The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-27


ters family, thereby acquiring full rights Of In
bertance, the horror with which we instinct
lively regard the Chinese custom Of child selling,
Ia sensibly diminished.
However considerable may have been the
number of slaves at certain euochs In the his
tory Of China, II Is very Insignificant to-day.
From remote antiquity the employment Of free
labor has been rooted In the HABITS Of the peo-
pie, and wages are now so much reduced lyex-
ccssive supply that the Chinese, far from de
string slaves, prefer salaricd servants. THIS
preference " plainly shared by the dominant
race, since one Of the present dynasty, having
ordered the Mandchoo Tartars OF the Imperial
Guard to employ only slaves, 1t appears that this
edict Is one OF the least observed In China
Piracy, kidnapping, legislation, commerce,
civil conflicts in a pre- eminent degree, and for
| eiRn wars to limited extent, were the spring
heads Of slavery In ancient Greece. In Athens,
| however, slavery for debt was abolished by So
lon, who likewise put an end to the sale Of chill
| dren by parents, q custom previously tolerated.
| lie was by no means equally lenient to the op-
| pressed class Of Metics, or resident aliens, who
| lost their liberty for non-payment OF taxes, OF
| by contracting marriage with the daughter OF
| citizen. At all times the tlave trade, both for
| import and export, was Q most iourishing and
| lucrative branch OF commerce, drawing Its sup
plies from every corner OF the known world
Negroes, for Instance, were imported from Eth
opia through Egypt, and at first, owing to their
| scarcity, were highly priced by the Athenians
Among the slaves contributed by Sicily was the
| beautiful courtesan Lals, and on one occasion,
| in Syracuse, a much more famous parsonage,
the philosopher Plato, having the ni-luck TO
offend the elder Dionysius, was sold ut public
auction for twenty minn. about $3.50, hand
| some price, considering that lEsop Is said to
| have brought less than two dollars.
| The number Of Greeks enslaved bv their own
oountrymeD during two centuries Of civil W rs
IL incalculable. The spartans are reported to
have been the first, rs they were the most active,
In this direction. During the peloponnesian
war they sold into bondage all the women Of
| PlatHa. and all the Atbenilns who defended
Metymne. The latter were equally mercilcss at
Tn, rea. Toronc, Moos, and other points. Not
less than seven thousand Athenians we're en-
shaved and condemned In the quarrics upon the
disastrous close OF their expedition against Syr-
acusc. In the midst 4 such atruciuus warfare,
here and there rang out the voice Of clemency.
when the Spartan Callicraiidas took Methymna
he suffered his soldiers to sack the town" But
ore thing" said he, II forbid ye. No Greek
shall be ensayed!" Noble words, which later
found an echo In the conduct OF Epl niinondas,
who, throughout his struggle for the supremacy
Of Thebcs, never failed to liberate bis prisoners
OF war.
or course slaves gained In this fashion could
he distinguished from their masters neither In
features, comple xion, language, nor man
ners and this circumstance gave tire
mendous impetus to the kidnapping Of free
persons, which at all epochs OF Greek aud Ro-
man history was the incessant AMI terrible
scourge OF private life. Minor literature is full
OF illusions to the victims OF this outrage,
which did not spare the most powerful
and eminent persons. julius Caesar Is reported
in the familiar legend to have been kidnapped,
and II is an unquestionable fact that the Cync
Dioeenes was seized by pirates and sold In
Corinth. "what is your trader" asked his pur-
chaser, putting the normal question. "ro COM
nland freemeu u growled the philosopher.
The condition OF The slave varied greatly In
different parts Of Greece. Harshest in Cbios and
Sparta, II was tempered to crcditable degree
OF mildness In Athens aud Corinth. Possessing
no legal personality, as a rule he was incom pc
tent TO contract marriage, to exercise paternsl
authority. or to acquire property. Although
Scion did not prohibit the union OF slaves. their
union never received the name OF matrimony
At a later period, especially In Attica. slaves
we're permitted to accumulate a private fund
(peculum), out Of which, however, they were ex-
pected to make presents on stated occasions to
their masters family. Naturally, also, thelI
masters would inherit whatever property they
left. Inasmuch rs the slave was free To invest
his personal savings as he chose, the cufiou.
spectacle was sometimes presented Of slaves
owned by slaves. How far the pecallum was
: protected by law from the exactions OF covet.
Gus master Is an obscure point which has moi
been satisfactorily calculated.
As to the numoer Of slaves In Greece, Athennu,
attributes 5000 to Arcadia, lc0 OOO to the mar
row territory Of Corinth, $4,000 to the small
al Of D n
These nRures have all been uestioned. and the
, quota assigned TO A,Sina appoars Incredible bu
} the statement regarding Attica comedies will
r the census taken ty Demetrius Phaereus, u. {
8ls. WALTON, in his history Of "Scrvitude II
. Greece and Rome" computes the 81 I'VE nopula
tion OF Laconia at $4,000, but this total In rlude
the Helots, who were not properly slayes bu
; rather serfs ddscrpti glebcU. Whatever uncer
I talnty my exist as to the number OF Greel
y slaves at different periods, IL seems certain tina
always aud everywhere there were more male
4 than females. We may add that neither IN Greece
[ nor Rome did the proportion Of slaves ever AZ
. proximate to that presented In some OF thu
( British West India Islands, Granada for exam
70 pie, where, before the abolition of slavery, tn
T. blacks outnumbered the whites In the ratio .
( thirty-three To one.
a From such data az We possess concerning IN
9 price OF slaves In Greece, IL would appear tina
! luis CUBS OF was ul-tIlDnted IN thTe
grades. During the interval between the Pelo
ponneslan war and the accession Of Alexander
8 those employed In manual labor brought on tn
D average $40 apiece, whereas artisans and skile,
I workmen were worth about $50 Those who ex
hibited some talent or accomplishments Ia oc
equations which were not mechanical-gram
Q marians, men Of letters, cooks ballet dancers
8 musicians might command from $40 to $500
D while instruments OF eensuaty, like Neara, tn,
4 courtesan, brought easily $500. To estimate tn,
importance OF these sums we must bear in mine
=, the purchasing power OF money at tho epoch
' and here We may mention that years wage
Z of an artistic workman, such as an armorer, II
$ the time Of Demosthenes, did not amount TO &l7
= We may imagine that the institution OF sla
D very did not recommend itself to phlloso or
s like Menippus, the cynic, and Mys, the favorlt,
disciple OF Epicurus, both OF whom we're slaves
: But what said I. alto and Aristotle to this socia
q problem Plato refused to admit slaves to hi
I "Repupllc," but when he passed from the realn
5 OF theory TO discuss realities In the Laws" h
: recognized the enslavement OF barbarians a
| 1nA. H., l..s