Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-06-21
rue FUrUnE or rae tlBkRAfbD SLAVES.
From the Petersburg NeHs,l

II
paratiOn, drew a beautiful and attractive picture
Of the immediate prosperity which was to dawn
on the British colonial possessions In discussing
/ the question, he held the following language
" have shown that the industry OF the negro Is
/ undeniable, and that it is constant and prOduc-
tive in proportion as he is the director OF It's ap-
/ plication, and the master Of lis rewards His
/ LOrdship afterwards discovered thatthe industry
/ Of the negro is not undenabie 10 not con
slant" and is not productive. These melan-
chOly facts have been ascertained, and are re-
/ corded In the Journals Of the British Parliament
| Reports of numberless committees who have
/ investigated this question, show that the West
/ India possessions OF the English Crown have de-
/ gen, rated in productive energy, until the Ian
i guage of one distinguished witness Examined IN
i regard 70 Jamaica, which he called bowling
/ wilderness may be applied 70 them all The
establishment Of the COO.ie trade with its unmit-
/ irated horrors owes its origin 10 the fact that
1 the negrOs industry Is Mother constant" nor
| .productiven even under the stimuant of being
| master OF the rewards of labor.
The generously col1red pictures Of prosperity,
| drawn by French and English Missionaries, have
been turned with their faces 10 the wall, and the
| eXtravagant promises Of enthusiasm have re-
ceiyed a stern contradiction from incorrigible
| facts Hayt Jamaica south and Central Ameri'
ca, proclaim that the African race "a incapable oil
any sustained exertiOn. or systematic industry
The contemplation OF this picture is by no means
| cheerful especially when we reflect that the eX-
pertinent which has thus far failed, has now to
be tried on this continent and in our midst upon
| the most gigantic scale. Viewed In this light.
| the question assumes magnitude and Importance
that can not be overstated. Its magnitude can
not be Overstated, because it involves all values
and credits in the South, and by sympathy-a
commercial sympathy, equal TO the physical one
Of the Siamese twns-all values and credits Oi
the North are also involved. The internal ecOnO-
my the present and future prosperity Of 50 vast
and powerful country as Is made up by the
States of the Great Republic, should certainly
receive the most patient, the NEST unremitting,
the most profound and dspassiOnate attention.
Every American, who is not blinded by preju-
dice, or exaggerated by ianaticism, will agree in
this IL is question OF vital impOrtauCe-a
Que stiOu which IS now engrOssing the thoughts
OF Louis Napoleon and the British Ministry no
less urgently than il occupies the attention Of the
wiscst and lest n this and-but with far diler
ent hopes aud aspirations than ours. For they
10 * forward 10 the final contamination OF ruin
10 b. tn sections they have attained, in payt at
least the cherished object Of tier cis-Atantic
policy aud destroyed the relations OF society in
thir cen States, they have divorced capital and
labor, ana are now cOmpOsedly looking for rhe
same disastrous results TO follow in this country
which have already been exhibited where Eman.
cipatiOn has been applied. That there is great
aud immediate danger OF such results Is pain
fully OBVIOUS; but we should be unworthy Of our
former history il We did not resOlutely endeayor
TO avert so great calamity as the destruction of
our entire system of labor, with its long and in.
tolerable train of attendant Ills We see that the
texture of society has been violently rent; its
most complex and delicate threads have been
bfoken. aud il is the task, not only OF this gene
ration. hut Of this very day and hour, to repair,
il possible, the damage which has been sustained.
How a remedy may be applied IS the supreme
question To which every wise man IN the country,
North and South, should address himself with
a rr.feH ,,rF 10. -. 81
constant effort Ct this Journal 10 assist In this
stupendous work, and We trust that our labors
will not be without their good results.
The first thing TO be done-the first step to be
taken in this directiJn-is for the public press
anil the public men of the South 10 recognize the
fact that slavery has disappeared from American
society-to accept the fact, under as many pro.
tests as they please but still TO look it full in the
face and consider how new social organization
may lie substituted with the least possible delay
for the new policy which has been inauguraled,
unless wisely directed will, like blind Samson,
drag down the pillars OF the whole temple OF So
ciety, and cover all with indscriminate dastruc.
ton. Selfinterest and humanity, every consle-
ration of enlightened philanthropy and sound
poIcy, demand active and immediate cO-opeia-
tion between press and people in sustaining the
Government In all its attempts 20 solve the great
and complicated problem now before us We
re.afirm this proposition, and that, too, with
full knowledge of the fact shat many persons de.
cline 10 cooperate in this great undertaking, on
the Ground that the Federal authorities have the
responsibility of libeGating the slaves and 10
them belongs the task Of finding a solution TO
the questions which emancipation has thrust
upon the country.
But this Is not consonant with lust apprecia
ton o. our own interests; nor, indeed, il il hu-
name 10 leave the negro 70 perish In the embrace
of his new found teedOm That a wholesome
public opinion will sustain US in this view we DO
a Hon lgr h,,,, a.
earnest cooperation OF the public press and pub
lie men whose views are liberal aud enlarged I'm
enforcing our opinions. We repeat that the i'm.
portance OF an immediate organization Of labor
can NOT be Oyerestmated. But We can only
comprehend it in part, now, as neither reason, nor
fancy combined, can depict that which expert
enCe only m portray, IL is only where a paraly-
ala of All industrial pursuits manifests itself in
deso.ated fields and decayed tOwns-n the oblt.
Grafton of credits and the extinction of values
as in the West Indies, that we can dmly under
stand the full importance 70 us and our pOsterity
OF the question under discussion. But if we
wait for a iull experience in the bitter economical
Lessons which Others have learned, it will be too
la,e for us TO apply remedies.
The military authorities in the various lOcali-
ties have been charged II is true, with the ad
iustment OF these matters for the time, and indo-
lence, sulleu indifference and despair, are apt TO
uuote IA Is circumstance TO excuse themselves from
81 nd that this is unjust and unwise. Unjust, be-
cause the task thus thrown uDon the shoulders of
these strangers is one in which they can possibly
have no personal interest who success can by no
possibility benefit them, but US; unwise, because
It's failure will leave the South with less than
halfcrop in the coming fall, and with four mil
lions of paupers TO feed out OF it. Let us all
realize that We stand in the presence of Famine,
incomparably worse than the potato rot produced
in Ireland because, in the first place, that however
severe, was partial in extent, while this will in
volye a territory so large that philanthropy can
not possibly reach il; and, in the second, il is
certain TO be aggravated by war OF races from
which q homogeneous people are free.
We must all understand that this il to be a
year Of experiment of self denial in many cases
OF disappointment In more, of danger for all. II
we pass It's trials safely it will, we firmly believe
usher us into an unparalleled era Of prosperity
a a OF intelligent labor, of vast employment OF
capital, of great development Of resource, Of
multiplying railroads. Of Astounding appliance
OF mechanical skill, Of productive nelds, of rich
mines, Of expanding commerce, of freedom, pro.
gress, public happiness.
If we fail, this tair Southern land will be gi-
gantic Hayt, peopled by cOntending factions of
paupers and bcutes, on which the world will look
with no further interest than the desire for the
eXtermination or expatdation Of both.
THE LEXINGTON DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY
The Conservative and Democratic Union men
of the Lexington District have nominated Geo