The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1865-12-29

running in his blood, cannot be made by
the mere Act of Congress fit for political
freedom. 1t will require assuredly more
than one generation of tutelage 10 fit this
race for the freedom for which it required
so many generations to fit us.
So much for a priori considerations, but
we have also the experience of countries
in which the experiment has been tried.
Who that has read anything of colonial
history does not know the fertility of the
West India lslands---the gardens of the
worll. Enjoying the most delightful eli
mate, and with soil of SURPRISING pro-
ductivencss, the resources of these islands
seem boundless and vet wherever politi-
cal equality has touche., them it has
stricken them with ruin.
In Jamaica, we are informed by Mr..
Underhill, the blacks are starving there
is no work for them, and yet the few
planters that ara left are spending money
and straining every nerve to import cool
les from the other side of the world to do
their work. What folly to suppose that
any class of men would take such trouble
to get labour if it were to be had at their
doors Steadily from the first did the
Jamaica blacks refuse to work regularly
for regular wages. Large sums Of money
are taken away by the coolies on their
return to their homes. The black soldier
of Hayti supports himself on six CEN
times day, but the Jamaica negro refus-
es twenty-five cents. From all sources
the fact appears plain that the African will
not work steadily; improvident in his ma
tive home he is improvident everywhere :;
he will do only that portion Of plantation
work which pleases him and when it
pleases him. Now the essential of pros
porous plantation is steady labour, not fit
full alienation of activity and idleness, but
the planting, hoeing, cutting and grinding
must all be done in their season, and six
days labour week must be expended all
the year round The whole crop may
perish for want of weeks seasonable
labour. And here is just the point In
Jamaica, two days labour will support a
man week The urgent planter is met
with ''No Massa, Pse tired" mo hungry,
massa," and the plantation goes to ruin.
Jamaica is perishing for want ofcapital, say
the Observation-Disclosures, but they take
the effect for the cause. Capital is plen-
titul in England, and seeks investments.
1t finds its own level swiftly and silently,
and flows away from a place where in
vestments are uncertain.
One Island is, however, pointed to in
triumph, and that is Barbados. But it
must not be forgotten that Barbados is a
small island, and cultivated to the waters
edge. There is not enough vacant land
to hold picnic upon. The vagrant
laws are strict and the negro must work
or leave the island lie cannot there set
tie on a patch of wild land, and trusting
to the banana or a few yams to indulge in
his loved idleness.
But it is in IIayt that the negro problem
has been worked out to the uttermost.--
In old days, Hayti proper exported 400
millions OF pounds OF sugar ; now she does
not raise enough for herself. Then twen-
ty-two millions Of francs of surplus reven-
lie went to France now, seven millions
are hardly raised for the whole revenue.
The population has diminished in proper
ton. In the year 1850, but per cent of
the births were legitimate. Not content
with expelling the whites, successive mas
sacres have nearly eX,erminated the mu-
lattoes. The shadow of representative in
situations barely survives under tyranny
Of the true African type. The brutal SER
pent-worship of Africa divides the reli-
gious sentiment of the country with a
bastard corruption Of Roman Catholicism.
Children are scrupulously baptlsed, but the
funeral rites are chiefly those Of the Vau-
doux god The surface of civilization has
disappeared and the barbarian is manifest.
Everywhere at night through tangled I'M
dergrowth of the ruined plantations CLEAN
the fires, aud sound the horns of the
VaudouX incantations. And this in an
island near the centre of civilization, fer
tile to degree, and free from what some
would call the baleful influence of the
white planter.
To any mind not heated with prejudice
such considerations as these should weigh
heavily towards the exclusion from politi-
cal equality Of a race evidently untitled
for SO great trust. The white race
have duty to fulfill to these their poor
fellow-men but this is not their duty
Strict marriage laws, strict education laws,
strict labour laws, strict vagrant laws are
needed. Let the friends of the negro guard
also against the servile war which threat
ems the South. The gift of freedom has
been of little service as yet to the negro, A
little more agitation Of his so-called polit-
ical rights and a reaction will set in which
will crush the radical party and fearfulIy
accelerate the destruction Of the negro
race.
Bas~A clergyman, having called up a
class of girls and boys, began with the