Year: 1862

the further proposal To- conclude q special
convention for the transfer to st. Croix Of
Africans Who msy be captured by United
Ssates cruisers on board Of slavers. With
reference to the treatment Of these he says:


"The terms which, a. stated in my
above mentioned note, am authorized to
offer to free negroes emigrsting from this
country to st. Croix, would likewise, at
least essentially, and as basis for the pro-
posed negotiation, be applicable to captured
Africans, with the exception only that
these latter would have 10 serve an appren-,
ticeship Of certain number of say Eve
years, q third and second class laborers ON
q sugar plantation, during which time how
ever, they would in every other respect b.
treated entirely the same as the native free
rural population"


Thus it appears that two proposals are
submitted very different in their character.
and quite distinct as to the principles upon
which the government would treat them.
If Col. Raasloff can show that the authori-
ties of St. Croix make better provision for
the treatment of negroes than any other
community-and We think his correspond.
euce leaves little doubt on this point-then
there would seem to be good reason Why
Africans captured from slavers should be
sent to that island in preference to any
other place. But the question of authorix-
ing q foreign agent to induce onr negro
population to emigrate is . very different
matter, involving most prudential consider
atoms. The Danish government does not
propose compulsory transfer of our ne
groes, but simply asks the right "to offer
to negroes who, in consequence Of the recent
political events in this country, may have
become emancipated, or who may, at all
events, have acquired the right aud faculty
to dispose of themselves, an opportunity of
emigrating from this country to st. Croix."


There would therefore, seem to be no
objection to the proposal on the ground Of
its infringing on the personal liberty Of the
blacks. On other grounds, however, there
are the most substantial objections. To
negotiate for the transfer of our colored
population to St. Croix would imply that
there is more scope for labor on that island
of one hundred square miles, and q popu-
lation of about thirty-6ve thousand, than
in the whole territory of the United States.
1t would imply, too, that the Danes better
understand how to render negro labor prof
liable than Americans. Perhaps this
inference might not be altogether untrue.
In 1S48 Denmark liberated the slaves ON
the Island, on a plan similar to the COM
pensatory scheme Of President Lincoln.
SO far from finding freed negroes to be .
worthless population, they have discov-
cred them to be the sinews of commerce,
and arc resorting to extraordinary means
for procuring more Of them. This is q fact
worthy the contemplation of those who
preach that slavery is two normal condition
of Africans. This application of Colonel
Raaslof conveys most significant moral
to our country. 1t tells US that the true
way 10 render negro labor valuable is to
free the negroes. Here, We have ensaved
the African until he has become a public
danger and national nuisance; and the
question now is how to get rid Of him. Ths,
little island of st. Croix has freed its ne
gro, and he has suddenly become the great
desideratum of the colony, the chief ques-
ton being-how to get more such The
question, then, as it should stand before
this country, is, not whether we shall send


him out of the country, as worthless, but,


whether We shall not, by giving him his


freedom, render him AS valuable to Ameri-
can industry as be is essential to the culture


of the island to "bich it is proposed to
| transfer him. 1t would be an eternal dis
grace to the practical sagacity of Americans.
if BY accepting this proposal, we should


tacitly admit that few Danish colonists


have defeated us in the solution of the
great problem of negro labor.


The fitting response to be given to this
application is, that We have plenty of work
for the negro at home, and that we intend
to confer upon him the fitting qualifications
for performing it. All projects for negro
emigration are opposed to the material
progress Of the country. The fact that
wages are higher in this country than in
any other proves that the demand for labor
is greatest in the United States and, for
this reason, it IS essential that we keep alb
our muscle at home. The necessity Of
maintaining in future . high tariff, for
purposes of revenue, will foster domestic
manufactures, and thereby transfer large
number of bands from the field and kitchen,
to the factory. We shall need our negroes
to I'll up the vacuum thus created and
thus through the war itself the African
race will become more than ever essential
to the national interests of our country, In
stead of being burthen to our civilization.
-Oneida (M ~ Herald.