Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-08-20
Exeter Hall and slave Labor-BIack
Republicans and the CoOlie Trade.

The abolition of slavery IN the British w est
India possessions has demonstrated two most
important facts, to-wii: LIST. Free negro labor
cannot be depended upon for the cultivation
OF the soil, because that class of persons are
lazy, indolent and improvident, and refuse to
labor except upon physical compulsion: 2nd.
White labor cannot be depended upon LOT
the cultivation of the soil in the warm South
ern latitudes, because white men are pbysi-
cally unable TO stand the heat CT those
climates. These two facts, thus demon
strated, enforce the conclusion that those re-
Qions must be cultivated otherwise than by free
negroes and white men. Great Britain has
already been forced into an acknowledgment
of both these facts and the conclusion. Con-
trolled by the Exeter-Hall fanatics, she has
refused to re-estabish slavery in her west
India dominions, and for series of years
they have been on steady retrogressiVe
march, Under the deficiency of labor crea-
ted by the ill-advised abolition of slavery
these colonies were rapidly returning to the
condition of barbarous wilderness. No
body was more fully aware of this fact than
England. and the utmost ingenuity was put
forth to check this downward march, and to
re-supply competent labor 10 those wasting
fields. The result was the adoption of the
Coolie trade.
The fanatics Of Exeter Hall at once opened
a war upon this expedient, and have kept it
up increasingly. Although perfectly aware
that unless the institution of slavery was re-
established, or the Coolie trade made to sup
ply its place, the colonies must inevitably
perish, these unreasoning bgots oppose both
alike. This course on their part has provok-
ed strong animadversions from the London
Times. which, on recent occasion, held the
following language in relation to this sub
ject:
at is a simply suicidal act of the anti
slavery party to oppose the Coolie immigra-
ton; it is defeating the very Object they have
in view and playing into the hands OF the
slave owners Of America, Brazil. and every
where because the withdrawal If this free Ia
Dor from our own soil can only possibly re-
suit in raising the slave countries into imme-
diate possession of the whole market. And
this result moreover, involves IN 1t the ne
cessary additional results of a most effective
fresh stimulus to the Slave Trade, and "a
still more grinding and exhausiing use OF ex-
qot ann ho,v, and soiH be got, tn spHe Of all your
cruisers far there IS no idao certain as that sLdUes
or ann other articles are forthcoming upon demand
and m PROMOTION 10 the demand; Il as SIMPLY
question of profit Uersus risk. Iou are both Ell
farging then the sphere of slavery, and you
are making existing slavery ten times more
cruel and merciless, because labor must be
whipped up to the point at which it satisfies
the market demand. Such will be the infal-
L. ~ ha I-im
CIV started by the boosted representatives OF
the school of Wlberforce and GARRISON"
These are pregnant admissions and asser-
tions from the leading organ of public senti-
ment in a country which boasts that the mere
breathing its air or treading its soil emancl-
pates and makes free. 1t points towards
wholesome delverance from the mOnstrous
errors that have long prevailed in England,
10 the manifest detriment of her colonial
prosperity, no less than to the wretched
objects of false sympathy and mock philan-
thropy.
We were surprised to see this subject taken
I'D in a late issue of the n. Y. Courier and En-
ouire. an organ of the Black Republican
marty; and, while admitting that the COolie
trade exceeds in cruelty and in the sacrifice
of life the African slave trade, that paper
boldly takes issue with its anti-slavery CO.
workers of Exeter Hall, and appears as an
earnest advocate of the Coolie trade. We
quote the principal part of the Courier and En-
quirer's article:
ain this country there generally exists
horror of the Coolie Trade. Little is known
of il save as il has been carried on with
the Spanish islands. The horrors of that
trade are enough to curdle the blood, and
the fact that it is carried on In vessels sail
ing under the flags of nations which have
declared the Slave-Trade piracy. proves how
much of what Carlyle terms sham there is
still left in this world. The Slave-Irade Is
had enough but the Coolie Trade as now
carried on between China and Cuba exceeds
il in cruelty and in the sacrifice OF life. Now
there are those who think thai because the
Cuba Coolie Trade involves so much OF evil.
the system of Coolie labor is of necessity
had one. A greater mistake was never made.
There are some people who err through igno-
rance, and there are some who- err because
thew are not capable of forming n just opin-
ion from the facts which may be placed be-
fore them. Among the latter appear to be
the anti Slavery party in England.
The West India Planters it is said are now
proes will not work, or rather that they VIII
not work for the wages they choose to give
them. and they complain that when they do
work they cannot be depended upon Tor steady
labor. Whatever the case may be they say
they must have Coolies, but the anti-slavery
men are doing all in their power to prevent
their having them. Now we believe that TO
the Coolie system, as 1t has been pursued IN
the British Islands, there can be no objection.
nj hal
for the Coolie that he cannot be imposed
unon He is not taken from bis home under
false promises. He is duly cared Tor during
the voyage to his place OF destination, aud
upon his arrival there proper contract Is
made between him and his employer, which
the Courts will at any time enforce II either
party neglects to do his duty. The Coolie Is
well paid for his work, and the planter Is
satisfied with his labor Certainly nothing
can be more fair than this, and the sympathies
expressed for the poor Coolie" appear To
be uncalled for. So far from needing any
sympathy, there is every reason TO believe
thai the lot of the Coolie in the English
Islands is a happy one, aud that the Oooiie
trade as there carried on Is 6enehcent measure
The planters say they need laborers, and what
is more natural than that they should seek
them in those countries whose excess OF popu-
lation makes the obtaining OF the actual ne
cossaries of life extremely difficult.
The greater part ofthe Inhabitants OF India
can barely make out TO live. Their country
is so over-populated that one OF the greatest
blessings that can be conferred upon II Is to
relieve it of some of its people; and II the
philanthropist were 10 seek any method oil
doing it. he could scarcely find better one
than the Coolle system when rightly con-
Quoted In exchange for want and priyalion
the Coolie receives a comfortable home.
plen OF food, and fair wages; and, IL pru-
dent, he can, after number Of years, returns
to bis native country with a sum that VIII
there be a small fortune. He ivit bis country
a degraded heather, and the chances are that