252 SUGAR. 



suggestively especially that black episode in the history 

 of mankind, trans-oceanic negro slavery; a deep problem; 

 a page of the world's history full of portentous questions ! 

 Whether a race of people, depraved enough to kidnap each 

 other sell each other have all the right and all the justice 

 on their side in raising the plaint of deportation and forced 

 servitude, this is what I question. 



Has there not been a set-off in the blessings of Christianity 

 conferred to many a dark soul, that but for the middle passage 

 and slavery would have winged its last flight to the mumbling 

 of a fetish man ? It is a dark problem a very dark problem. 

 Whether the abolition by law of slave trading, the brand- 

 mark of piracy attached, has enhanced or diminished the 

 sufferings of the negro, may still be an open question. The 

 records of commerce through all time have gone to prove the 

 futility of endeavouring to suppress any trade on which there 

 happens to be an enormous premium. If not legitimately 

 carried on, it will be prosecuted by way of smuggling, of 

 contraband ; and contraband negroes are packed like herrings. 

 O, it is very horrible ! Behold the isle of Cuba on a map ; 

 consider how small it is ; and then marvel as you may, that 

 such a little island produces nearly one-fourth of the sum- 

 total of sugar entering into commerce. It is all produced by 

 negro labour, by slave labour; and negroes are not over- 

 prone to work except driven. There must be some driving 

 in Cuba, some sacrifice of negro life to the Spanish sugar 

 Moloch. Despite the fiction that the negro slave-trade has 

 been suppressed, the Spaniards import the blacks they need 

 they even prefer importation to raising. With special refer- 

 ence to this may be mentioned the fact, that the Spaniards 

 not unfrequently impose on their male negroes the same dis- 

 cipline that St. Origen imposed on himself; the latter, in 

 order that his mind might be absolved from many cares, and 

 troubles, and concerns, that withdraw from piety the minds 

 of ordinary men. 



