The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-08-15
Chinannr, VS.. Negro.


Capitalists are already discussing
the question of contracting with
Chinese companies for an immense
number of them to cultivate the
cotton crop of the South for !, term
of years, at q much cheaper rate than
negro labor can be obtained. Soon
the rivalry between the Chinanlan
and the negro will commence.
We clip the above from one of our
exchanges, and desire to call the at
tention of planters to it. We have
seen the Chinaman at work, and what
we now write is based upon personal
observation. In the summer Of 1860,
we made q visit to the Barbados, an
English island in the group of the
lesser Antilles. Every foot of land on
this beautiful island is in tilth-is the
most densely settled spot Of ground
on the face of the earth occupied by
the European race, and is by far the
best cultivated we ever saw 1t was
q slave island, as all the West Indies
were previous to the emancipation.
Every foot of land here has an owner,
with marks as we'll defined as any lot
ln this town, SO there is no chance
for squatters and idlers as in jamaica.
The negroes either work hcre-pcr-
forming WHAT'S required Of them-or
they are forced to leave, and very
large number of them have gone to
other places, where they can live rs in
st. Domingo or Jamaica, on the
spontaneous productions of the soil,
and their places have been supplied
by the Introduction of Chinamen.
While visiting this island, we saw
these people at work, and learned
what was given them as rations and
pay, and the amount was extremely
small. We were told by some Of the
largest and most reliable sugar grow
ers, that forty dollars per year, two
suits of than clothes, and little rice
and fish-Anot quite half as much as a
negro would consume-const;tut the
expense Of one of those valuable la
borers per year. This is strange. but
nevertheless true, that q John China
man never spends one cent Of his
wages, if his food and clothes are
furnished him; and with one hun
dred or two dollars i'll his pocket, he
feels rich enough to return TO his
native country, to which all OF his
affections cling. They are certainly
regarded on this island as faithful
and economical laborcrs-and from
the darkness of their skim fact,
being one Of the dark races can
work without danger under a tropical
sun. They will, if kindly treated, do
much more work than an ordinary
negro field hand; can live on much
less, and can be had at one-fourth of
what freedmen are now commanding.
We think that is the hive whence we
can and ought to draw our supply OF
labor. They are peculiarly suited to
our country, particularly farther
South; and we would like to see some
enterprise set on foot to import them.
The question OF labor is really
serious one with the people of the
South. We can arrive at prosperity
in one of two ways-though both
should be tried at the same time, as
they do not conflict. One is, to di-
vide the large landed estates, ana to
sell to Northern and European set
Liers; the other is to import coolies
and work these plantations pretty
A - o-AS '''ttAO pI.tii tlc OW ncfS
pursued when they had their slaves.
BY the first plan, we lose, to a very
great extent, that peculiar distinct
iveness which made us a people sui
generi. BY the other, that peculiarity
is kept up. The fact is, we hate the
Yankees, and do not care to initiate
them in anything; but prejudice
must Now give way to necessity
s'Llfe l., earnest, life is reap'-and all
devices sanctioned by honor which
enable us to keep our heads above
water must be resorted to, and all
plans to recuperate and build up the
waste places should be tried. Emf
grafton shonld be encouraged; por-
tion of Our landed estates sold, and
Chinese labor introduced, in order to
dispense with negroes; and soon all
the Southern staples will be produced
in quantities to make prosperity re-
visit our stricken land.
Charlotte ~ c. Times.