INTRODUCTION. 31 



cheaper rate than ourselves? and when these islands, by the natural 

 course of events, and the system of censure so pitilessly followed 

 up regarding the West Indians, are pointed out as a precarious 

 and worthless field ? Let those who take an interest in the wel- 

 fare of these colonies and their inhabitants, listen to the spirited 

 appeal of the noble Governor of Jamaica : " Be it their task to 

 encourage our efforts by every means that legislation can present, 

 and to smooth, as far as lies in their power, the inevitable difficul- 

 ties of a competition which, aggravated as it unfortunately is at 

 the moment by extraneous influences, threatens to prove even 

 more formidable than could have been previously anticipated." 

 What means legislation can present, and what measures may be 

 adopted to relieve these colonies, I shall now examine. Nil 

 desperandum ! for we have already passed through the ordeal of 

 emancipation, and it now remains for Brazil, Cuba, and Puerto 

 Rico to undergo the trial. 



It is an axiom, I believe, that no form of government is ab- 

 solutely bad or absolutely good ; that concomitant circumstances 

 may render the worst form adapted to the wants of a people, 

 whilst the best, from adverse accompaniments, may turn out a 

 disastrous experiment, or a complete failure. And, yet, it is 

 remarkable, that in the framing of laws so little attention is paid 

 to national peculiarities arising from differences of race, previous 

 social institutions, the general occupations of the inhabitants, and 

 climate. 



It has been remarked, in reference to climate, that people 

 inhabiting the warmer regions of the world are prone to idleness, 

 and yet quick and passionate in disposition, that they are impa- 

 tient of restraint, but care little about the essentials of liberty, 

 and willingly submit to a despotic rule, provided it be, however, of 

 the monarchical form ; it seems, indeed, as if they are not ener- 

 getic enough rightly to discern or promote their own true in- 

 terests. In fact, they are too indolent and, though a paradox, too 

 volatile to devote to public affairs that constant attention which 

 alone can avert the yoke of despotism, and too violent and head- 

 strong to yield to the saner opinion of others. I must go even 

 further, and say, that whenever not under absolute control, or 

 the moment they are released from despotic rule, they rush into 

 anarchy ; in their case despotism or anarchy is the only alter- 

 native. The inhabitants of fertile regions, under a mild climate, 

 generally prefer agricultural pursuits ; those who live in barren 

 countries are more inclined towards manufactures, trade, and 

 commerce. 



The differential characteristics of races are almost indelible. 

 The Arabs of the present day are not only the fac-simile of the 

 Saracens, but of the mixed descendants of Ishmael and Esau. 

 The Tartar hordes of northern Asia preserve identically the 



