The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-07
The EmanciuA


leads me 60 hope that you
will not exclude from your cOlamns evil
dence tending TO show the benificence of
the measure, however contradictory TO /
the results at which you have arrived.
In your editorial of Tuesday last, on the |
State Of the Negro in this Country" you
come to the gloomy conclusion that the |
emancipation of the negro must impel |
him, through appalling miseries, to inev-
liable extinction. If this conclusion be
lust the Emancipation Proclamation is
indeed tremendous fact" at the bare
contemplation OF which the philanthro
pist might well be affrighted. Among
other proofs of the probability of the
result you predict, you cite from foot
note 10 Professor Cairnes' book, an ex-
tract from the work entitled the "West
Indies" giving an account of the state Of
the emancipated slaves in the Island of
Trinidad 10 1S41, three years after the
emancipation had become complete in the
British colonies.
This extract represents that tie ne
groes had for the most part, abandoned
the estates I; had taken possession of plots
Of vacant land, especially in the vicinity
Of towns, without purchase or lawful
ri hit; had migrated so frequently as TO
defeat all attempts at taking a census OF
the population; had, when guilty of
crimes, evaded justice by absconding to
places where they were unknown, or 10
the dense forests adjacent 70 the cleared
lands; had become drunkards; had ex-
acted high wages only TO be spent in
amusement, revelry, aad dissipation
thesG high wages inducing diminished
cultivation Of food corresponding in
crease in price, and the necessity of i'm
portation from the neighboring islands (;
and finally, had steadily refused to enter
| into contracts which would oblige them
| TO remain in the service of master since
this would too much resemble tho slavery
from which they had just emerged.
/ | shall say nothing OF the inherent
feebleness of some of these specifications,
nor OF the contradictory nature of at
least one of them; nor shall attempt 10
answer this indictment by any specula-
tons Of my own, which, at best, must
be inconclusive aud unsatisfactory. On
the contrary, admitting at once that
upon the abolition of slavery, there was
!
sugar; that the negroes were little incliu-
ed to submit to any coercion, while the
planters had not learned TO treat them as
free laborers, who were to be enticed. not
forced to TOLL" and that for time there
was much confusion in West Indian af-
fairs consequent on the measure of eman-
cipaiion--yet let us candidly consider
the present state of the West India Is
lands, as we have il authenticity repre-
scented in the Edinburg ReVie,O for April
1859, in the article entitled "The West
Indies as they were and Are" And, by
the way, before proceed, permit me tC
commend the whole essay to your par
ticular attention, since, for one who feels
so deeply as you do the danger threat
ening the slaves from endowing then
with the boon or curse of freedom,
must be not little consolitary and reas
surfing. From the most authentic sources
the writer gives a particular account o
! the progress Of each of the eighteen Is
lands since the emancipation but pro
pose only to make such extracts as di
recily apply TO the allegations con tame
in your citation
Q Trinidad is highly ilourishing. TIL
whole trade has increased from yearl
average under slavery Of 9910,636 I
e9,239 24l in 1856, an increase Of el29,
COS. In 1852 the crop COT sugar. was tn
largest ever shipped from the island, an
IL has been extending ever since-'marke
improvement in the cultivation OF suga
estates Export Of sugar rose from a
average Of 3lO,797 cwt., under slaverl
to one of 426, 042 cwt in the seven year
ending 1854"
Thus, you see, how compRtely the Il
land Of Trinidad has emerged from Il
calamities Immediately consequent O
= the emancipation, which calamities, how
ever, were not caused by the eman cipi
tion, but by the inability or unwilling
ness Of both planters and negroes
adapt themselves 70 the new condition.
. things. Not only is Trinidad prosper
GUS, but all the other islands as We
some more, some less; Jamaica least
all, from special curses stated by Il
s reviewer. My other citations relate
the whole group.
ala the year 1857, the Colonial Bar
received bills from the West Indies
n the amount of moro than 100000, al
less than a9,0 900 were returned. Nor W
there a single failure in The West Ind
trade during the severe commercial cris
= In the autumn of that year. FurthermoI
coffee, cotton, wool, sugar, rum aud coc'
are all exported in increasing quantiti9
Tho total export from Great Britain
I, the West Indies in 1857 were valued
half million more than the average
the preceding ten years, and actually,
d that year, equalled her exports 10 Swe
en-, Norway, Denmark, Greece, Azor
Madeira and Morocco, all combined. T
exports aud imports together Of the W.
Indies amounted in the four years en-
, ing with 1858 to just f35, 100000; a
. In the four years ending with 1857
Just f37, 600 600; an increase Of "a $50
GOO in four years. In the year 1857, [
n. total trade 10 and fro OF these Islam
- was valued at fl0,735000; and the val
OF sugar alone imported from them il
the United Kingdom, in that year, "
Il no less than G5,Gle000.
These official statistics aud repo
) absolutely demonstrate the fact that
West Indies are rapidly advancing
wealth aud prosperity; nor must 10
supposed that they ara merely putt
~ money in their purse, without a corr
ns pouding advance ia the general charse
y. OF tho people" Ia many cases the
gtoes have haiit altogether new Villa
for thCmselves "fho number Oi 81
NJ u. "A "a