The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-08-04

There is nothing equal to practical experien ce
for exploding or confirming theory. quarter
of a century ago any one who ventured to assert,
in contradiction TO WHEREFORE, BUXTON, and that
particular class of philanthropists, that the hap
pest condition of the negro was a state of depend
ence, was vehemently denounced as false to the
first principles of human brotherhood. Such SEN
timents were held up everywhere as worthy of alb
horrence. 1t was little less than treason to say
that the negro was incapable of selfgovernment,
and that his best place was under kind
master who, while exacting from him
certain amount of labour, was legally bound
to provide for his daily wants, and to
take care of him in sickness and in age.
Yet experience, that most impressive of teachers,
has shown that the benevoence which would cast
the negro upon his own resources is more inju-
rous to the cause of good morals, and more preju-
dicial to tie we'll being of the body polite, than
those despotic acts which, in rare instances, are
recorded of hard task-masters. Notwithstanding,
however, the marked change which has taken
place in public opinion, of late years, upon this
subject, there are here and there to be found
few individuals who make it sort of profess
sonal duty to persist in placing the negro on an
equality with the white race, and in claiming
for him all those prerogatives and privileges,
the true value of which can only be properly
appreciated by men who are already in a highly
advanced stage of civilization. 1t was but
few days ago that the Abolitionists of New
England met together to celebrate the ami
versary of the emancipation of the blacks in
the British West India Islands, measure which
very few educated Englishmen now recur to with
ont bitterly regretting the folly that sanctioned
the conversion of fertile plantations into wilder
nesses of weeds and briars; ruined the planters,
and distributed throughout the Islands, in ques-
ton, an indolent, worthless, turbulent, and
demoralized population This disastrous expert
rment added fifteen millions of dollars to the
public debt of Great Britain and by The deprecia-
ton of property has caused loss to the owners of
landed estates in those tropical dependencies of
the crown, Of at least, three hundred millions Of
dollars more. The desperate shifts which have
been resorted to- of late years, for the purpose of
restoring the West India Islands to their
former condition of prosperity, and the nu-
merous complaints, petitions, and remon-
strances which the planters have addressed to
the Home Government with reference to the
paucity of labor and the disorderly conduct of the
free blacks, the intense hatred that has sprung up
between the races, and the deepening impression
that this antagonism must finally result in new
war Of cdsteS, and, perhaps, in a new massacre of
San Domingo, indicate not only that the exertions
of the English philanthropistS, however well
meant, have almost wholly destroyed the material
prosperity of those Colonies, but have even i'm
perined the lives of the English inhabitants, and
the jurisdiction Of the Crown. That act of manu-
mission, which a set of narrow-minded enthusiasts
in the Eastern States have recently been comment
Grating, is now regarded by the principal public
lists of England, and by many of her statesmen, as
a blunder which, from the deplorable nature of its
consequences, and from the almost utter impossi-
bility of retrieving it, has been, and must continue
to be, productive Of manifold evils Even if the
emancipation of the blacks in the British Colonies
had led, at was at one time anticipated, to the
abolition Of slavery elsewhere not only would no
positive benefit have accrued from it. either to
those in bonds or to their lberators; but the very
reverse. Brazil, Cuba, and our Southern States
would have shared the same fate rs Jamaica
Barbados, Antigua, and the other Islands of the
lesser Antilles, and not only would the cotton
supply of Europe have been measurably
cut off, but with it our chief Commercial staple
and our main reliance in monetary crises On
more than one occasion the exports of raw cotton
from our Southern States, have saved the country
from bankruptcy, and yet there are those who, in
contending for theory of abstract right the utter
folly of which has been demonstrated by the present
condition of the West India Islands, as contrasted
with what it was aquarter of century ago, would
wantonly destroy what in commercial sense
may be properly regarded as the '.safety yalve'' o
the Republic. But it is contended by some tina
by the rapid increase of population in the South
ern States, white labor would speedily supersedt
the labor of the plantation negroes, if the latter
were set free. If this would be the case with US
why has it not proved equally effectual with
others Why are Coolies eagerly sought for in
the ports of Eastern Asia? Why has not the cur
rent of English emigration been diverted from
Canada, Australia and New Zealand, to the fertile
Islands of the Caribbean Sea? The generous error
committed by Great Britain has resulted too dis
astrousy to find imitators. That error has beer
one of the main sources of the present prosperity
of Brazil, Cuba, and our own cotton and sugar
growing States. 1t has made the cotton manufac
turers of England almost wholly dependent upor
us for their supplies OF raw material 1t has forced
those English consumers, who protested agains
the use of sugar and coffee produced by slave la
Dor upon English Colonial plantations, to pur
chase those save-grown commodities from othe
nations, and it is perhaps, fortunate for Them ant
for their industrial interests, that the supply @
those products by means of slave labor and by tina
means only, has been commensurate with the de
mand. What has England gained by PURCHASING
the freedom of the blacks The answer is easy
for the record is daily before US. She has game
disafecton for subordination; Incidence for indus
try; deserted plantations for luxuriant crops AM
impoverished merchants and landed proprietors 70
a fourishing trade and exuberant products. LIE
no one say that this gloomy picture is too dark,
colored. Every letter we have seen from the Yves
Indies confirms the facts we have stated. Eve
those who are most disposed to speak we'll of th
blacks, do not deny that they have become lazy
disaffected, and demoralized, and the writers e1
press themselves more hopefully OF the future {
the negro than with respect 10 his presen
condition. 1t is remarked, too, that tn
prejudices of caste are daily growing stronger, an
the blacks are gradually giving free vent to thei
insoence. Some troubles have already grown on
of this state of things and although the riotous de
monstrations were promptly suppressed, th
bitter feeling of antagonism still remains unsuh
dued. Some of the black regiments, which wer
raised in the Colonies, have been, within shor
time past ordered to England ostensibly for the pun
pose of Incorporating them with the regular army
and OF periecting them in the use of the improve
arms; but, in reality, to withdraw them from tb
influence exerted upon them by those of their ow
i"0e anu Color, and to substitute Europea
troops III tneir stead. 1t is clear then that eman
clpauon mas not worked we'll It has certa;nlv nc
fulfilled the expectations of those who &C. a.,
Gated it so strenuously, and it is eonor,, So:
that wherever free blacks are TO be fonnS =
considerable number, they havecome to be regarl
ed as much more of nuisance than n hless;.
Infinitely more of a hindrance than helm III
history of Hayti and San Domingo proves bo
utterly incapable they are of governing themselva
and how rapidly, under such circumstances. III.
relapse into condition of standardization. TT
mild rule of England in her Colonial dependencies
and the persistent efforts which she has made
improve tne condiuon of the negro race have on
resulted IN retarding, IN some measure, the proce
Of degradation. In both instances the tendenc;
are the same, and the lesson which has Tins bo.
aught us, and the moral it conveys, NAV both