The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-12
IIH.

The author OF this book concurs with all first
hand Observes in regarding the emancipation
Of the slaves as a terrible blow to the West In
dies, and one from which the islands have not
yet recovered. The planters looked upon II as a
second attempt to ruin them, the first having
been the abolition Of the slave trade. That
West Indian slavery had q bright side as well
for the slave as for the planter seems to be
manifest from the fact that, while there was
slavery there was no poverty: there were no
tramps or begRars. The owner of a plantation
had to feed his people in sickness as we'll as in
health, in childhood and In old age. As indis-
criminate manumissioEs were forbidden in
most OF the colonies, sick and broken
down people could not be cast adrift
to become burdens upon the community.
Even at the present time one sometimes
hears an old woman complain that. II slavery
still existed. she would not be half starved, as
she is to-day. 1t is further to he noted that
magistrates, policemen. and jails were almost
unknown; the planter might give the. negro
a slight %flogRing now and then. but, as a
rule. this completed the tale OF his INSIDE
meanors. or course. n bad master might be
cruel. as q bad husband may be, but we do not
condemn marriage on account of its abuses.
The party in England, that brought emancipa-
tion about. expected to sec their proteges be-
come a contented. Woodworking peasantry. In
pihIo VI uiiNeh chttic. > tltS Cdlle Jnem. Inc
planters. on the contrary, were convinced. and
tho event has shown them to be right, that.
as freemen, the negroes would not work.
and that. without a labor supply, their
estates would cease to be productive. The Brit
ish taxpayer grumbled at having to pay one
hundred million dollars to the slave owners. but
the latter were far from compensated by the in
demnIty. With the loss of their human chattels.
the plantations in many cases became utterly
valueless: for the negroes conRregated around
certain centres, leaving most of the outlying
places without enough denizens to keep up the
cultivation. AS for the compensation money,
this, In many cases. went toward paying off
mortgages and other claims. the holders of
which saw the impending ruin and hastened to
save themselves as far as possible. But
1t did not suffice even for that. mas
much as many plantations were subject
to liens amounting to half the appraised
value of the land. buildings. and slaves. When
the last-named security was gone. the others be-
came worthless, and, as no one cared to advance
money on such assets, the nominal owners could
not even borrow enough to pay wages. A plan
tation valued at $500 900 a few years before the
emancipation. and easily mortgageable for half
that amount, received $50. 900 for compensation
with which it paid off n MORTGAGE. and then
lacked cash for the cost of cultivation. Banks
were established, but only solvent estates could
get help from them. ana consequently hun
dreds were abandoned in the larger colonies,
and hardly any, with the exception Of those In
Barbadoes, could produce as much sugar
as formerly. West Indian nabobs who had
been getting their ten thousand a year,
and living In England. went out to see
what could be done. They found their in
comes entirely gone, and with them all hope
for the future. Women and children lost their
only means Of support, and ruin fell. MI.
Roadway says on hundreds. but he might as
truly have said on thousands. of families in
England. as we'll as in the West Indies. Natu-
rally, the downfall OF the estate owners and
their relations affected merchants as we'll. Old
established firms were shaken to their founda-
tions, and many became bankrupt TO bring
suffering to the homes of English people who
had scarcely heard anything of the sugar colo
MES beyond the invectives of the Ant Slavery
Many who had been strong advo-
oates OF emancipation now wished that they
had never said anything about 1t, but the die
was cast. The negroes would not work, and
there was no means OF forcing them to do so.
The Anti-Slavery party still had their delegates
in the West Indies to see that the poor negro"
was not oppressed in any way. and their repre-
in Parliament called the Government
to account II they allowed any vagrancy laws
or even the shadow of a coerciye measure in the
One ordinance after another for this
was d~isallowed, until every planter was
In despair.