The Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1870-1871, 1871-01-22
SENATOR CARL SCHURZ.

This illustrious Gentleman has recent
ly gone completely out OF his way, to
make what the New Orleans Times calls
some startling propositions One OF
them is that NEGRO labor cannot be made
productive in the Tropics without the CO.
ercion of Slavery" The propositions are
startling sure enough. But they are
30 for audacity, and lamentable igno-
rance of contemporary history, and the
facts of the case or else, for wilful and
wholesale pervasion of the truth. Mr..
Schurz following in the wake Of predic-
tons forty or fifty years ago, OF what
would take place in the British West In
dies. if the then slaves were freed, and al
lowed to live side by side with the whites
has actually worked himself in to the be-
lief, that it has verify occurred. The de-
plorable ignorance of the "history of the
West Indies" $50 many versions OF which
have been published in England in the
present genaration) which this startling
proposition" betrays, is only equalled by
it's inaccuracy
The West India Islands, from Trinidad
to Jamaica, are populated principally by
descendants of the african race. Since
the abolition of Slavery in 1886 and 1888,
there has been steady onward march Of
improvement in their condition and a
four sided advance in civilization. 1t is
true, that an enormous falling off in the
staple crops (sugar, rum and molasses)
followed Immediately on the heels OF
emancipation but this was from the ex-
tens;ve withdrawal of British capital, and
the consequent abandonment of the cul-
tivation of the Estates, and not from the
laziness, or incompetency OF the late
slaves A few years of struggling in
which the freed people cultivated sweet
potatoes, yams, eddoes, bananas, peanuts
arrowroot, Tous les mois, bread-nut
bread fruit and other of the innumerablt
tropical vegetables and fruit /; while the
estates were falling gradually into the
hands of resident proprietors, and the
prospect began to brighten, when sud
denly they were dimmed by the abolition
of the Sugar protection duty by the Brit
ish Parliament, and slave grown sugar
was admitted into England in competi
ton with the free grown sugar of tn.
Colonies. A season of depression, DIES
pondency and bankruptcy again ensued
and again the 'lazy oleaginous black, who
lived and reveled in his savage independ
ence, basking in the sunshine, or els
waiting with gaping mouth for the falling
of the luscious mango, or the more nu
tritious bread-fruit," was blamed ant
abused for what he had no more to d
with than the man in the moon. Sever
al years of renewed effort, and persever
ing struggling, and confidence was re
ceohOu IA eiiC luillttS VI IIlcu ia GuAObS
who possessed the wealth, and whose 50
gacity and experience taught them tina
the Vaccinations of the haters of the ne
gro were beled on every hand by til
facts, and to-day the productiveness {
nearly every Island is vastly increased
and still increasing. The revenues hay
immensely increased; Institutions form
erly supported at enormous cost to til
Home Government have been hand owe
to the Colonial Government ,rho suppo
them, and in every instance. with create
economy and efficiency. In the carryin
out of all this machinery, colored men al
every where connected and associate
They possess as much intelligence, COZ
troll as much wealth, and WELD as mnt
influence as any other class. In fact
on, sion Of color in itself is execrated mo
among the educated and enlightened -
ropean than any one else 1t is from