Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-08-24
Results of characterization.

Francis Hincks, ex premier of the Cana
das, now Governor of the Windward Islands,
has written from Barbados a very full reply
to certain inquiries of Chas. Tappan of Bos-
ton, respecting the influence of emancipation
on the condition of the British West Indies.
He afirms that this influence has been decid
eddy favorable, and gives facts and figures in
support of his conclusions. He SAYS sugar
can be and Is made now in these Islands
cheaper than it ever was, or could be under
slavery, one evidence of which is the fact, that
cane growing plantations now command high
er prices than ever before. He instances one
of three hundred acres, which was worth,
during slavery, 5000 per acre, or $50, 600 in
all. but which has been sold since emancpa-
tion for just double that price, or $500 Der
acre, and could readily be resold for that sum.
GOOD cane-land sells even as high as 5000
per acre.) This estate required force
of two hundred and thirty slaves Cbig and
little) to work it, and then produced one hum
bred and forty hogsheaGs of sugar Zone thou
sand seven hundred pounds each) per annum.
1t is now worked by ninety tree blacks-thir-
ty of them under sixteen years of age-and
has averaged for the last seven years one hun
bred and ninety four hogsheads of sugar per
annum. The cost of labor under slavery, on
this estate, was $40 per hogshead produced;
under freedom, it is SIG per hogshead. Of
course, this is a favorable example for free
dom; but every estate might do as well
if as well managed. And the fact that the
arabic land of the island commands from $500
to 5000 per acre, proves that agriculture is
decidedly prosperous. If it were not, so dense
a population would dispense over the adjacent
islands and South American coast, where
land commands from but one-fourth to one
tenth its price in Barbados.
Of course there are still great social evils
prevailing in those islands. The land is near
ly all owned in large tracts. much of it by
non.residents. Wages are very low-twenty
to thirty cents per day but the days work
is fixed, and can be completed by good hand
by noon. Much of the land is under mort
gage. The planters sell it grudgingly to their
laborers, not liking to make them too indie
pendent. And negroes are so much like white
folks, that we suspect they would rather play
than work, especially those of them who
worked under the lash till too old to form
correct notions Of "the dignity Of labor" AS
a slave is apt to be thief according to the
masters ideas of Mine and Thine), it is not
likely that the negroes are all models of hon.
esty nor yet are they of sobriety, chastity, or
piety. But Gen. Hincks insists that
"ln this island there can be no doubt what
ever that emancipation has been great boon
to all classes. Real estate has increased in
price, and is a more certain and advantageous
investment than in the time of slavery; the
estates are much better and more economi-
cally cultivated, and the proprietors are, | am
inclined to think, perfectly contented. .
With regard to the condition Of the African
race, can answer your queries with un-
mixed satisfaction, and with the conviction
that there will be little II any difference of
opinion among we'll informed persons on that
subject. The improvement which has taken
place in the religious condition Of the people
Of all classes, and the progress Of education.
is quite equal to what could reasonably have
been expected. The Creoles are advancing
rapidly in civilization" &c.
Demoralzed as Jamaica was by ages of
buccaneering and slave-tradng, cursed as the
sister islands are with absentee ownership and
the habits engendered by slavery, while all
the others may be said to be behind Jamaica,
and be hidden by il from the observation Of
the civilized world, and full of human in.
6rmties as the blacks generally are, we think
it will not much longer be possible to pretend
that emancipation has "runed' the British
West fndies.-New York Tribune.