of country on each
side Of the Equator Of about L. 10 IL degrees and
also includes the western and eastern coast, with
the island of Madagascar. The mixed population OF
Egypt and Northern Africa, bordering on the Ne
diterrane'n, with that inhabitng the country near
the Cape of Good Hope, although pre- sentng many
shades and varieties of the human family, are too
well known TO require any detailed notice The
negro race occupying the space above defined
is most populous adjacent to the western coast,
and from il the largest number Of slaves have been
drawn. II is this race who have for unknown cen
turies existed without change or progress;
whose physical conformations enable them 70
live in torrid regions, and under the direc
tion OF the whites, to work beneath the burning
rays of a tropical sun. While possessing like the
animals with which they are associated, powers OF
tropical endurance beyond any other race they ye,
occupy the lowest round in the scale Of human crea
tion They have not, in their native country domes
ticated the elephant like the Asiacs nor have they
been able 10 advance themselves in any arts or
manufactures, and are without alphabets or
literature Of any sort. Hence the Congo negro
of today on his native soil Is about the
same that he was three thousand years ago.
His cruelty and barbarity in all that time have
known mitigation. Prisoners of war, If not sold
held in slavery are mercilcssly destroyed. Dos-
potsm with barbaric ferocty have swayed by turn
tho power Of life and death alike oycrits subjects and
its conquered enemies. For many centurie, they
have thus lived, without lulGllipg any useful pur-
pose ia the destiny of the world
But in the course Of events, this negro race was
brought 10y involuntarily service 10 perform a most
important part in the civilization aud progress OF
mankind. Their labor was invoked 70 till the rich
soil of the New World beneath the same tropical
sun as that under which their race had been bred
and reared, and where Europeans were found iuCapa
Die Of toiling By their labor the valuable products
OF cotton, sugar and coffee were vastly augmented
and Europeans and their descendants were better
and more cheaply clothed, and supplied with better
and cheaper sugar, coffee and rice. The results Of
their labor have been 90 quicken commerce over the
world, 10 aid in swelling villages into cities 70 ex-
tend improvements, and 10 give employment, and
bread 20 millions Of whites, to enable the latter b.
make that gigantic progress on sea and on lind. and
10 reach stage Of civilization they could no, have
attained in centuries, if ever, bat for the coopers
Of African labor in the tropical regions Of the New
world.
The existence Of the negro is linked with the VI
ialy Of tropical heat and it u in such a condition
tha, bis highest usefulness ~ q laborcr IL a.
tanned. We might ss well think of perpctuating a
race OF elephants tropical animals In cold north
cru regions and especially in such climate a. that
Of Canada, az that Of the negro race. Were il not
for fresh supplies. the remnant Of backs found in
our large northern cities would in a generation o
scsscd a single real spark of philanthropy they
would join the English abolitionists, ft out yes
sols in the st. Lawrence and send the blacks they
lro,, sl..L I H.. n Z.
monkeys received into the Garden des Plant. ip
Paris from Africa, notwithstanding the great care
taken Of them die la year or ~ with regular tuber.
cuar consumption; and that the supply can only be
by fresh mportations. It is the same
thing with the negro race; in high ATTITUDES they
are cut down by pneumonia consumption and ty-
phus fever, while their bodies are cast into the
potters' fields of crowded Northern cities unpited
amidst the false philanthropy Of abolitionsm that
surrounds them.
1--WE estimate the negro race proper in Africa at
about thirty millions the whole transportation OF
slaves 70 the New World since the commencement OF
the slave trade has not probably exceeded eight
and half millions. Of these the United States
only received about 375 600 the British West
India Islands about 100000, the Spanish aud
other West India Islands no. over three millions
Brazil probably two and nan millions, and all
other points not over half million; making
grand total Of only about 1876 900. Abolition
writers have greatly over estimated the number
This abstraction from the population Of
isgro land has not been materially felt
y the race, which, notwithstanding this
mount Of forcibe emigration, combined with
heir destructive wars, it, numbers are now larger
n Africa than they were when Las Cassas first sug-
ested the employment Of African labor n the New
World, OF the Portuguese commenced the slave traf
ic in the sixteenth century
The important work performed at the present day
" African labor, in the arrangements of the civil
zed world, 10 the production of valuable articles
e tropical growth, has greatly contributed to swell
he volume Of commerce and TO extend far and