Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-01-31
Editorial Notes on st. Croix.
NO. XVIII.

Editorial Notes on 81. CtOiT.
No. XVIII.
In my last article l adyerted to the remarka-
bic fact that since emancipation, in 1913, the
proportionate number Of children born, or at
least reared, in the country districts Of st.
Croiz, is decidedly less than it was in the days
of slavery This result, universally admitted on
the island, calls for some explanation.
So long as slavery prevailed in St. Croix, all
the children Of female slaves were, Of course,
slaves, and belonged to the owners Of their
mothers. 1t mattercd not who the father might
be. Whether he were slave or a freeman,
black or a white, whether the mother were mar
ried or unmarried, the result as to the child was
the same. The deyilish maxim Of the Roman
civil law, "pdrtus sequitur reHtrem, that is,
the child takes the condition Of the mother
was in force in St Croix
1t was therefore a great object with the owner
Of an estate TO have his female slaves raise child
ren. They formed valuable portion Of the
stock Of the estate. The cost Of maintenance for
the little slaves was small till they were old
enough to earn their support in looking after
the poultry and cattle and in wcelmg cane.
They could be useful as IS crook hands, Sc &c, AS
they grew up, and when strong enough made
able bodied hands for the field and the sugar
works
1t was therefore for the interes, Of the owner
to favor, as regarded hard work, the female
slaves in a state Of advanced pregnancy The
lying-in women were carefully looked after by
the females Of the owners family, and the ne
cessary comforts for the mothers and their in
fants, in the way Of food and clothing, nursing
and medical aid, were provided The mothers
did not hesitate to apply to the masters family
for what they neeled. Presents were often
made to the mother, and occasionally, when a
slave mother had raised large number of child
ren, she had her freedom given to her as a re-
ward Contrariwise, if she neglected her IN
fants and let them suffer for lack Of care, she
might, ''--aid an old and intelligent black man
to me, -'' get the crack of whip"
As for the fathers, (and not very often were
they husbands Of the mothers,) their responsible
lily or help might be little or none at all in rails
ing the children, and it made no great differ
ence. The mother and children belonged to the
owner, as his COWS and calves did, and they were
cared for accordingly.
The Emancipation Act of 1913, and the % La
Dor Act 81 Of 1919, made great change, and in
some respects it was hard one for mothers. II
seems to be admitted that among the laboring
women Of the estates there is now - wide spread
aversion to bearing children, and that many in
fants lose their lives for want Of proper care and
sustenance. Several causes work together to
produce these results, the chief of which, As
gathered from individuals well qualified by long
and intelligent observation to judge,
are the following;
In the first place the old relation on the part Of the
estate owner to the mothers and their children
being destroyed, the mother being able to leave
the employers service, if she so please, at the
end Of the year, and the children from five to fit
teen years old being liable to be removed by the
mother from the estate, and after fifteen to take
themselves off to cam their own support, the
owner Of the estate has no wish to be burthened
with thelittle children. The probability that he
will ever reap any benefit for the care and ex-
Dense Of their maintenance is felt to be very
small. The female members of his family, also,
Ire pretty liable to feel that they have no great
all to bestow time, labor, comforts and delica-
les on SICK women and children, who in no |
ense belong to them or theirs, except for the |
urrent years service. To be sure, by law, the |
state is yet made responsible, up to a certain |
'oint, for the housing, sustenance and medical |
of all the laborers on the estate, what
yer be their ages. But formerly that RESPONSE
ility would be met carefully, and after the fash
IN Of the country, often generously by the ma
1r portion of the owners, because it was sure to
ring profit in the end. Now there is nothing to
e made of it. Let who will raise the children.
wners and managers of the estates believe they
an make more money by hiring able bodied la
orers, feeling assured that there will be quite
lough old and feeble laborers to feed the poul-
y and do chores about the premises, for food to
It and rags to wear.
1t is easy to see that corresponding change
feeling would take place among the female
borers. Many favors which as slaves they
oud claim in time Of need, as their right, and
hich they knew it was for their owners inter
Note. ! cannot avoid remarking here, that in |
II country the common law maxim 4" partus |
luituT PatreH that is, the child takes the con1i-
Of the father-was in force previous to the year
~. In the year 1893 or 100, by a law Of Mary ,
nd in the interest of slav eiiolders the civil law
iXim declared TO he in force. Thence il was
pdly extended throughout the southern provinces |
this point, 'StrOuds sketch of the laws relat |
2 to slavery in the several States, &c"