The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1859-08-31
Free Negroism a Failure.

The South is vindicated. She is vindicated
by the workings of the African slave system
within her own borders. She is vindicated
by the failure of the opposite system which
has been tested by other governments, Great
Britain has tried negro emancipation and ne
gro capacity ior the enjoyment of the same
measure of freedom to which the white race is
entitled, only TO be convinced of her error.
Here are the results of the twenty-five years
experiment in the West Indies, graphically
portrayed by the London Times, the great or
gan and reflex of British sentiments
There is no blinking the truth. Years of
bitter eXperience-years of hope deferred, of
self-devotion unrequited, Of poverty, of humil-
iation, OF prayers unanswered of sufferings
derided, of insults unresented, of contumely
patiently endured-have convinced us of the
truth. 1t must be spoken out, loudly and
energetically despite the wild mocking of howl
ing can't The freed West India negro slave
will not till soil for wages, the free son of the
ex-slave is obstinate as his sire He will cul-
tivate lands which he has not bought for his
own yams, mangoes and plaintains. These
SalISlY Ills Willis /, uOcS IOI care yours.
Cotton, sugar, coffee and tobacco-hec cares lit
tie for them. And what matters it to him
that the Englishman has sunk his thousands
and tens of thousands on mills, machinery and
plant, which now totter on the langlnshing es-
tate that for years has only returned beggary
and debts. He eats his yams and sniggirs at
"Buckra''
"We know not why this. should be; but it
is so. The negro has been bought with price
the price of English taxation and English
toll lie has been redeemed from bondage
by the sweat aud travail of some millions of
hard-working Englishmen. Twenty millions
of pounds sterling-one hundred millions of
dollars-haye been distilled from the brains
and muscles of the free English laborer, of ev-
cry degree to fashion the West Indian negro
into free and independent laborer' Free
and independent enough he has become, God
knows but laborer he is not, so far as we
can see, never will be. He will sing hymns
and quote texts, but honest, steady industry,
he not only detests, but despises. We wish
to Heaven that some people in England
neither government people, nor parsons, nor
clergymen-but some just-minded, honest
hearted and clear-sighted men, would go out
TO some Of the islands-say Jamaica, Domini-
ca, or Antigua-nOt for a month, or three
months, but for ayear-would watch the pre-
cious protege of English philanthropy, the freed
negro, in his daily habits-would watch him
as he lazily plants his little squatting-would
see him as he proudly rejects agricultural or
domestic service, or accepts it only at wages
ludicrously disproportionate to the value of
his work. We wish, too, they would watch
him while, with hide thicker than that OF
and body to which fervid
heat is comfort rather than an annoyance, he
droningly lounges over the prescribed task on
which the intrepid Englishman, uninured to
the burning sun, consumes his impatient en-
ergy, and too often sacrifices his life. We wish
they would so out and view the negro in all
the blazonry Of his idleness, his pride, his in
gratitude, contemptuously sneering at the in
dustry of that race which made him free. and
then come home and teach the memorable les
son of their experience to the fanatics who
have perverted him mtoAwhat he is"