Tri-weekly phoenix. [volume] ([Columbia, S.C.]) 1865-1875, 1872-05-02

A small volume, under the title of
'Ten Months in Brazil, with Notes on
the Paraguayan War;" by John Colman,
has recently appeared in New York. and
has attracted much attention by its
striking sketches of the general condi-
tion OF the negro race in South America
and the islands. The writer is New
EngIander, and it is difficult to imagine,
remarks cotemporary, in reviewing the
work, that the Massachusetts of to-day
could have produced volume like this.
It is manly, out-spoken protest against
anti slavery fnnaticism, from beginning
to end; the most earnest repudiation of
the doctrine of negro equality, the most
appalling revelation of the certain. fruit
of the intermixture of races, as made
manifest in the poisoned, degraded go
ciety which the book illustrates. These
ideas crop out from every page. "These
are, the author modestly says, "merely
the notes of a captain of steamer trad
ing on the coast of Brazil. They are
not made up from books, but from such
rambles about oity and country as time
and opportunity permitted. and from il
tercourse with all sorts and conditions of
men," He first saw freedmen at st.
Thomas: "Riding over the island, we
constantly passed the ruins of plantation
houses and sheds, Of sugar-houses and
distillerieB. The negroes are said to
have been we'll treated, and not over
worked, and were, therefore. in accord
ance with what was considered their
place upon the scale Of creation, in the
possession of such happiness as their
limited faculties would permit them to
h0U III
peared from the back country. A few
miserable wretches remain, scattered
here and there. who live upon wild roots
and by thieving. When these resources
fail, they descend to the towns and OBJ
tain employment, which they can al
ways do with ease. They will work long
enough and no longer than is necessary
to insure them against starvation for a
month or SD ahead. and then they return
to their huts." 'In our country" he
goes on to say, ''we have heard much Of
the licentiOusness emanating from slave
ry. 1t remains to be seen If the morals
of the blacks will be improved by its
abolition. If there was greater depra-
vity in st. Thomas in the days of bond
age than now, degree of comparison
beyond the superlative must be used to
describe it,"
Does not this foreshadow what South
Carolina, Florida, and perhaps Louisi-
ana, are rapidly becoming. from identi-
cal CAUSES? The result cannot be other
wise. If the negro is to predominant in
these States, and it looks very much like
it, they will all become like st. Thomas.
The picture is dark and uninviting for
the future, but it is just what the teach
ings of abolition fanatcism have made
it. The West India Islands. when tue
negroes we're kept under proper restraint,
and the intelligence of the white race
controlled and directed the industries OF
those fortunate.-but now unfortunate
isles, were the richest and most product.
i've portions of the new world; but now
what arc they? Sunk in misery, in igno-
rance and degradation, all avoid heir
unwholesomo atmosphere, and IL are
fast returning to original barl ism.
So will it be with the Gulf States the
main land, and also With Cuba, Il we dc
not take some speedy steps to prevent it.
The writer reaches Brazil, where he
gives us some insight into the workings
of gradual emancipation, gradual ANAL
gamation, and gradual absorption, which
Is eventual annihilation in that mongre
empire. Here he finds an enthusiastic
Scotchman, filed with notions of negro
capacity. Coming" says the Massa
chusetts traveller, las we did from G
country where we knew too we'll how
much pretended love for the negro hal
emanated from that political ambition
which has made him the mere tool fol
the purposes OF party and of power. We
could not but admire this disinterestec
enthusiast" And tho end was failure
utter and absolutel "Our friend. the
Scotch abolitionist. submits quietly tt
the robbery of his hen-roosts, the steal
ing of his fruit and vegetables, the sur
reptitious milking of his COWS, and othel
annoyances, great and small, which the
presence of these vagabonds entails. Hi
corn is gathered early, but it is no.
gathered for him; and his crop Of greer
coffee is large for others, while that O.
ripe coffee is small for himself. The
black lilies toll not. neither do they spin
and the slaves are hard masters, reapine
where they have not sown. When oul
excellent friend first made his invest
ment. he was very inconsiderate in ex
planning his plans to the negroes. One
morning, after instructing them in the
mvsterjss of book keeping he added that