Those who are failing and falling in the world excite but little interest; and so it is at present with Jamaica. From time to time we hear that properties which used to bring five thousand pounds a year are not now worth five hundred pounds in fee simple. We hear it, thank our stars that we have not been brought up in the Jamaica line, and there's an end of it. If we have young friends whom we wish to send forth9 into the world, we search the maps with them at our elbows; but we put our hands over the West Indies—over the first fruits of the courage and skill of Columbus—as a spot tabooed by Providence10. Nay, if we could, we would fain forget Jamaica altogether.
But there it is; a spot on the earth not to be lost sight of or forgotten altogether, let us wish it ever so much. It belongs to us, and must be in some sort thought of and managed, and, if possible, governed. Though the utter sinking of Jamaica under the sea might not be regarded as a misfortune, it is not to be thought of that it should belong to others than Britain. How should we look at the English politician who would propose to sell it to the United States; or beg Spain to take it as an appendage11 to Cuba? It is one of the few sores in our huge and healthy carcase; and the sore has been now running so long, that we have almost given over asking whether it be curable.
This at any rate is certain—it will not sink into the sea, but will remain there, inhabited, if not by white men, then by coloured men or black; and must unfortunately be governed by us English.
We have indulged our antipathy12 to cruelty by abolishing slavery. We have made the peculiar13 institution an impossibility under the British crown. But in doing so we overthrew14 one particular interest; and, alas15! we overthrew also, and necessarily so, the holders16 of that interest. As for the twenty millions which we gave to the slave-owners, it was at best but as though we had put down awls and lasts by Act of Parliament, and, giving the shoemakers the price of their tools, told them they might make shoes as they best could without them; failing any such possibility, that they might live on the price of their lost articles. Well; the shoemakers did their best, and continued their trade in shoes under much difficulty.
But then we have had another antipathy to indulge, and have indulged it—our antipathy to protection. We have abolished the duty on slave-grown sugar; and the shoemakers who have no awls and lasts have to compete sadly with their happy neighbours, possessed17 of these useful shoemaking utensils18.
Make no more shoes, but make something in lieu of shoes, we say to them. The world wants not shoes only—make hats. Give up your sugar, and bring forth produce that does not require slave labour. Could the men of Jamaica with one voice speak out such words as the experience of the world might teach them, they would probably answer thus:—"Yes; in two hundred years or so we will do so. So long it will take to alter the settled trade and habit of a community. In the mean time, for ourselves, our living selves, our late luxurious19 homes, our idle, softly-nurtured Creole wives, our children coming and to come—for ourselves—what immediate20 compensation do you intend to offer us, Mr. Bull?"
Mr. Bull, with sufficient anger at such importunity21; with sufficient remembrance of his late twenty millions of pounds sterling22; with some plain allusions23 to that payment, buttons up his breeches-pocket and growls24 angrily.
Abolition25 of slavery is good, and free trade is good. Such little insight as a plain man may have into the affairs around him seems to me to suffice for the expression of such opinion. Nor will I presume to say that those who proposed either the one law or the other were premature26. To get a good law passed and out of hand is always desirable. There are from day to day so many new impediments! But the law having been passed, we should think somewhat of the sufferers.
Planters in Jamaica assert that when the abolition of slavery was hurried on by the termination of the apprentice27 system before the time first stipulated28, they were promised by the government at home that their interests should be protected by high duties on slave-grown sugar. That such pledge was ever absolutely made, I do not credit. But that, if made, it could be worth anything, no man looking to the history of England could imagine. What minister can pledge his successors? In Jamaica it is said that the pledge was given and broken by the same man—by Sir Robert Peel. But when did Sir Robert Peel's pledge in one year bind29 even his own conduct in the next?
The fact perhaps is this, that no one interest can ever be allowed to stand in the way of national progress. We could not stop machinery30 for the sake of the hand-loom weavers31. The poor hand-loom weavers felt themselves aggrieved32; knew that the very bread was taken from their mouths, their hard-earned cup from their lips. They felt, poor weavers! that they could not take themselves in middle life to poking33 fires and greasing wheels. Time, the eater of things, has now pretty well eaten the hand-loom weavers—them and their miseries34. Must it not be so also with the Jamaica planters?
