New-York tribune., 1867-07-27
THE CooLIE TRADE IN THE SOUTH.

When the United States abolished Slavery,
they did not intend that it should be reGstab-
Hshed. yet the Coole labor system which it is
proposed to introduce in the South is nothing
but Slavery in one of its most dangerous forms
Wherever il has been tried-in British Guiana,
in Trinidad, in the Mauritius, in Peru, in the
Chincha Islands, and in Cuba, all the evils of
Slavery have resulted. II may be doubted if
formal Slavery is not preferable, for the owner
ship of tho laborer, in many cases, gives the
master an interest in his welfare Large cap
ital is invested in gang Of slaves, and neglect
or cruelty might diminish the return. But the
Coolie system is not only one Of Apprentice
ship but of tho apprenticeship of foreign
cIs for a limit of time. The workings
of tho trade are seen on large scale in
Cuba, whore it has been subjected TO
no restrictions. There the Chinese Coolies, kid
mapped OF betrayed by false promises, are sold
10 the highest bidders for seven years and paid
nominal and miserable wages Mt the end Of
this term they find themselves in debt 70 the
planters, and are forced to renew their contract
In Jamaica, where the experiment twice failed,
t is now successful, especially with the Hindoo
Coolies, and, though under the English law, the
systom is better than that of Cuba, it is still
disgrace. There is no case recorded in which
the Coolie has risen above the condition of n
serf; he is condemned to labor for the benefit
Of Others, with no hope of becoming himself
Independent, and when he is unfit to toll, he
has no claim upon his master for support.
slave in all but the name, the pretended free
dom he possesses is the gift Of Tantalus; it is
IA snare and a mockcry, and the wretched serf
had better have been bought and sold than
hirol
This is the system which is to be the substi-
tute of Slavery in the Southern States.
Coolies are now employed on the plantations
Of Louisiana, and the other day ship-load
arrived at New0rleans from Cuba The
United States Yice-COnsul at Havana has in
formed the Government that he has reason to
believe that an extensive scheme is on foot
"for the introduction of Coolie labor in the
South" From Washington wo learn that
many of the planters would rather employ
Coolies than freedmen. 1t is not difficult 70
discover their reasons. The freedmen are
American citizens; they have votes and rights
which United States armies, if need
be, will enforce The Coolies, on the contrary
are ignorant foreigners, who cannot even com
plain of oppression they are powcrless to
insist upon just contracts and must accept the
terms of their employers. The planters prefer
CO0lio labor because il is, in effect, slave labor
The freedmen now at the least receive tolerable
wages, but it is safe to say that that the pay
of the Coolies will be almost nothing; they will
work for their food and few clothes, and
perhaps few dollars, but will never be able
to command a fair equivalent for their labor.
1t is not to Chinese immigration that we OBJ
ject but to a system which, if carried on by
private contract, will certainly be gigantic
Swindle, and a national disgrace. Congress, IN
1904, made a law to encourage immigration,
providing that the immigrant might mortgage
his wages for period of twelve months for
the purpose of refunding money ad-
vanced for the expenses of his passage
hther, but on the express condition that no
part of the act should be construed to author
izo involuntary seryitudc or slavery Tho lp'