Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-10-29

and import Of provisions from the neigh
boring Islands and Continent.
The aborers steadily refused to enter
into contracts which would oblige them
to remain in the service of master !;
this would too mnch have resembled the
state of slavery from which they had
Just emerged. 1t was with reference to
this state of things that Lord Harris
wrote in lS4S.
One Of the many errors which have
been committed since the granting of
emancipation is the little attention paid
to any legislation having for its end the
formation of society on true, sound
and lasting principles. AS the question
at present stands, n race has not been
formed. Liberty has given place to
Heterogeneous mass of individuals who
can only comprehend license; participa-
tion in the rights, privileges and duties
of civilized society has been granted to
them; they are only capable of enjoying
its vices"
With the help of vagrant acts and
other legislative enactments, somewhat
like order was established, and the intro
dnction Of Coolio labor has enabled
Trinidad to recover from the state of
poverty intowhich it had plunged. at
all events, the planters have now labor
upon the steady supply of which they
can depend, which was quite out OF the
question with the free negroes left upon
their hands. AS yet, however, the sue
pf hn I'm, cnbar,a
must not be regarded as absolutely estab
lished. The Coolies, both Chinese and
East Indian, seem to be pleased with
it, and exhibit few signs of availing
themselves of the free passage placed at
thoir disposal after they have served
their time, They have even in some in
stances sent for their families, and be-
come Independent proprietors. But in
order to put the scheme in motion, Trim
idad has been compelled to burden itself
with an Immigration debt of one hun
dred and twenty five thousand pounds
sterling. OF course this entails taxation;
and to that extent becomes burden on
industry, and renders a competition with
other countries more difficult.
On the other hand, the export of su-
gar alone since Introducing Cooie labor
has risen from 20, 800 to 10000 hogs
heads, whilst that of cocoa now rea ches
100000 pounds, against $500, 900
pounds; the highest ever obtained before
emancipation.
'ln the time of the French emaucipa
tion, Hayti) before the revolution o.
1862, thousands of hogsheads of suga
were produced; now not one. All is de
cay and desolation. The pastures ar
deserted, and the pricklypear covers tn
land once laughing with the hhas of tn
sugar cane. The hydraulic works cree
ted at vast expense have crumbled t
dust. The plow is an unknown imple
ment of culture, although so eminent,
: adapted to the great plain and deep sol
of Hayti.
A country so capable of producing fol
export, and therefore for the enrichmen
of its people besides sugar and coffee
cotton and tobacco, the cocoa bean, spi
ces, every tropical fruit and many of tht
fruits of Europe-lies unoccupied, uncul
tivated and desolate. Its rich mines are
neither explored, nor worked, and it,
beautiful woods rot in the soil where they
grow. A little logwood is exported
but ebony, mahogany, and the fines
building timber rarely fall before th'
: woodman's axe, and then only for loca
use. The present inhabitants despise al
) servile labor, and are for the most par
content with the spontaneous productions
of the soil and forests. For their i'm
ports of flour, salt fish and dry goods
they pay with the produce of their coffee
and cocoa plantations, which their Frencl
predecessors had planted. And to gath
er in their crops they depend on the vol
untary assistance of their 'neighbors
, whom they feed during the harvest, anc
then, in their turn, repay with simila
/, , assistance. Every description of ca,tl
is rare; few pigs and numerous goat
; were the only domestic animals visibl
in our long ride; but fowls turkeys an
geese were abundant"