New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-23
SOUTH AMERICAN TOPICS.
cody sLAyERY-AN INDIAN MECCA.

TOPICS
IRON AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TBIBtNEl
VALPARAISO, Jan. 10.-ExeeptIng by the Buenos
Ayres cable, it is with the utmost difficulty that
trustworthy rews is obtained here, although the
widest rumors originate and spread like wddre.
recent steamer brought the startling news that
the United States had ordered several ironclads
from England, with a view 10 sending them TO the
Pacific for the purpose of aiding Peru. The news,
appearing Immediately in so prominent paper rs
The PdRama Star and Herald, created much uneasl-
ness among the credulOus. 1t is probably tale Of
Peruvian origin tor that people, though not valiant
nor fertile in warlke resources, have rich lnven-
ton and facility in spreading abroad surprising
rumOrs. Following this came the report from Lima
that the United States fleet had taken possession OF
the Peruvian port of Chimbote base OF opera
tions 1t is probable that one of the vessels landed
the for battalion drill at that port, and thus
nnocently gave rise TO this alarming story.
fever Of excitement prevails among the pcpulace,
which will undoubtedly subside when later advices
to hand. Officials high in power fear trouble
with the United States. bit those Chilians who
have been educated in North America, and others
who have resided there and know the temper of the
people, do not share these apprehensions. Their
confidence is increased by the fact that no news of
Congressional action comes by cable.
An agent of the Panama Canal Company has APP
peared in Valparaiso. presumably for the purpose
OF engaging laborers for that work. The question
has been taken up in Congress by Senator Nlcuna
Mackenna and the papers have given publicity to
the affair. No means will be employed TO detain
laborers but they are solemnly warned thar the
climate is unhealthy; that great proportion OF
workmen die from fevers there; and they are
finally notified that the Government will not trans
port them home again in they are left destitute
in "a foreign land. Labor 10 at premium In the
tropics In Peru the cody question is serious
one. / am about to speak of an abuse which cries
aloud for redress 1t TO be hoped tor the sake of
humanity that the civilization OF other countries
may soon exert potent influence in behalf of the
wretched Cinnamon enslaved there; for no human
beings ever stood in greater need of protection.
The facts of the case are these:
Chnamen come over from China, nominally
under an eight years labor contract, though many
are really kidnapped and sent from Macao. Once
on the plantations, or haciendas. the unfortunate
laborers are treated worse than the former slaves
OF San Domingo. An account of the methods en-
ployed was given me by partner in large mer-
camille house on the coast. The firm had mace al
vances 20 a sugar planter. and no payments were
forthcoming upon the loan an agent was sent to
look after its interests Arriving at the hacienda
he was confr Jnted by lot of ragged, emaciated
wretches more fit to be inmates OF hospital than
aborers in the cane-eld. Their slant eyes so pitt
fully sunken. their hollow cheeks and wasted
frames appealed to compassion more forclbly than
the loudest outcries The full horrors of their
situation were soon revealed. The labOrers were
virtually slaves, since they could not throw up
their contract and had no hope of escape from the
rigid surveillance of the Overseer. They were com
PEELED to begin their work at break of day. allowed
half an hour twice during the day to prepare their
insufficient meal of rice and fish pork, and at
dark we're huddled together and locked up IN bar
racoons They were savagely beaten for the most
trivial offences and as often at the mere whim Of
the ignorant and ferocious negro headman. The
nominal ration of pound of rice with some fish to
each was always short of that weight. The indig-
nation of the visitor eliminated with the discovery
that dead fish, thrown by the sea upon the beach,
were issued in lieu of wholesome food. He remon-
strated with the manager. and endeavOred TO con-
vince him that his own interests would be best sub
served by humane treatment of his labOrers but his
advice met with a torrent of abuse. He thereupOn
threatened to bring a suit for debt against the
estate. and thus reduced the manager to reason.
The agent promptly instituted new order OF
things Introducing system, improving the prop
erty and substituting care for the workmen IN
place of brutal ill-treatment. few men were de-
tailed 10 maui seine, OtutEs 10 cultivate vi
abandoned cane-held, and still Others TO prepare
food and clean the barracOOns. In two years under
this management the debt was paid of. aud one
planter taught that even self-lnterest dictated
humane treatment of his hirelings.
1t is not to be understood from this sketch that
Cinnamon are treated on all plantations with like
barbarity; on the contrary the example OF the
agent is followed in most hacieudas though in
ha 0iyp of ID
cruelty that would recall the fortunes of the dark
ages. A system which may be perverted 10 such
abuses stands greatly in need of revision and
amendment. II is time that civilized nations in
terfered to this end as they have done in the
of the slave trade. aud to a more limited extent
with the cody traffic itself
KIDNAPPING CHINA1IEN.
When the Chilians occupied the country they de
clared the Cinnamon free from these contracts and
the latter at once awaited themselves of their lib
ertv fleeing from the scene of their illegal slavery.
The sugar estates were left without laborcrs and
great was the distress Of the berett hldalgos.
Efforts were made with success to hire CHINA
men in the towns As the Chans withdrew from
the interior other Cinnamon were allured by false
promises to come to the haciendas and Others again
were kidnapped. Some of the planters conscious
of humane Intentions having made advances OF
money to their workmen and being seriously out of
pocket by the CHILEAN decree, believed that they did
no wrong in trying to recapture their laborers Peru
yans look upon the enterprise in much the same light
asuany Southerners would have viewed the reen-
slayement of the negro just after the war. In the
radispostion of " human property If the owner
could be found, he would be able to secure his
negro, but otherwise someone else was entitled to
the darkeys services so in Peru money had been
advanced for Chinese labor any Chinaman would
do. and the kidnapped Chinaman often took the
place of his cOuntryman whose contract had been
annulled by CHILEAN authority. A mysterious
wholesale disappearance Of Cinnamon in Lima,
-L,.t hr,r,b+ ,rr,ef and CONSERVATION INTO the