The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-12-29

made this solid conquest Tor the British Crown z
Set this service of reviled and despised race to
their most gracious mistress, Queen Victoria,
against the performances of our tilibuster Presi-
dents, and which will outweigh? Consider with
what poor success one of these last went out to
the bombardment of Greytown, to dispossess
these same Jamaica negroes, who have there
made another Judgment for the power of Eng
land, in the name Of the Mosquito king. The
present Chief Executive refused to ratify the
treaty by which the British agreed to surrender
their occupation of the Bay islands and Mosquito
coast, IN conformity with the Clayton-Bulwer
treaty, because the convention by which this sur
rendevwas made provided "that Slavery shall
not at any time hereafter be permitted to exist
therein" Thus, it seems that England demand
ed guaranty against the enslayement of her
negro subjects, who had been planted along the
coast and on the islands, from the Belize to
Greytown, and republican America prefers that
the coast and islands should remain in their
possession rather than admit such a guaranty.
Can any other reason be imagined for such con-
duct, except that the power which controls this
Government looks to the acquisition of these re-
gions for the purpose of subjecting them to Sla-
very2 Gen. Walker was invited to Nicaragua
and received there with open arms. He might
have maintained himself, and established our
power and influence in that country permanent
iy, but he was induced to issue decree re-es-
tablishing Slavery, by assurances of assistance
fronNthe dominant power in this country. The
native inhabitants of Nicaragua, of whom nine
tenths belong to the colored races, took the
alarm, very justly apprehending that they would
be re-enslaved if that system again took root ;
and they united to expel Walker, whom they had
so recently invited among them. 1t is by such
acts that we have brought home to these people
the knowledge of our intention 70 enslaye them
The British have studiously and ostentatiously
proclaimed and practiced policy exactly the
reverse. The mass of the people being negroes
and mestizos, and afraid of being made the SUBJ
jects of Slavery, have learned to detest this Gov
eminent, whilst the few remaining families of
pure Spanish blood are Nonarchists, and natu-
rally turn to Europe rather than America. 1t is
curious enough that the Liberal or Democratic
party of most of the Spanish American States is
composed of the mixed bloods and colored races.
1t is what would be called the free-negro party
in this country. They are not very profound in
their political philosophy, and have not discov-
cred that Slavery is the foundation of Liberty
and hence they are averse to the schemes of their
fellow Democrats in tho United States to regen-
crate them by reducing them to Slavery. Let
them hold fast to that faith, and the world is not
without hope for them yet 1t is the fair star of
morning, which ushers bright and glorious day
1t Is the fashion In some quarters to deride all
attempts to improve the condition of the negro
race, and thus justify the cupidity which ensaves
them by proclaiming them unfit for every higher
condition. No examples are ofteuer cited to up
hold this theory than the condition of Cuba and
Hayh. l am content to stand or fall by these
examples. find in a work published under the
authority of Congress, upon the subject of our
commercial relations (vol. l, p. &c., the follow
ing remarkable statement:
Among the countries with which the United States have
commercial intercourse Hay holds the ninth rank
specs tonnage All the States interested in
the Hayten trade The Northeastern States find
there for their fish and other merchandise Pennsylvania
Northern Virginia, Maryland Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and
Missouri for their sailed pork Vermont New York Mssa-
chusetts Illinois and Ohio for their saed beef Phlade
and Boston, North and South Carolina Virginia Kentucky
for their household furniture their tobacco The
manufacturers of New England New York Pennsylva-
have already secured Havt for
their cheap cotton textures and successfully comee with
European manufacturers. The official the United
States show that Mexico with population of
ported from the different ports OF the Unon 1851 by
$3.50 500 than Hayt The trade of the United States
latter country is therefore profitable than with Mexico
Indeed, American vessels generally in ballast
in Hayt they always find cargoes. In 1851 the
United States exported Hayti goods valued
S296 OO while the value of similar goods exported Cuba
reach only S26OOO The soap exported from the United
States TO the former country ay) exceeded e2s Gs2
pounds TO the latter (Cuba) only 5S974s Hay received
from the United States in 1851 eight times much -four
Cuba and six times as much sailed pork"
When we reflect that Hayti has little more
than one-third of the population of Cuba and
that the United States have never had a COM
mercial or any other kind of treaty to encourage
or protect our commerce with that people, these
results are absolutely astounding, and refute in
the most conclusive manner the idle stories of
the wretchedness, poverty, and squalor, of the
Haytiens. Whence comes their ability to main
tain such a commerce, and whence their means
to take the large amount of exports from the
United States, exceeding so largely all that we
send to the 5000, 900 of Mexico and to Cuba :?
The simple facts which l have read from the
official returns of our commercial intercourse
stamp with unerring certainty the fallacy of the
partial and prejudiced statements of the apollo
gists of Slavery.
In like manner we have had it dnned into our
ears for nearly quarter of a century, that the
British West India Islands have been ruined by
emancipation. The facts of the case, taken from
authentic sources, so far from bearing out this
theory, prove precisely the reverse. 1t is beyond
dispute that their ruin had already been accom-
plished by Slavery; that almost every estate in
those islands was mortgaged for what it was
worth, and great many for much more before
the act of emancipation that in 1890, a few
years prior to emancipation, petitions were pre-
sented to the British Parliament, describing the
condition of these colonies in the darkest colors.
and earnestly soliciting relief; that the produc-
ton of sugar in the island of Jamaica alone for
the ten years ending with 1880, was 2Ol 843
hogsheads less than for the ten years ending
with 1920. At this period the sugar planters of
the British West Indies enjoyed a monopoIy of
the British markets, the sugars of the British
colonies of India and Singapore not even being
allowed to compete. This monopoly and the
high price of sugar stimulated the production to
such degree that the slaves were actually
worked to death and whilst the free negroes
were steadily increasing, the slaves were diving
off at a rate which was described at the time as
appalling" In eleven out of eighteen of these
islands (by statement in the Edaq6urgh Repie,c
for April, ls49) the slaves decreased Gin twelve
years no less than 60,2l9 namely, from 55s.l94
to 497,975." Then came emancipation, and in
the next twelve years there was an increase of
54,076 in the number of negroes of but ten
colonies. There is no possible doubt about
these facts, taken as they are from the population
returns made to Parliament, for they are corrob
GRATED by Senator Benjamin, of Louisiana. one
OF the strongest advocates for what he delieatelv
denominates compulsory labor" He declares
that the same state of facts exists now in Cuba.
where the average life Of slave is seven wears
and nothing prevents the extinction of Slavery
In that island by the extinction of the slaves.
working them to death,) except the African
slave trade, through which their numbers are
kept up. The same cause has ruined the Dutch
colony of Surinam, where Slavery was allowed
to flourish, until "out of 9l7 plantations 636
have been totally abandoned" and the remain
der are on the road to destruction No better
proof of the ruinous tendency of this institution
need be sought, however, than a comparison
between the free-labor and slave States of this
Union. Not only were the British West Indies
made bankrupt by Slrvery with sugar at high
prices, and close monopoly of the British home
market, but, even after emancipation took place
they were by act of 1916 deprived of this monop
oily, and the British market thrown open to the
sugars of Brazil and Cuba and the whole world
This made their ruin complete Our Louisiana