E448 ^^^^^^^^^^^H .C54 i^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H LIBRARY OF CONGRESS DDDD173TfllS P ^^-n^ A,* -it ^^^^■i' <>^-"^, v0 9- jP-n^ J*'* ^o /\ V >^ t^ A^ *y ^'-v. jFarte far Cljinking Jflen: SHOWING THE NECESSITY OF AFRICAN COLONIZATION TO SECUKE THE SUCCESS OF TROPICAL FREE LABOR. Bt DAVID CHRISTY, AGENT OF THE AMERICAN COLONIZATION SOCIETr FOR OHIO. It is a dictate of prudence, in all human pursuits, to pause, at times, and review the past, that we may ascertain whether our efforts have been successful, or whether a change of policy may not be demanded to accomplish our purposes. The more important the interests involved, the greater is the necessity for the adoption of this rule. Let us apply it to the efforts which have been made in behalf of the oppressed people of Africa. Except the propagation of the Gospel, few benevolent enter- prises have enlisted so many hearts as those for the destruction of the African slave trade and the abolition of slavery ; and, in none have the active agents been so often foiled, and doomed to see their brightest hopes decay and almost die, as in these twin offsprmgs of benevolence. An impression has gone abroad, of late, among a certain class, that much progress has been made in overturning the system of slavery ; and, that, in a little time, the task will be done, and the oppressed go free. It is proposed, in the space of a few pages, to notice the more prominent events connected with the subject, with the view of showing that tliis belief is not warranted by the facts in the case ; and that the Anti- Slavery policy, so far as it has opposed Colonization to Africa, has re- tarded emancipation, by checking the extension of free kbor tropical cultivation, and thus rendered slave labor more and more necessary, and more and more profitable, in the cultivation of those tropical products which the constantly increasing wants of commerce now so imperiously demand. In performing this task, we shall direct attention to the enormous in- debtedness of the Christian world to slave labor, at this moment, for certain articles of prime necessity ; then show the inability of free labor, in tropical and semi-tropical countries, to compete with the slave labor of those regions so as to afford any rehef ; present facts to prove, that the tendency of the efforts of Great Britain, in behalf of the African race, up to a recent date, has been to increase the evils she was attempt- ing to destroy ; offer some considerations which make it probable, that the suppression of the African slave trade, an event now considered cer- 2 Facts for ThinJcing Men. tain, will be of immense pecuniary benefit to the slave holders of the United States; and, in concluding, demonstrate that the only hope for anv o-reat increase of free labor tropical cultivation, at an early day, is in Afi-ica, and that the main prospect of making it available there, is by colonization to Liberia. As the field of investigation is an extensive one, we must study great brevity ; and, to render our labors less complicated, we shall refer to three articles of slave labor product, only, viz. : Coffee, Sugar, and Cotton. Fu-st, then, as to the indebtedness of the Christian world to slave labor. According to official documents, and other reliable sources of informa- tion, the consumption of Cotton in Europe and the United States for 1S49,* was 1,179,920,000 lbs. Of this amount, only 78,589,200 lbs. were the product of free labor countries, leaving the Christian world indebted to slave labor, for this article of prime necessity, to the extent of 1.101,330,800 lbs. Of this amount England consumed 624,000,000 lbs., of which only 71,469.200 lbs. were "from free labor countries, leaving her indebted to slave labor coimtries for 552,530,800 lbs. of Cotton. The amount of this article consumed by Great Britain, being more than one half of the whole consumption of the Chi-istian world, shows that she is the greatest prop to slavery in the world. Her pafronage to the slave holders of the United Statg» ''■ ^v ,, •> ^ ^^-n.^ & "^.nc,^^ bV ^^-^K, ". >*^ ^ • • • j^v ^ ^^ *^.' .<^ <-* WERT 800KBINDINC Crantvdle, Pa MsfCh Apfil 198? Hf '6 Ot^#''U 800-C ^\.:;i»^% ''*. x*"