The Feliciana Democrat., 1858-02-20
AND EXPORTING AFRI-
CANS.

For some time past, popular feeling in rela-
tion to the African slave trade has been under
going radical change We have, in the first
place, noticed this change in the tone of the
British press, which now dcplorcs the condition
Of the British West India possessions, boldly
attributes the result to the abolition Of slave
ry, and recommends means by which slavery,
in another form, may be revived, in order to
supply the want Of labor in those possessions.
The French Government, more bold in its
action, has already commenced the ntroduc-
tion of African labor into its West India pos
sessions. And now our people have begun to
move. We have seen that number of gem
tlemen ask from the Legislature Of Mississip-
pi n charter for a company, whose object is the
introduction Of African labor into that State,
and more recently bill has been introduced
into the Senate of Louisiana, authorizing the
importation of five thousand free blacks from
the coast of Africa
1t needs no argument TO show that the
Southern States are wolully deficient in that
great and only source Of wcaltl--labor. 1t
needs no argument 10 prove that negro labor
is better adapted to the Southern latitude than
any other kind, and even il 1t were not, we
know that on account of long standing preju
dices, (preudces arising from ideas engendered
by long train Of false representations con.
cerning the South and its institutions, we
cannot expect to receive very large addition
to the labor Of the country from white immi-
grafton.
Under these circumstances, we deem it ne
cessary and important to the interests of the
South, that means should be devised quickly
by which we can introduce a large amount Of
labor iuto the country We want railroads,
and labor is the only thing by which they can
be built. We want our extensive swamps
drained and brought into cultivation, and for
this labor is needed We want the mineral
resources of the country dcseloped but labor
| is lacking. "Thc harvest, true, is plcnteous,
but the laborers are few"
1t may be asked, how we are to obtain Afri-
can labor while laws exist supprcssing the
African SLAVE trade? For our part, we &c.
knowledge we should like to see these laws
abolished and others enacted regulating that
trade for we can not for the life of us see
the consistency Of laws which permit the pur-
chase of one slave from respectable and hui
name white master, and prohibit the purchase
of another from Il barbarian and savage negro
master. Bnt aS we cannot hope for this SO
long as the principal powers of Europe are
opposed to it, and our own Government joins
with them in the opposition, the different
States must have the independence to act for
themselves and legalize, under certain restric-
tions, the immigration TO the South Of free
blacks from the coast Of Africa and elsewhere.
None now are so foolish as to believe for
one instant that the black race would not be
in better condition under the proper control
anI direction Of the white. If civilization
that Africans should become as nearly civilized
rs their natural condition will admit, this can
certainly be brought about sooner by free
introductan of negroes into this country than
by any other means.
While upon this subject, we must say few
words in relation to African colonization
We look upon the American colonization So
ciety precisely in the same light, in its practi-
cal operation, in which we regard the Aboli-
ton Societies both have tended to rob the
South of large amount of labor. The one
steals from us without laws, and the operations
of the other are carried on in accordance with
the laws of the land The one annually drains
from the South much labor, which is lost
, amidst the SHOWS and ice Of Canada, and the
other drains from us many laborers, who are
converted back again into sayages, in the mo-
del Republic, Liberia. Let the State of Ala
, bama, then, go independently to work-and
not only take proper steps to introduce more
: labor into the State, but to prevent its de-
parture from the State. Who of our states
men now at the capital will "set thi ball in