In the mean time the sight, as regards the white man, is a sad one to see; and almost the sadder in that the last three or four years have been in a slight degree prosperous to the Jamaica sugar-grower; so that this question of producing sugar in that island at a rate that will pay for itself is not quite answered. The drowning man still clings by a rope's end, though it be but by half an inch, and that held between his teeth. Let go, thou unhappy one, and drown thyself out of the way! Is it not thus that Great Britain, speaking to him from the high places in Exeter Hall, shouts to him in his death struggles?
Are Englishmen in general aware that half the sugar estates in Jamaica, and I believe more than half the coffee plantations35, have gone back into a state of bush?—that all this land, rich with the richest produce only some thirty years since, has now fallen back into wilderness36?—that the world has hereabouts so retrograded?—that chaos37 and darkness have reswallowed so vast an extent of the most bountiful land that civilization had ever mastered, and that too beneath the British government?
And of those who are now growing canes39 in Jamaica a great portion are gentlemen who have lately bought their estates for the value of the copper40 in the sugar-boilers, and of the metal in the rum-stills. If to this has been added anything like a fair value for wheels in the machinery, the estate has not been badly sold.
Some estates there are, and they are not many, which are still worked by the agents—attorneys is the proper word—of rich proprietors41 in England; of men so rich that they have been able to bear the continual drain of properties that for years have been always losing—of men who have had wealth and spirit to endure this. It is hardly necessary to say that they are few; and that many whose spirit has been high, but wealth insufficient43, have gone grievously to the wall in the attempt.
And there are still some who, living on the spot, have hitherto pulled through it all; who have watched houses falling and the wilderness progressing, and have still stuck to their homes and their work; men whose properties for ten years, counting from the discontinuance of protection, have gradually grown less and less beneath their eyes, till utter want has been close to them. And yet they have held on. In the good times they may have made five hundred hogsheads of sugar every year. It has come to that with them that in some years they have made but thirty. But they have made that thirty and still held on. All honour at least to them! For their sake, if for that of no others, we would be tempted44 to pray that these few years of their prosperity may be prolonged and grow somewhat fatter.
The exported produce of Jamaica consists chiefly of sugar and rum. The article next in importance is coffee. Then they export also logwood, arrowroot, pimento, and ginger45; but not in quantities to make them of much national value. Mahogany is also cut here, and fustic. But sugar and rum are still the staples46 of the island. Now all the world knows that rum and sugar are made from the same plant.
And yet every one will tell you that the cane38 can hardly be got to thrive in Jamaica without slave labour; will tell you, also, that the land of Jamaica is so generous that it will give forth many of the most wonderful fruits of the world, almost without labour. Putting these two things together, would not any simple man advise them to abandon sugar? Ah! he would be very simple if he were to do so with a voice that could make itself well heard, and should dare to do so in Jamaica.
Men there are generally tolerant of opinion on most matters, and submit to be talked to on their own shortcomings and colonial mismanagement with a decent grace. You may advise them to do this, and counsel them to do that, referring to their own immediate concerns, without receiving that rebuke47 which your interference might probably deserve. But do not try their complaisance48 too far. Do not advise them to give over making sugar. If you give such advice in a voice loud enough to be heard, the island will soon be too hot to hold you. Sugar is loved there, whether wisely loved or not. If not wisely, then too well.
When I hear a Jamaica planter talking of sugar, I cannot but think of Burns, and his muse49 that had made him poor and kept him so. And the planter is just as ready to give up his canes as the poet was to abandon his song.
The production of sugar and the necessary concomitant production of rum—for in Jamaica the two do necessarily go together—is not, one would say, an alluring50 occupation. I do not here intend to indulge my readers with a detailed51 description of the whole progress, from the planting or ratooning of the cane till the sugar and the rum are shipped. Books there are, no doubt, much wiser than mine in which the whole process is developed. But I would wish this much to be understood, that the sugar planter, as things at present are, must attend to and be master of, and practically carry out three several trades. He must be an agriculturist, and grow his cane; and like all agriculturists must take his crop from the ground and have it ready for use; as the wheat grower does in England, and the cotton grower in America. But then he must also be a manufacturer, and that in a branch of manufacture which requires complicated machinery. The wheat grower does not grind his wheat and make it into bread. Nor does the cotton grower fabricate calico. But the grower of canes must make sugar. He must have his boiling-houses and trash-houses; his water power and his steam power; he must dabble52 in machinery, and, in fact, be a Manchester manufacturer as well as a Kent farmer. And then, over and beyond this, he must be a distiller. The sugar leaves him fit for your puddings, and the rum fit for your punch—always excepting the slight article of adulteration which you are good enough to add afterwards yourselves. Such a complication of trades would not be thought very alluring to a gentleman farmer in England.
