The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-10
THE NATIONAL ERA: WASHINGTON D. G, MARCH 10, 1859

production of sugar in Cuba was to be attrib-
'uted to the cheapness of slave labor, have
long since discovered their error. For my
own part, l entertain no doubt that the pro-
ductiveness of Cuba is to be mainly attributed
to its rich virgin soil, ON which ratooning can
be carried on tor many years with little labor.
Land in that island is abundant and cheap,
and labor is in great demand for clearing and
preparing it for cultivation"
AS to the relative cost of slave and free
labor in this colony, l can supply you with
facts, in which the most implicit reliance may
be placed. They have been furnished to me
by the proprietor of an estate containing three
hundred acres of land, and situated at a dis
lance of about twelve miles from the shipping
port. The estate referred to produced during
Slavery equal on an average to one hundred and
forty hogsheads of sugar of the present weight,
and required two hundred and thirty slaves.
1t is now worked by ninety free laborers-
sixty adults and thirty under sixteen years of
age. Its average product during the last
seven years has been one hundred and ninety
four hogsheads."
In Slavery, 23O slaves produced 40 hogs
heads, and after emancipation 80 free laborers
produced 1914 hogsheads. Again:
g The average of pounds of sugar to each la
borer during Slavery was l,043 pounds, and,
Il
the cost of slave labor, the value of 23O slaves
must be ascertained," &c.
Another extract from the same letter. He
says
g shall now proceed to the consideration Of
the complaint against the creoles of African
descent, that they are INDECENT, and that they
have abandoned the sugar plantations. This
is subject involved in much greater difficult
ty than the one on which have already treat
ed. i admit that the planters generally, in
several of the British colonies, would vehe-
mently maintain the correctness of the charge.
am, however, bound to affirm that, after a
most patient investigation, have been unable
TO arrive at such a conclusion. There is no
doubt that the condition of the laboring
classes ought to be worse in Barbados than in
any of the other colonies. In Barbados, land
is exorbitantly dear, being worth, in small
quantities, from four to six hundred dollars
per acre. Wages are from ten pence to one
shilling per day, as | have already stated.
There are only five working days in the week,
except during crop time. With all these disad-
vantages, the small prOprietors in this island,
holding less than five acres land, increased, in
sixteen years, from about eleven hundred to
three thousand five hundred and thirty-seven.
| doubt much whether such proof of indus
trious habits could be furnished with regard
to a similar class of laborers in any other
country in the world. | adduce the above re-
markable fact to prove that in this island there
has been no want of industry ON the part of
the creoles of African descent | think that
in those colonies in which the sugar estates
have been partially abandoned, we must look
to other causes than the Incidence of the la
borers."
Again
with regard to the condition of the African
race, can answer your queries with unmixed
satisfaction, and with the conviction that there
will be little, if any, difference of opinion
among well-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"
That is the opinion of Governor Hincks,
dated this year, of the state of things in the
island of Barbados. | now wish to show you
that, in other respects than the mere physical
one, this experiment has not been failure.
read from a letter from the Bishop Of Barbados
He gives some other statistics. The Bishop
says:
"The following is comparative view of our
church schools in Barbados at the dates men
toned: