336 MONTHLY REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND ART. 



planters propose to cut it short, by a little plan of their own, which is 

 merely to disencumber themselves of their slaves in toto, and to supply 

 their places with prime English labourers. But the inducement to the 

 English labourer is not the least amusing; he is to bind himself for a certain 

 period of years for his food, a cottage, and an acre or two of ground, arid 

 five pound per annum, wages ; and, when the period of servitude is expired, 

 the cottage and ground is to remain his own property ! unfortunately the 

 value of this boon is considerably diminished, by stating in another page 

 that he can have land of the finest quality at 5s per acre ; so that, suppos- 

 ing capital to be plentiful in the island, the fortunate freeholder, might, at 

 the close of his servitude, succeed in raising a mortgage of about 10s. on 

 his landed property to begin business with. 



But, thus significantly asks the writer supposing of course that the rush 

 of ambitious agriculturists will be overwhelming upon such a chance of 

 territorial acquisition what will become of the negro race which has cost 

 us 20 millions? Why he clearly makes out, that as "few will accept any 

 other terms than unconditional idleness, they will lead the lives of brutal 

 savages, till they either see their error or finally disappear ! we should be 

 glad to know what the writer means ^finally disappearing. Surely, in " a 

 land over-flowing with milk and honey," aland, claiming the proud distinc- 

 tion of being " the finest poor man's country in the world." There is not 

 much chance of the negro's final disappearance, unless it be by blood- 

 hound or battue, a medium of disappearance , which, of course, was not 

 thought of by the writer of the letter. If the planters will cordially assist 

 in the great plan of emancipation, the colonies will soon assume a vigorous 

 and healthy appearance ; but, if they do all in their power to thwart it, no 

 system, however wisely devised, can work well, and the bad consequences 

 which ensue will justly fall most heavily on themselves. 



LONDON : DAYLIS AND LEIGHTON, JOHNSON'S-COURT, FLEET-STREKT. 



