The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-08-06

ueot musJ we nOJ CONSIDER MS eXtraV-
agance, his improvidence, his absenteeism,
by which the costly process of employing
agents had to be kept np-a process
which entailed upon the islands the same
evils as those from which Ireland has so
grievously suffered ? Must we not con-
slider how UNNECESSARILY inferior to the
Louisiana planter is the BarbAdian in ag-
ricultural and mechanical science, how he
Tags behind the ace, and mauifests almost
repugnance to that spirit of enterprise
which would conduce to the improve
ment Of his property and the muluplca-
ton of his profits? las it had nothing
to do with the depression of West India
Colonies that West India planters, as
rule, have made no notable efforts to re-
ieve themselves from the effects of eman-
cipation admitting that the act was
forced upon them By Parliament which
neither sympathized in their distress, nor
understood the difficulties against which
they had to contend am surprised to
see at this late day, after % years expe
rience of the irrevocable deed by which
the African was made. free-l am sur
priseG to see that the relations between
master and servant-a landlord and ten
ant-here, are less friendly than they are
in our Southern States. Nothing, liter
ally nothing, has been done by the plan
ter to improve the condition of the labor
err. His progress since emancipation
and it has been great-has been accom-
plished in spite Of jealousy and distrust,
and in spite of great obstacles that have
been purpusely thrown in his way. There
was nothing comprehensive, liberal or
statesmanlke in the conduct or the poll.
cy of the old West India planter towards
the people upon whom he Was so pecu-
liarly dependent From first to last he
never displayed the sli .htest interest in
the advancement of the colony in which
| he lived, except where that advancement
would contribute to his own selfish aims
As legislator he legislated for himself
and not for the people-as a landlord he
| drove the hardest bargains with his ten
antry--as master he got the greatest
amount of work out of his servants at the
lowest wages AS SPECTATOR of the very
worst kind he sacrificed Interior interests
far present ACKNOWLEDGEMENT in order that
his stay might be as brief AS possible in a
country which he disliked and among a
people for whom he felt no kind of sym
| pithy. lr
OF such was the old race of West H.
dia planters composed-a race not yet ex-
tinct, but rapidly giving way to new men,
who are building up their own fortunes
and the fortunes of these Islands on a
sOunder basis than that Of the fictitious
and visionary millions which it was for
merly believed West India property
must of necessity yield. That basis is
FREE LABOR Do Won doubt the Issue and
point TO Jamaica ? say look at Barba
does, with its free labor, and its export OF
forty and fifty thousand hogsheads of su
gar, as compared with twenty and thirty
thousand in other years. Look. at Trini-
dad, with its free labor, which exported
to the value of &554 534 in 1855, and oil
100000 in 1853 Look at Demerara
and Berbice, with their free labor, which
exported thirty -four thousand hogsheads
in 1S4l, and sixty thousand hogsheads in
1858. Look at the Mauritius, with Its
free labor, which exported, in 1910, sew
cntv million pounds of sugar, and fifteen
years afterwards raised her exports to two
hundred and forty millions. Follow the
history of these colonies from their lowest
point of depression to the height of theiI
present great prosperity, and you will nc
longer doubt that even Jamaica, under
free labor, and relieved from her heavy
incubus of debt, will one day recover heI
ancient wealth.
The condition of these Windward
Islands, lastly, shows that the emancipa
ton problem is slowly but surely work
ing itself out to successful demonstration
that free labor, when the supply il
equal to the demand, can advantageously
compete with slave labor, and that of tn,
two systems free labor is by far the cheap
err. declare again that am no philan
thropist, or, If l am, my philanthrop!
should first be enlisted in favor of m!
own race and my own order. If, there
fore, in any tropical country, it was NOR
al or physical impossibility to obtain FREE
labor, should not question the expedi
ency of slave labor, though l must lool
upon it as a necessary evil, and deny /
the possession of any advantage over tn
free system either in a social, political
or commercial point Of view. But her
there is no such plea for slavery for, il
addition to the large creole population
of these islands, an endless supply OF la
j. Dor can be obtained from the teemins
povertystricken millions of British lndis
W. G. S.