The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-10-23
Description Of a Free Negro State.


The great historian and profound thinker of Great
Britain Mr.. Carlyle in his able article in the New ork
Tribune for which that journal paid him thousand
dollars in gold, thus draws the following portrait OF
the island Of ST. Domingo the paradise of free negro
DOM where the negro has been free and independent
after his peculiar fashion for twenty years It would
be difficult to put in fewer words the mighty contrast
between what the island actually is and what it ought
be. Its production and the character of its negro
cultivation admirably described. In this descrp-
ton readers have forecast Of the destiny of the
Southern States under the Radical policy Mr. Carlyle
says:
Poor Dominica itself is described To me in way
to kndle heroic young heart; look at Dominica for
instant: Hemspherical, they say, in the shape
of inverted washbowl rim Of it, first twenty miles
all round, starting from the sea- is fiat auVium, the
fuitfues in nature fit for any noble spice or product
but unwhOesome except for nggers held steadily to
their work ground then gradually rises outrageous
ly rich throughout becomes fit for coffee still rises
now bears oak woods, cereals, Indian corn, English
wheat, and this upper portion is salubrous and de-
lightfu for the European-who might there spread
and grow, according to the wisdom given him, say
only to a population of one hundred thousand adult
men; well fit to defend their island against all corners,
and benefcenty keep steady to their work million of
niggers on the lower ranges. What kingdom my
poor Frederick William followed by his Frederick
would have made of this inverted washbowl, clasped
round and lovingly kissed and lavcd by the beautiful
est in the world and beshone by the grandes
and sky! Forever IMPOSSIBLE say you; contrary
to all notions, regulations and ways of proceeding
or thinking? Well dare say. And the state your
regulations have it in at present, is: Population of
one hundred white men (by means Of select type),
unknown cipher Of rattlesnakes proaigate niggers,
mulattoes governed by pebald parliament of eleven
(head Demosthenes there negro tinman) land so
quste of being and welbeng that the old for
tifcations have become jungle quarres nman at lib
erty to tax himsel, vigorous roots penetrating the
old ASHER dsocatng it everywhere with tropical eff
feet old cannon going quietly to honeycomb and
ide of iron in the vigorous embrace Of the jungle,
military force nil police force next to nil an island
capable of being taken by the of man -ofwars
boat. And indeed it nearly lost, the other year
by accidental collision Of two niggers the street.
and concourse of other idle niggers to see, who
would not 60 away again, but idly reassembled with
increased numbers on the morrow, and with ditto the
next day assemblage pointing ad infntum seeming
y-had some charitable small French governor, from
his bit Of island within reach, sent lieutenant
and twenty soldiers to extinguish the devourng alb
surdty, and order it home straightway to its bed
which instantly saved this valuable possession of ours
and left Demosthenic tnnlan and his ten with
their liberty to tax themselves heretofore Is not
selt-government sublime thing in colonial islands
and some others? But to leave all this"