The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-04-25
The Result Of Free and Slave Labor In
the British West Indies.

The public of Jamaica owe debt OF graft
tude to the Jamaica Colonist-whoeyer tnat
individual NAV be-who has recently address
ed the London Morning Herald upon this I'M
portant subject. He has well remarked that
the cry of ruin has not proceeded from the
planters of this island without deep cause
for that with all the energy, skill and econo-
nv in their mode of management, they nave
one by one seen their own hard earnings, or
the hereditary property of their ancestors melt
away under the unequal competition OF slavery
while they have been denied the only means
by which they might have hoped for success.
This is an old story, but it can never be stale
while the cause of complaint continues and
rs it is only by a reiteration of facts that we
can hone to convince the British public of the
crave error they have been seduced into COM
hitting. and the serious injury they have in
t,;cted. it is the sacred duty of every one who
has either pen or press at his command to
contr;hnte as he can toward etfecting the des-
ired end.
Despite the many facts and figures which
have repeatedlv been adduced during the last
twenty wears, in proof Of the melancholy fact
that without due proportion OF labor the
land in any country, and more especially IN
one so layishly endowed with natural adyan-
taees as Jamaica, its resources can neither De
nronerlv developed nor its cultivation be sus-
tain.d and in equal defiance, on the other
hand. of the proofs of increasing productive
ness of those countries, whether slave or Tree,
| where this equilibrium is at all maintained
| # still continues to be contended by party
whose antecedents give them Importance,
| either. that Free labor cultivation has not d.
| n;n;sbed as we have represented, or else
where admitted-that this has arisen from
| cinrustances wholly irrespective of the reasons
| ass;oned nv us. To those who are inclined to
arpne in this manner, the following facts are
| respectively offered
| In Cuba, possessing slave trade, the produc-
| ton of sugar in 1927, was only lOO,OOo tons,
| in 1850. it has risen to $4,000; and in 1857
| if has reached the enormous amount OF H.
| 900 tons.
| In the United States, also slave cultivated
/ the production of sugar during the same per-
iod. rose from $1,000 to SAC, 900 hhds.
| In Brazil, also slave country, the grea'
staple of that country, coffee, increased iron
8 millions lbs to 800 millions.
| In Java, where modified slavery exists
the production of both sugar and coffee has re
manned nearly stationary. o-
On the other hand Jamaica, which in 1915
during slavery, produced 10000 hhds o
sugar, and in 1914, 81 millions lbs of coffee
in 1856, after nearly 20 years of freedom
with disbursed and wholly inadequate popu
iation, exported only $4,000 hhds and mil
lions fbs of coffee.
While Hayti, which under the manage
ment of the French, and with slave labor
annually produced above 800 million lbs OF su
gar. and some 80 million lbs Of coffee ; now
under free system, does not produce suffi
Gent sugar for its own consumption, and de
ponds almost entirely on its cultivation
coffee, which is also less than half what
was 60 years ago!
In Barbados, however, the free system hs
worked well-and why ? simply because
is densely populated containing ten times
many inhabitants as Jamaica, in proportion
its size. In this model colony, accordingl,
we find that the production now is just doub
what it was during slavery; while in Maur
thus. Trinidad and Demerara-thanks to II
command of Immigrant labor to supply II
deficiency created by emancipation, the pr!
ducts have also very considerably increased
although nothing certainly to compare wit
the gigantic strides made by Cuba, Southel
States of America, and Brazil /; or to compel
safe for the loss sustained in Hayh, Jamac
, and other free islands of the West--Janaae
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