The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11
lnndsl Vac nl,o a BARBARIAN and ras tsken out

inndel was also q barbarian and was taken out
| of slavery to n barbarian master. as was tho case
in respect to almost all OF the negroes brought to
the English colonies in North America. DIR.
burgess is not one OF thoto who imagine that we
can dismiss this opinion ns ono Of tho errors OF
the dark agos. He points out, on the contrary.
tina. It lives to-day as a principle OF modern
political scioncc and practical politics under tho
form OF stntomcnt that civilized people hRvo tho
right and duty 10 irNpose civilization upon un-
civilized populations by whatever means they
may deem 20 10 Just and proper. IN
our authors mind, moreover, there is no rea-
sonnblc doubt shat The negroes, transferred
from slavery ia Africa to slavery in the English
American colonies, themselves folt tho Rmcllo-
ration Of their condition. and wore. In general.
entirely contentod with thoir new lG'. Not only
was the relation OF slavery established In tho
Northern colonies ns we'll rs In the Southern in
tho early years of thoir existence. but the curl
Gus fact is recalled that IL was in Massachusetts
rather than in Virginia that tho rotation fret
received legal recognition and began to no
changed from "a purely domestic institution by
undergoing governmental regulation. II truth,
30 far as tho colonists themselves were regponsi-
bio for tho introduction of negro slavery among
them, It In conceded by DIR. Burgess that the
impartial historian must place tho greater
blanc upon u Northern colony. that, namely,
Of Massachusetts Bay, by which. IN 164l, the
slave trade was expressly logalizod. 1t was prin-
cipally tho ships OF that colony which brought
the slave cargoes from tho coast of Africa to the
other English plantations in America. The ne
Rroes, however, wer not fttcd for labor In tho
Northern colouics. The climate was too cold for
them to thrive there. Neither was tho work
done In those sections suited to their capacities.
On Tho other hand. tho vast Lowell areas of good
soil, the warm, uniform climate. and tho simple
cropo of the Southern colonies furnished condi-
tons favorable 10 the employment OF negro
labor. DR.. Burgess. for his part, thinks 1t diff.
cult TO sec how the rich swamp lands
OF the Southern colonies could over have
been reclaimed and mado tributary TO the
civilization Of the world in any way but by the
employment of negro labor. Nor. in his judg-
mcnt. is It any easier to see how the pure
bloodcd negro could then have been brought
to do this great civiliz,nE work save through
slavery to the white race, that is to say, through
being forced to contribute tho needed muscular
effort, under the direction OF the superior intel
ligcnce OF tho white race. to the realization OF
objects determined by the superior intellect.
The negro, we are reminded, Is proof against
malaria, and thrivcs under the burning sun;
the white man. on the contrary. Is destroyed by
the former and greatly disabled by the latter.
The pure.blooded negro would not. at that
period OF his development, labor voluntarily.
Such were the clements OF the problem
which confronted those who undertook to sub
iect the vast marshes OF the Southern colonies
TO cultivation and to prepare them for the pro-
duction of their most valuable contributions to
the comforts of civilized man. The adopted solu-
ton OF the problem was negro slavery. 1t is true
that most of US are inclined. Mt this day. to hold
that this was an erroneous solution. and that
VIC could have discovered n better one: but
Prof. Burgess thinks that We shall be wiser II
we seek clearly to understand the solution
which was reached. instead OF wasting our
energies in its condemnation, remembering that
many OF the things nf the past which.
from our present point OF view. we are disposed
to regard as errors, and even as sins, were only
anachronisms. As a matter of fact, those who
founded the colony of Georgia thought, even
then. that they had a better solution o. the
problem. At the outset, they prohibited slavery
in that colony. In fourteen years. however, they
came to regard this act as a great mistake. and
the noblest spirits among them acknowledged
themselves in error and Joined in the movement
for the introduction OF negro slave labor. =