COLONY COLONIES. 



325 



general, with more violence and haughtiness than 

 the single, defenceless merchant, who cannot count on 

 the protection of an armed power. That companies 

 are not necessary for carrying on the colonial trade 

 is proved by the example of the Spaniards and Portu- 

 guese, who knew of no such institutions in their 

 flourishing periods. Instead of considering the com- 

 panies as the cause of the flourishing state of the East 

 India trade, we ought rather to be astonished that, 

 notwithstanding the companies, this commerce has 

 prospered so much. The rapid success of the Dutch 

 East India company, in particular, was a spur to simi- 

 lar institutions, which were not attended with equal 

 success. Besides the companies, there were other 

 restrictions on the colonial trade. Every subject, for 

 instance, was forbidden to sail for the colonies in the 

 service of a foreign power, or without the permission 

 .of a company, which possessed the monopoly of their 

 trade. The trade was also usually confined to a few 

 ports, to a certain number of vessels, and to certain 

 times. More liberal principles have been adopted 

 only in recent times. The exclusive privileges have 

 been limited, and the unprivileged, as, for instance, 

 in this country, permitted to partake in the colo- 

 nial trade. In general, greater freedom has been 

 allowed to this trade. In the government of the co- 

 lonies, the same principle of keeping them in a state 

 of dependence was maintained. Their trade and 

 government were always in the closest connexion, 

 though in different degrees in different colonies. 



Colonies, in general, may be divided, according to 

 their nature, into four large classes, viz., agricul- 

 tural, mining, planting, and commercial colonies. In 

 the first, to which belong chiefly the colonies in 

 North America, agriculture is the chief object. The 

 Europeans who settled there became landed proprie- 

 tors, and seldom returned to their native country. In 

 the second and third generation, the more the ties of 

 affinity and other connexions with the mother coun- 

 try disappear, and the recollections of it vanish, the 

 colonists form more and more a distinct nation, and 

 become more and more estranged from their native 

 country. Hence, as experience has shown, the pos- 

 session of such colonies is insecure as soon as the po- 

 pulation increases, and the inhabitants come more 

 into contact with each other. The mining colonies, 

 the chief object of which is the acquisition of pre- 

 cious stones and metals, are nearly in the same con- 

 dition ; as, for instance, the settlements of the 

 Spaniards and Portuguese in South America. They 

 are, from their nature, easily converted into agri- 

 cultural colonies, and may form, though more slow- 

 ly, distinct, independent nations ; as is the case with 

 the settlements in South America already referred to. 

 (See South American Revolittion.) It is entirely dif- 

 ferent with the planting colonies, the object of which 

 is the production of certain plants which generally 

 grow only in a hot climate, as, for instance, the set- 

 tlements in the West India islands. Here a nation 

 is not easily formed. Europeans are the proprietors 

 of the plantations ; but their number is small ; besides, 

 they seldom become domesticated there, but, on ac- 

 count of the unhealthy climate, and the inconve- 

 niences attending the manner of living there, either 

 administer their plantations by a steward, spending 

 their revenues abroad, or remain in the colonies only 

 until they have collected a fortune, when they re- 

 turn to their native country. The small number of 

 planters (for the far greater part of the population 

 consists of negro slaves, who are used exclusively for 

 the cultivation of the plantations) is the cause that 

 establishments of this kind are least able to dispense 

 with the protection and support of the mother coun- 

 try. Similarly situated are the commercial colonies, 

 which are intended to dispose of the natural or artifi 



cial productions of the country. They grow up from 

 single factories and commercial stations, which, by 

 fraud and force, successively make themselves the 

 centres of considerable territories. The possession 

 of landed property in them is onjy a means for the 

 promotion of commerce. The Europeans, in colonies 

 of this kind, are the rulers, but seldom landed proprie- 

 tors ; they are mostly soldiers, officers, and merchants. 

 For this reason, a nation is not easily formed in them., 

 as the Europeans residing there merely wish to make 

 a fortune and return to their native country. On ac- 

 count of the entire separation of the military forces 

 in the three principal governments of British India, 

 the influence of the civil residents over the troops sta- 

 tioned in the states of the allies of the East India 

 company, the mixture of the royal troops with those 

 of the company, the great influence of the royal forces 

 in Ceylon, and the frequent changes of the garrisons, 

 <i military revolution is not much to be feared in 

 Eritish India. The hardest fate which the inhabi- 

 tants of commercial colonies can suffer, is to fall into 

 the hands of commercial companies which form, at 

 the same time, sovereign political bodies. The abuses 

 and mismanagements of the companies have obliged 

 the governments of the mother countries to bring 

 them more or less under their own immediate super- 

 intendence, and to limit them chiefly to trade. The 

 governments of agricultural, mining, and planting co- 

 lonies are usually of a different character. In them, 

 it is not merely conquered tribes which are to be ruled, 

 but principally Europeans themselves, who have 

 settled in them, former inhabitants of the mother 

 country, and therefore to be treated with far greater 

 delicacy. The government of the mother country 

 has usually taken care of the administration of these 

 colonies itself; and, where they have been managed 

 by companies, the colonies have had, at least, some 

 part in the government : several of them have enjoy- 

 ed an almost republican constitution. After the 

 abolition of the slave-trade, a fifth class of colonies was 

 formed on the African coast colonies for the civili- 

 zation of freed slaves approaching most nearly to 

 the nature of agriculturarcolonies. The most im- 

 portant is at Sierra Leone (q. v.), under British au- 

 thority. It will become an important military and 

 commercial post, as its connexion with the interior of 

 Africa increases. A similar colony, called Liberia, 

 was founded at cape Mesurado, on the coast of 

 Guinea, in 1817, by the people of the United States. 

 (See Liberia.') Very recently, a colony of coloured 

 persons has been commenced in Canada. In June, 

 1829, the authorities of Cincinnati (Ohio) ordered 

 the black and mulatto persons to give security for 

 their good behaviour, or to leave the place. This 

 description of persons in that town amounted to about 

 2000, many of whom decided to settle in Canada. 

 They purchased 124,000 acres of land; and the co- 

 lony is said to contain, at the time we are writing. 

 1100 persons. 



COLONIES, MII.ITARV, OF RUSSIA. The Rus- 

 sian military colonies differ much from those of 

 Alexander of Macedon and those of the ancient Ro- 

 mans, and also from the Military Frontiers of the 

 Austrian empire, and the distributed troops of Swe- 

 den. Russia has endeavoured, by the settlement 

 of entire regiments in particular districts, under a 

 peculiar military, civil, and police government, to 

 unite the character of crown peasants and paid sol- 

 diers, whereby agriculture, population, and civiliza- 

 tion may be advanced, and the standing army of the 

 empire increased without burdening the revenue. 

 Count AraktschejefF, who rose by merit from a low 

 rank in the army to that of general of artillery, is the 

 author of this system, and for a time directed its 

 execution. When the emperor Alexander, at the 