And yet the Jamaica proprietor42 holds faithfully by his sugar-canes.
It has been said that sugar is an article which for its proper production requires slave labour. That this is absolutely so is certainly not the fact, for very good sugar is made in Jamaica without it. That thousands of pounds could be made with slaves where only hundreds are made—or, as the case may be, are lost—without it, I do not doubt. The complaint generally resolves itself to this, that free labour in Jamaica cannot be commanded; that it cannot be had always, and up to a certain given quantity at a certain moment; that labour is scarce, and therefore high priced, and that labour being high priced, a negro can live on half a day's wages, and will not therefore work the whole day—will not always work any part of the day at all, seeing that his yams, his breadfruit, and his plantains are ready to his hands. But the slaves!—Oh! those were the good times!
I have in another chapter said a few words about the negroes as at present existing in Jamaica, I also shall say a few words as to slavery elsewhere; and I will endeavour not to repeat myself. This much, however, is at least clear to all men, that you cannot eat your cake and have it. You cannot abolish slavery to the infinite good of your souls, your minds, and intellects, and yet retain it for the good of your pockets. Seeing that these men are free, it is worse than useless to begrudge53 them the use of their freedom. If I have means to lie in the sun and meditate54 idle, why, O my worthy55 taskmaster! should you expect me to pull out at thy behest long reels of cotton, long reels of law jargon56, long reels of official verbosity57, long reels of gossamer58 literature—Why, indeed? Not having means so to lie, I do pull out the reels, taking such wages as I can get, and am thankful. But my friend and brother over there, my skin-polished, shining, oil-fat negro, is a richer man than I. He lies under his mango-tree, and eats the luscious59 fruit in the sun; he sends his black urchin60 up for a breadfruit, and behold61 the family table is spread. He pierces a cocoa-nut, and, lo! there is his beverage62. He lies on the grass surrounded by oranges, bananas, and pine-apples. Oh, my hard taskmaster of the sugar-mill, is he not better off than thou? why should he work at thy order? "No, massa, me weak in me belly63; me no workee to-day; me no like workee just 'em little moment." Yes, Sambo has learned to have his own way; though hardly learned to claim his right without lying.
That this is all bad—bad nearly as bad can be—bad perhaps as anything short of slavery, all men will allow. It will be quite as bad in the long run for the negro as for the white man—worse, indeed; for the white man will by degrees wash his hands of the whole concern. But as matters are, one cannot wonder that the black man will not work. The question stands thus: cannot he be made to do so? Can it not be contrived64 that he shall be free, free as is the Englishman, and yet compelled, as is the Englishman, to eat his bread in the sweat of his brow?
I utterly65 disbelieve in statistics as a science, and am never myself guided by any long-winded statement of figures from a Chancellor66 of the Exchequer67 or such like big-wig. To my mind it is an hallucination. Such statements are "ignes fatui." Figures, when they go beyond six in number, represent to me not facts, but dreams, or sometimes worse than dreams. I have therefore no right myself to offer statistics to the reader. But it was stated in the census68 taken in 1844 that there were sixteen thousand white people in the island, and about three hundred thousand blacks. There were also about seventy thousand coloured people. Putting aside for the moment the latter as a middle class, and regarding the black as the free servants of the white, one would say that labour should not be so deficient69 But what, if your free servants don't work; unfortunately know how to live without working?
The political question that presses upon me in viewing Jamaica, is certainly this—Will the growth of sugar pay in Jamaica, or will it not? I have already stated my conviction that a change is now taking place in the very blood and nature of the men who are destined70 to be the dominant71 classes in these western tropical latitudes72. That the white man, the white Englishman, or white English Creole, will ever again be a thoroughly73 successful sugar grower in Jamaica I do not believe. That the brown man may be so is very probable; but great changes must first be made in the countries around him.
