The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-05-05
by REQUEsT)
West India Emancipation Vindicated

w Gov Auuid GinoHS2Pat4oh VinO1N"eSu'
Speech of Rev. Henry B1eby. Missionary
from, Bar6adOeS, al the AnRiUerSary OF
Vest Lliia Eina1acipation, at Abinston.
CONCLUDED.
Then, | am told. if it bad not ruined
the laborer, it has ruined the planter -
Sir. l deny that as plainly as deny the
other. might maintain, with great pro-
priety, that if many West India proPrie-
tors were ruined by emancipation, they
only got .hat they deserved. Go not,
however, take that position, bat say
this: that it was not emancipation, but
slavery that ruined those who Were ruiz
ed. They were ruined long before eman-
cipation took place would recommend
our friends VITO can do so to read Mont
goncry Martins History OF the British
Colonies, published in lo5l,- new edi-
ton of a warmer work. There it Is
shown, TO dcmon-tration, that long be-
fore Buxton and Wilberforee lifted their
voices in the British Senate 10 advocate
the emancipation Of the negroes. the col
onists throughout the West lnGies con-
,uua.ly complained that they were ruin
incd. And no wonder that they were
ruined There was condition OF things
existing under slavery, that must inevlta-
bly, ruin any landholder under the suo:
Just look, sir, at the condition of West
India estate under slavery. There were
four or FIVE hundred slaves. 1t is true,
the master dii not go to much expense In
providing them with luxuries, or even
with food, but he had to bestow upon
them so many yards of cloth year, and
several other small articles that was ne
item Of expen>e Then, to superinteod
the labor Of these slaves. there must be
four book keepers, as they were called,
one to superintend the still, another the
boiling house, another took care of the
cattle on the estate aud another, if not
two or three, snperintended the people in
the field. All these had to be fed and SAL
aried. Then there vas al oserseer OF
the estate, with bis barren, and he, too,
llging at considerable expense out Of the
estate, and al a high salary. Then, over
all was the attorney, IN the absence OF
the proprietor, who managed the affairs
Of the estate, disposed Of the produce,
and provided the cattle aud other .materi-
ais for working the estate. Well, he
took his commission out Of everything the
estate produced, AMI occupied. at his
pleasure, what was called "tbe great
house" aud having his harem there
Tbeu, sir, there was the proprietor, with,
his family, living in France or Eogland,
in priucely style,-and all this TO be
drawn out of the produ,e of one estate.
/ should like TO know whether there is
an estate throughout the length aud
breadth of this country, that could sus-
tain such drain as this s,-Whether there
is any property that would not be brought
to ruin, with SO many living upon it and
out Of it.
1t was that process that brought ruin
upon many of tie West India Froprietors.
Aud, sir, emauci patton proved boon to
them The compensation money enabled
them to lesson the mortgages on their es-
tates. BY this expensive method of work.
ing the estates, and this expensive style
of living, the merchants, WHO bad also
their commissions to take out of the es-
tates, became mortgages, By making
large advances on the property; so that
when emancipation came, there was not
one estate in CITY that was not mortgagcd
TO tie full extent Of its value. En- aBci-
patton came, and instead OF being a curse
it proved blessing to the proPrietors.
Suppose they had four haDdred slaves;
they would receive, on the average, not
less than twenty pounds for each. about
$4,000, or $40 900 for the whole. 1t is
true, the nortgagee took this cowpensa-
ton money; but then, the estate was
relieved to that extent, and many of the
proprietors were going on with a fair
prospect Of working themselves clear of
their difficulties. Then came another
sweeping change. You remember the
free trade policy adopted by the british
government during the ministry of Sir
Robert Peel. Among those measures was
one equaliziDg the sugar duty, and throw
ing the freed colonies of Britain into an
unequal competition, or competition for
which they were not prepared, with Cuba
aud Brazil. where the produce was raised
by saye labor | do not fDd fault With
that free trade policy; indeed, DO not
express any opinion upon it at all. for am
not much of politician; bat this change
came upon the colonies prenaturely, be-
fore they were prepared for it, and the
consequent reduction of the price of SUI
gar to an extent which rendered ii uure-
nunerative, forced some of the planters
TO an abandonment of their estates, which
passed into the hands Of the merchants.
10 Antigua, some of the best estates Oh
the island are held by the merchants,
who obtained them in that way. The