Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1865-08-23
Forewarned is Forearmed.

For the warning anu ouVlce vi snc: "Ai'o
man, ,,and still more of the black man, OF the
South, we publish the following article from
the London Times. 1t appeared iu that pa
per, which may be styled tho monarch of the
English press, and which exeris greater
sway over British opinion than all the other
British papers put together, some years sub
sequent to the emancipation of the slaves in
the British West India colonies.
We honestly believe that the lately liberated
negroes of the Southern States are considera-
bly, superior in character and principle to- the
negroes of the West Indies at the time of
the emancipation of the latter; but never
thelcss, no one can deny the strong proba-
,bility that the very same lamenlable state Of
things as portrayed in this irrefutable article
of the Tines, is speedily coming to pass
among us. Already there are fearful aud un
mistakable sigma o it. Many intelligent and
well-meaning negroes may take warning by
this sad bit Of historical experience, and en-
deayor to steel clear Of the idleness and ig-
norance which wifi 50 surely keep him in
degradation and which will eventually force
the white man TO import into our country
white.laborers, thereby excluding the black
from all chance of earning an honest and de-
cent livelihood.
"There is no blinking the truth. Years Of
bitter experienee-years of hope deferred, of
self devotion unreduited,' Of poverty, of hu.
initiation, Of prayers unanswered, of suffer
inps derided, of.insults unresentcd, of con.
tumely patiently endured, have convinced
,ls Of the truth. 1t must be spoken out loud
ly, and .energetically, despite the wild mock,
ii,gs Of. bowling can't" The freed West
India negro slave tohl not till The soil for
lraoes !: the free son Of the &C slace is US OBJ.
stinate as his sire!! He will cultivate lands
which he has not bought, for his own yams,
mangocs, and -plantains. These satisfy his
wants he does not care for yours. Cotton,
and sugar, and coffee, and tobacco-he cares
little for them. And what matters it to him,
that the Englishman has sunk his thousands
and tens of thousands on mills, machinery,
&c., which now tottr on the languishing
estate, that for years have only returned beg
gary and debt. He eats his yams, azd snig-
gers at Is Buckra."
ave know not why. this should be; but it
is so. The negro has been bought with
price,-the price of Epgiish taxation, and
English toll. He has been redeemed from
bondage" by the sweat and travail of some
millions of hard-working Englishmen. Twen.
ty millions OF pounds sterling, --one hundred
millions of dollars, have beea distilled from
the brains and muscles Of the free English
laborer, of every degree to fashion the West
Indian negro into a free and independent Ia
borer. "Free and independent, enough he
has become God knows, but lc''orer he is
not and so far as we can see, he lever will
be- He will sing psalms and quote texts;
but honest, steady Industry, he not only de-
tests; but despises!
I'VE wisL TO Hcaven, that some people in
England, neither government people, nor
parsons nor clrgymen,-but some jusl-ns'"d-
cd. AoneSt-heartcd and clear-sightcd men.
would 20 out 70 some Of the lslands.-say
Jamaica, Dominica, or Antigua, not for
month, OF three mouths. but ior year. would
watch the precious protege Of English pLi';!h-
tropy,-the freed negro: in lis daily lab
its; would watch him as lie lazily plants his
little squattins; would see Lin, as lieproud-
ly rejects agricultural or domestic service, or
accepts it only at wages. ludicrouslI dispro:
rortionatc to the value Of his work. we
wish too they would watch him, while with q
hide thicker than that OF hippopotainus,
and a body, to which fervid. heat is com.
fort rather than an annoyance, he droningly
lounges over the prescribed task, on Which
burning sun, CONSUMES his impatient energy,
and too often sacrifices lis lie. We wish
they would go out, and view the regro, in all
the blazonry Of his id!cLess, ..is pride, his
insratitude, contemWuously snecrlng at the
industry of that race, which made him free;
ard then corne home, ana teach the memo
rable Lesson OF their experience to the Fd-
notics. WHO have pcirc'fed him, into 1cdat
he is!"