Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-08-07
Herman R,rht. Tried by the sugar Test.

WHICH ne VIII pAOuuOo tue hlOSt sugar lOI ca
port.
Statistics can be manipulated so as to
show any result that is required, by taking
only such facts as serve the main purpose
and emitting the rest. We have referred to
the West India emancipation question in
previous article, and to the circumstances
and facts directly affecting the supply of la
Dor in some islands, which were left out of
statistical statements made up to show the
economical advantages of freedom.
Thus, in some Of the islands, large supplies
of Coolie laborers have been received In
Barbados every acre Of ground was under
cultivation, and the negroes had to work or
starve, and the number of them in Barbados
made wages very low. In these Islands the
sugar product has been maintained, and in
Barbados actually increased. All this is set
down in the anti-slavery statistics to the
credit Of emancipation. This of course es-
tablishes its benefit. But is the diminishing
product of sugar in Jamaica, and abandon
ment of cultivated land to original bush, set
down to the disadvantage Of emancipation?
BY no means. That is ascribed to something
else; thus we hear from these anti-slavery
sources that the Jamaica planters are en-
tirely different from the same race on the
other Islands; they seem to know nothing
of their own interests fault which the
British, and their descendants in this coun-
try, have not usually been accused of We
are to suppose from the statements that they
let their estates grow up to bush, and them
selves grow down to ruin, rather than pay
free-labor fair wages and export sugar and
grow rich.
The Methodist Quarterly ReUiev has an ar
ticle on this subject, showing the benefits of
emancipation by the economical results.
This shows by statistics that the sugar export
of Jamaica was regularly decreasing during
slavery, and that the decrease under emanci-
patton was only continuation of some cause
which had struck the sugar business with
death without any reference to slavery. 1t
is fact that the sugar export was regularly
diminishing under slavery; but in all the
statistical statements made for emancipa-
tion purposes, the previous years, during
which the African slave existed, and the
sugar product rapidly increased, are left out,
as well as the coincident circumstance which
would have made the whole matter clear.
The slave-trade is necessary to develop the
sugar producing capacity to its fullest extent.
OF course under the anti-slavery theory,
which makes sugar the test of the right to
freedom, this proves the slsve-trade to be
right and necessary.
While the African slave-trade was open
and protected by British law, the export of
sugar from Jamaica rapidly increased. From
l772 to l775 the average annual export was
l23, ,979, 70e pounds; but it increased regularly,
with only such variations as are easily ac-
counted for by the casualties TO which this
crop is subject; and from 1905 to 1903, the
last three years of the British slave-trade,
the average export of sugar was about 322,-
900, 900 pounds. The period of slavery with
out the slave-trade was from 1909 to 1882,
during which the number of slaves dimin-
ished considerably, and the sugar export
decreased to an average of 1853, 100, 43l pounds
for the last ten years, showing loss of So
900, 900 pounds by eutting off the slave-trade,
and clearly establishing the right of the
slave-trade by the sugar abolition theory.
From 1882 to 1886 was the period of ap-
premiership, to qualify the negro race for
freedom, during which the annual export of
sugar decreased to 75,990,950 pounds, show
ing that just in proportion as you let up the
pressure on Sambo you lose sugar. Then
began the trial of freedom and sugar, and the
export went down, till in 1859 it amounted
to but 4s,039,6Oo pounds, proving conclu-
sively by the anti-slavery sugar test that
negro freedom is failure.
| 1t is rather singular that although the
Northern States are supposed to be filled with
anti-slayery men, we can find none that dare
look the consequences of negro freedom
square in the face, and stand to them. None
of them take the broad ground that
the negro has right to be free and
to be negro, too, following the customs
of his ancestors, with no wants beyond
what the spontaneous fruits supply, and al
lowing tropical countries, which are culti-
waited only by her forced labor, to go back to
wilderness but they argue that he should be
free because he will be such good boy, and
will make more sugar. Tried by this test
emancipation must fall, as well as the laws
prohibiting the slave-trade. The planters O
British Guiana say that with an unrestricted
supply of Coolie labor, hundred millions o
hogsheads of sugar can be produced on tina
coast If we carry this sugar anti-slaverl
principle to its logical results, and open thu
African slave-trade, and follow our NANTES
destiny southward-all of which legitimately
follows the same sugar anti-slayery principle
we may export sugar enough to sweetel
all creation.
As this is a subject which has been mucl
discussed, and on which vast quantities o
statistics have been arranged, we append tn
following statistical statement of the annua
exports, and average annual exports, O
pounds of sugar from Jamiaca, in the period
stated, compiled from authentic sources
which we have used in this article:
Period during ,0hioh hs slavetrade supplied idbore
from africa under the regulations 1 ta'0
1913 10 ~ t9t'ss
1 lfoO5ool