Page:Emancipation in the West Indies.djvu/8

 9 So much for the "ruin" of the British colonies, and the prosperity of the Spani.sh. Let us now tin-n to the last argnnient of tho ]5ritisli planters; that .lMnaneij)i»tion would barbiiri/e the negro. Nor have wo dwelt so long on the pecuniary results of Kniancii.ta- tion l)e(!auso wo regard those as the most ini- portant; but because thoy have been most frequently called in question. "We believe most lirndy in that good old maxim of the Democratic party, "the greatest good of the. greatest munber," — interpreting it to mean "the greatest good of all." 80 even if the lOi' UUO whites in the ]^ritish colonics had been pecuniarily ruined V)y .l']i)iancii»atlori, and the ])rosperity of the colonies ilcstroyed, we think we could have endured it with lorti- tude, on the assurance that the (StM) 0(10 negroes and mulatt(jcs were iinmcasural.ily the gainers. Now the wdiites have not bcon ruined as a whole, and theii* own folly is the chief cause of wdiat troubles have come ujion them since 18H4. J^eaving them for t!ic prcsoit out of the (juestinn, let us consiiler the mnral and social condition (tf the neirroos since Emancipation. Here the testimony is all otie way, and of the strongest kind. True, Mr. (Jarlyle sneers at "(.^biashcc" lying in the sun, with iiis "jiumpkin," and "his saccharine juices," — but a sneer is not testi- mony nor argument. j)id not Mr. (Jarlyle once nutke a. rather ]dain statement about "eighteen million of bores," and did any American believe him V Because a crablted Scotchman does not fancy the color, or the features, or the dialect of some of his fellow-men. are we to disbe- lieve our (iwn eyes and ears, and reject all history till he has manipulated Jt? In Novend)er .l.S;j8, Lord (.Jlcnelg. who had been Coioiial Scerctary, wi'ote:^ '* l!p to this time the results oi" the great experiment of abolition have justified the liveliest hopes of its authoi's and advocates. After having ex- amined (iarcfrdly the evils that hiive attended its execution, it .*eems to me that they nutst be iti gn.'at measure attriluUcd to the old eo- lonial system. Whoever has rcfioeted on hu- man nature, and the history of slavery, must have expected that such a reform coidd not be brought about without endiarassnients. I am happy, then, to be able to say that in a shoi't period uflinie thei'c has been a progress in the social eonditioii which will iiierense the bappine.ss of mankind, ami of which lii.^tory aifords no greater example." •tiiK.U-.l l>y Cochin— ToiiH.. 1. P,''?. Tn |f^4'2 a conimittGC of (he House of Com- mons, re).)orted tints: "The great act. of Kmancipation of slaves in the ^Vest Imlia colonics has prodttced the nu?st favorable efi:e(ts, so far as concerns the ))hysical and social coialition ''f the black population. As to their moral condition, tJicir impi'uvcmi'nt is niore than proved by their constantly in(,'rea>ing eagerness for re- ligious and secular instruction, by their de- sire, moi'e and more ))eree]itible, to assume the obligations of m;u'riage, and i'nilil the duties of domotic life; by the reformation of their morals and ihi'ir rapid progress in eivi- li/.ation; iinally. Ijv tb.e value which they now attach to tin; aeipiisition of pidj.ierty anil a jiosiiion of iiidi!pendetiee."t In 1 S-lO a eonnuission of j'reneh jjC'rs. deputies, and f)ilieial per.sons was ajipiointcd to ex;uiiine into tln.^ i'esdts of Jjiitish Mman- ci].)ation, and repeu't a project, for the l''rench colonies. At. the head of this commission was the nov/ venerable Duke de Broglie, whose jiosltion among l-'rench philanthro})i.sts, is like Lord Droughani's, in l"]ngland; among its mend.)ers, Avcre the great Dc '!lViei|uevillo, who had already made a rej)ort. in tavor of Kmancipalion; ( l!^;)'.') Admiral .>Iackau, llijipolyte Fassy, De Tracy, and other emi- nent statcstnau. They eontinucil their in- quiries until March liS-lo, when their report was ])resente(b written iiy the Duke de Broglie, After ((noting largely from .Eng- lish documents, they say::|'. "Nobody a!<y longer pretends that the blacks are a savage, Viusocial race, ready to lay waste the countiy the instant they are unchained. The event hasfpueted these ap- prehensions; the negroes, on the conti-ary, are a very gentle, very obo'lient, and wonder- fully easy to govo-ji. '*AII the docinnents which we have examined, agi'Ce on this point;. We nnist ee;isc, no h;ss, to repi-(!sent tlicm as an abject, iille, stupid i-ace, instmsible to the ])leasures which activity and industry pro- cure, and in('.pable of the hjast etibrt to ac- quire them.; the doeinuenfs jiul.ili.shed by the Knglish < loverinnent, oitii'ely confirm this assertion. All the negi-ees hav(! shown the mf)st lively sense of the blessings of civi- lization .; all have been proiiqtt to do what is necessary to obtain them, and most of them have succeedod. W(! have showti what a pi'odigious incr(ase has tak^'U place in the importation of goods for their use, They I Qiintcii ill thi' Imc ill- Urou'lic'ri la-iiort. ■ Tiiis i:c|i.ii t ill lu.i .inurto valuini;.^, is a inarv</l of faith- ful iiiul ilDliiivUnI luhn;'.