Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-11-21

prdiation of every bond OF the State or an emgra-
ton to some less burthened land" 81
In Short the value of slavery !" to the State of
North Carolina, may be, think very accurately and
Justly summed up be "a necessity" and one that no
law of figures can reach. Without slavery, till re-
dundant population causes labor to beg for employ
ment as in Europc-our lands must remain until
led, and our fields now laughing with abundance,
follow those Of Jamaica and "grow up IN bush. -
Those not familiar with the result of English eman
cfpation in the West Indies, recommend to consult
the reports of the Governors of those Islands, also
Bards experiences in the West Indies, in $3.50
and Trollopes "West Indies and the Spanish main"
lS59-6O The writer will quote one or two pas
sages, themselves q volume of experience to US, IT
we will so use them. Baird says: Take Jamaica,
the chiel of the British West India Islands, as a
sample of the present condition of the British pos
sessions in these seas 'ex uno, disco omnes IL APP
pears from the report Of the committee of the House
of Assembly appointed in 1847 to enquire into the
cause and extent of the agricultural distress, that of
the 653 sugar estates in cultivation in Jamaica in
the year 1884, (the year of emancipaton) only SOB
were cultivated III 1917, the remaining estates con-
tanning 168, 032 acres of land, and employing up
wards of twenty-three thousand .aborers having
been abandoned. This was in 1917; the downward
tendency has certainly not been checked since then
matters arc now great deal worse, as regards the
growth of sugar cane in Jamaica. Were we to take
into consideration the coffee cultivation the detail
would be still more distressing. The same observa-
ton to deSerton of estates may be made with re-
gard to all the other colonies Barbados alone ex
cepted, because of its extreme population being
greater to the square mile, than Great Britain her
self See Baird elsewhere) In particular British
Guiana. Even while write, have before me u list
of fiftysix cotton coffee and sugar estates deserted
and abandoned in that productive and vast posses
sion of late years, because wholly unproftabe."-
Page one hundred and ffty-three, he says:
by lessening the number of laborers for con-
Quoting the operations in the fields, or at the boiler
houses and dstlery, of the effects of the eman-
cpatIon act was to inflict heavy blow upon the
production of the British West Indies"
Lord Harris one of the West India Governors,
SAYS in a home dispatch of 1917: 81 do not hest
tate to express to your lordshp, the home Secrea-
ry my conviction that if this colony, (Trinidad) is
not to be left to subSide into State of comparative
barbarism some more than ordinary relief is neces-
sary to support it in the contest which, in common
with other British West India colonies it is
gagged in Circumstanced as it is, | believe it inca
pable of successfully competing in the British mar
ket with the produce Of countries where slavery is
still permitted" Sir Charles Grey, reports of ia
maica: There is sincere apprehension among
the persons most thoroughly acquainted with the
subject that at the present prices, and the present
rates of duties it Will be impossible to carry on
here without loss or ruin, the cultivation of sugar
for expectation" Baird says, page one hundred and
sxtythree: Nearly all the dispatches from the Gov
ernors to the colonial Office since 1910 have borne
evidence to the fact of West India Gecadence."
Now let's see whether matters have improved in
the ten years since past MIR. Anthony Trollope
employed on official business by the English govern
ment visited the same places on which Mr.. Baird
made his observations only last year. Quoting
from page 1O3, he says: THAT Jamaica scas land
of wealth. rvalling the East in its Of riches,
nay excelling it as a market for capita, and that
noIo it is a spot on the earth almost poverty
stricken than any other-so much is known almost
to all men. That this change teas brought about by
the manumiSsiOR Of the slaUes which was completed
in 1885, of that Also the English world is generally
aware. And we may also say that the solictude of
Englishmen goes no further. The families who are
connected with Jamaica are becoming fewer and
fewer. Property has been abandoned good tor
nothing and nearly forgotten" &c, &C. Again,
page 1O7: "Are Englishmen in general aware that
half the sugar estates in Jamaica and believe
than half the coffee plantations hace gone back into
a state Of bush? That all this land rich with the
richest produce only some thirty years past has
now fallen back into wilderness? And Of those who
are now growing cane in Jamaica, great portion
have lately bought their estates for the raLue Of the
copper in the sugar boilers and Of the metal in the
rum stiLLs?" On page 10: 1.-The complaint gen.
orally resolves itself into this that free labor in ia
maica cannot be commanded &c, &c. The negro
as strong as bull, hardy as mule, docile as dog
when conscious of master-a salamander regards
heat He can work without pain and without anoy
ance. But he will never work as long as he can cat
and sleep without it"
Are we the citizens of the good old State of North
Carolina, prepared to witness like state of things
IN our beloved country? The unfortunate Inhabi
tants of the West Indies governed by fanatic
and misled people in England. Are we to be gov
NV neODlp n no Is
to be no guide experience no light to us +!
In the same paragraph, Mr.. Moore says: Even
with perfect Union of the Southern States after
severance the Republic would require at least twen
ty-fve millions for an economical government in
time of profound peace. The portion of North Car
olina in this burthen could not be less than two
millions and would be raised almost entirely by di
rect taxation" Let us examine the first statement
1t is assumption only. Mr.. Moore gives no basis
on which it is made, and though were it ten mil
lions more than his estimate still it could be raised
more easily by Southern Confederacy than is our
present revenue by the General Government as
expect speedily to show and that too, without one
dollar of direct taxation! | deem it however desi-
rable in the present crisis. when our State may be
compelled to decide upon measures that must fix
her position for veal or woe in the future, that
full and accurate knowledge ifpOsSible be had of all
the responsibilities involved on both sides the ques
ton before her. The following are some of the rea
sons why twenty-five millions per annum, is too
high estimate for the maintenance of an able and
dignifed government for the Southern States in
Confederacy. The entire cost of supporting the
government Of the United States during the admin
istraton Of the latter Adams, when the population
of the country far greater than that Of the pro-
posed CoEfederacy will be- when the government
was engaged in most expensive system of coast de-
fence, including the enormous military works at
Boston, New York, Newport Old Point Comfort and
elsewhere; when our frontier required an army
greatly diSproportoned to that necessary for u.s. 1--WE
are considering the question during "a time of pro-
found peace" when it was necessary frequently to
move troops from Houlton Barracks, Maine, to Fort
Leavenworth on the extreme west of Missouri, and
from Michigan to Florida, lin 1884, the expenses of
the army were more than half the whole expenses of
the governmen<0 when our navy was required to
protect our commerce on every in the East In
dies in China, in Batavia and Constantinople, &C.,
&c; when our diplomatic relations were far more
extended than ours is likely to be for MANY wears
at that time the whole cost of the government was