While the "peculiar institution" exists in Cuba, Brazil, Porto Rico, and the Southern States, it cannot, I think, come to pass. A plentiful74 crop in Cuba may in any year bring sugar to a price which will give no return whatever to the Jamaica grower. A spare crop in Jamaica itself will have the same result; and there are many causes for spare crops; drought, for instance, and floods, and abounding75 rats, and want of capital to renew and manure76 the plants. At present the trade will only give in good years a fair profit to those who have purchased their land almost for nothing. A trade that cannot stand many misfortunes can hardly exist prosperously. This trade has stood very many; but I doubt whether it can stand more.
The "peculiar institution," however, will not live for ever. The time must come when abolition will be popular even in Louisiana. And when it is law there, it will be the law in Cuba also. If that day shall have arrived before the last sugar-mill in the island shall have been stopped, Jamaica may then compete with other free countries. The world will not do without sugar, let it be produced by slaves or free men.
But though a man may venture to foretell77 the abolition of slavery in the States, and yet call himself no prophet, he must be a wiser man than I who can foretell the time. It will hardly be to-morrow; nor yet the next day. It will scarcely come so that we may see it. Before it does come it may easily be that the last sugar-mill in poor Jamaica will in truth have stopped.
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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imperatively
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| adv.命令式地 | |
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subsidies
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| n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 ) | |
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gem
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| n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel | |
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groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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flaunt
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| vt.夸耀，夸饰 | |
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flaunting
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| adj.招摇的，扬扬得意的，夸耀的v.炫耀，夸耀( flaunt的现在分词 )；有什么能耐就施展出来 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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appendage
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| n.附加物 | |
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antipathy
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| n.憎恶；反感，引起反感的人或事物 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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overthrew
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| overthrow的过去式 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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holders
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| 支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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utensils
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| 器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物 | |
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luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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importunity
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| n.硬要，强求 | |
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sterling
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| adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑) | |
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allusions
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| 暗指，间接提到( allusion的名词复数 ) | |
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growls
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的第三人称单数 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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abolition
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| n.废除，取消 | |
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premature
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| adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的 | |
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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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stipulated
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| vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的 | |
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bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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weavers
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| 织工，编织者( weaver的名词复数 ) | |
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aggrieved
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| adj.愤愤不平的，受委屈的；悲痛的；（在合法权利方面）受侵害的v.令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式)；令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词) | |
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poking
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| n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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miseries
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| n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 )；痛苦的事；穷困；常发牢骚的人 | |
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plantations
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| n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 ) | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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canes
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| n.（某些植物，如竹或甘蔗的）茎( cane的名词复数 )；（用于制作家具等的）竹竿；竹杖 | |
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copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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proprietors
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| n.所有人，业主( proprietor的名词复数 ) | |
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proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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ginger
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| n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气 | |
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staples
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| n.（某国的）主要产品( staple的名词复数 )；钉书钉；U 形钉；主要部份v.用钉书钉钉住( staple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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rebuke
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| v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise | |
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complaisance
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| n.彬彬有礼，殷勤，柔顺 | |
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muse
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| n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感 | |
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alluring
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| adj.吸引人的，迷人的 | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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dabble
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| v.涉足，浅赏 | |
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begrudge
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| vt.吝啬，羡慕 | |
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meditate
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| v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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jargon
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| n.术语，行话 | |
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verbosity
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| n.冗长，赘言 | |
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gossamer
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| n.薄纱，游丝 | |
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luscious
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| adj.美味的；芬芳的；肉感的，引与性欲的 | |
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urchin
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| n.顽童；海胆 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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beverage
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| n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料 | |
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belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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chancellor
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| n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长 | |
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exchequer
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| n.财政部；国库 | |
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census
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| n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查 | |
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69
deficient
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| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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70
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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71
dominant
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| adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因 | |
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72
latitudes
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| 纬度 | |
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73
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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74
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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75
abounding
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| adj.丰富的，大量的v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的现在分词 ) | |
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76
manure
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| n.粪，肥，肥粒；vt.施肥 | |
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foretell
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| v.预言，预告，预示 | |
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