Letter from Moses N. Nathan to Isaac Leeser;January 05, 1863
- Title
- Letter from Moses N. Nathan to Isaac Leeser;January 05, 1863
- Author
- Moses N. Nathan
- Contributor
- Isaac Leeser
- Date Created
- 5 January 1863
- Format
- Letter. 4 page(s) on 2 sheet(s).
- Type
- Letter
- Language(s)
- English
- Has Format
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3gr19/manifest.json
- Link to Colenda
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3gr19
- Physical Characteristics
- Unlined Paper
- Manuscript
- content
-
Kingston Jamaica
5th Jany. 5/23/1863
My dear Mr. Leeser—
I am in receipt of your letters of Nov. & Decr. and the Occident for those months. By this Steamer Mr. Alfred Delgado of this city leaves for New York. I have handed him ? sovereigns in gold to be delivered to you, on your applying to Messrs Henry & De Cordova, at whose office the money will be left. This is all I had in hand. Perhaps a few more copies (say 3 or 4) of the pirated edition, of the Pentateuch with the Sabbath Prayer may obtain a sale, there having lately been an inquiry for them. The question respecting the amot. of produce raised in the time of slavery and of emancipation can only be answered by reference to
statistical tables, which are not easily procurable. On general data the following may be relied on—130,000 ? Sugar were often annually exported during slavery; whereas the highest quantity shipped annually since emancipation has not exceeded 37000 ?; and that figure was only attained in 1862, the crop having raised between that and 22000 ?, the lowest yield in 1855. In coffee the falling off has been equally great, no crop since Emancipation having been higher than 6 millions of pounds, and in some years not more than 4 millions. Before 1846, emancipation having taken place in 1834, matters began to turn in favor of the planter, when the abolition of the differential duties by the British Parliament depressed sugar Culitva-tion wherever Emancipation had been established to an alarming extent, whilst it proportionately raised it wherever slavery existed. This suicidal and unjust measure, a ? to the Free Trader, gave Louisiana and Cuba such a ?, that cane cultivation,
which was about being abandoned in the former, and entailed ruinous lapses on planters in the latter, owing to the viability of slave produce labor to compete with free labor when protected by the differential duties,—began to attain that prosperity in slave countries which they it has since maintained. The immense number of small settlers, formerly slaves, in this Island, increased by the abundance and cheapness of land, has caused a dearth of labor in the market, which only immigration can supply. But colored laborers, however large the number imported will not resus- citate Jamaica. She wants a large influx of white settlers in the beautiful and salubrious mountain regions, where whites can labor without the fear of yellow fever or other tropical diseases. I will write you more on this topic on some future occasion.
You and I are of the same age it appears. I made 56 in Novr. God grant that the balance of your days may be more happy than the first part has been and that you may receive Even in this life the reward so justly
your due for your arduous labors in the good cause. The Revd Mr. Myers will address you, he has already found he is not reposing on a bed of roses. He will possibly state particulars.
Your accounts of Miss Gratz are full of melancholy interest. I have many times sat down to write her, but have abandoned the idea, lest any querulous word might slip into the sheet and give her pain, which I wish to avoid.
When will this horrible war come to an end? What is slavery, with all its horrors to this inhuman and cruel butchery which rivals in atrocity and barbarity the sanguinary deeds of Jamelane? or Genghis Khan? O may God soon send peace, for it is sickening to humanity to watch even at a distance the course struggle.
With affectionate regard, from Mrs. Nathan and self. (Mrs Samson is out of town) I am
Yours truly
MN Nathan
20-405 - Identifier
- LSKAP0039
- Date
- 1863-01-05
Part of Letter from Moses N. Nathan to Isaac Leeser;January 05, 1863
Moses N. Nathan, “Letter from Moses N. Nathan to Isaac Leeser;January 05, 1863”, 1863-01-05, Isaac Leeser Digital Repository, accessed September 7, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/leeser/item/65051