abandoned by owners and managers, the negroes continued their labor where there were any agents to guide; and where no white men were left to direct them, they betook themselves to planting provisions. The colony was flourishing. The whites lived happy and in peace upon their estates, and the negroes continued to work for them." General Lacroix, in his memoirs, speaking of the same period, says: "The colony marched as by enchantinent towards its ancient splendor; cultivation prospered; every day produced perceptible proofs of its progress." This prosperous state of things lasted about eight years; and would probably have continued to this day, had not Bonaparte, at the instigation of the old aristocratic French planters, sent an army to deprive the blacks of the freedom which they had used so well. It was the attempt to restore slavery, that produced all the bloody horrors of St. Domingo. Emancipation produced the most blessed effects. In June, 1794, Victor Hugo, a French republican general, retook the island of Guadaloupe from the British, and immediately proclaimed freedom to all the slaves. They were 85,000 in number, and the whites only 13,000. No disasters whatever occurred in consequence of this step. On the 10th of October, 1811, the congress of Chili decreed that every child born after that day should be free. In 1821, the congress of Colombia emancipated all slaves who had borne arms in favor of the republic; and provided for the emancipation in eighteen years of the whole slave population, amounting to 900,000. In September, 1829, the government of Mexico granted immediate and unqualified freedom to every slave. In all these cases, not one instance of insurrection or bloodshed has ever been heard of, as the result of emancipation. In July, 1823, 30,000 Hottentots in Cape Colony, were emancipated from their long and cruel bondage, and admitted by law to all the rights and privileges of the white colonists. Outrages were predicted, as the inevitable consequence of freeing human creatures so completely brutalized as the poor Hottentots; but all went on peaceably; and as a gentleman facetiously remarked, "Hottentots as they were, they worked better for Mr. Cash, than they had ever done for Mr. Lash." In the South African Commercial Advertiser of February, 1831, it is stated: "Three thousand prize negroes have received their freedom; four hundred in one day; but not the least difficulty or disaster occured. Servants found masters-masters hired servants-all gained homes, and at night scarcely an idler was to be seen.-To state that sudden emancipation would create disorder and distress to those you mean to serve, is not reason, but the plea of all men adverse to abolition." On the 1st of August, 1834, the government of Great Britain emancipated the slaves in all her colonies, of which she had twenty; seventeen in the West Indies, and three in the East Indies. The numerical superiority of the negroes in the West Indies is great. In Jamaica there were 331,000 slaves, and only 37,000 whites. By the clumsy apprenticeship system, the old stimulus of the whip was taken away, while the new and better stimulus of wages was not applied. The negroes were aware that if they worked well they should not be paid for it, and that if they worked ill they could not be flogged, as they had formerly been. Yet even under these disadvantageous circumstances, no difficulties occurred except in three of the islands; and even there the difficulties were slight and temporary. THE WORST ENEMIES OF ABOLITION HAVE NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO SHOW THAT A SINGLE DROP OF BLOOD HAS BEEN SHED, OR A SINGLE PLANTATION FIRED, IN CONSEQUENCE OF EMANCIPATION, IN ALL THE BRITISH WEST INDIES! Antigua and Bermuda did not try the apprenticeship system; but at once gave the stimulus of wages. In those islands not the slightest difficulties have occured. The journals of Antigua say: "The great doubt is solved; and the highest hopes of the negro's friends are fulfilled. Thirty thousand men have passed from slavery into freedom, not only without the slightest irregularity, but with the solemn and decorous tranquillity of a Sabbath!" In Antigua there are 2,000 whites, 30,000 slaves, and 4,500 free blacks. Antigua and St. Christopher's are within gunshot of each other; both are sugar growing colonies; and the proportion of blacks is less in St. Christopher's than it is in Antigua; yet the former island has had some difficulty with the gradual system, while the quiet of the latter has not been disturbed for one hour by immediate emancipation. Do not these facts speak volumes? The results of the British Emancipation Bill, in a pecuniary point of view, are truly surprising. To the astonishment of even the most sanguine friends of abolition, the plantations of the colonies are more productive, more easily managed and accepted as securities for higher sums on mortgage than ever they were under the slave system. It appears from an official statement, that, in the first quarter of the present year there is an increase over the average of the first quarter of the three years preceding (emancipation,) of the great staples of West Indian produce exported. From Georgetown, (Demerara,) 20 per cent increase, and on coffee about The hundred million indemnity thus appears to have been a compensation of a novel kind, a compensation for being made richer.New York Evening Post. ST. DOMINGO. In most other countries we have ministers, or at least consuls to watch over the interests of our merchants; but to send a minister or consul to St. Domingo would be so revolting to the feelings of our southern brethren, that they would probably threaten to dissolve the Union, and so our merchants are left to take care of their own interests there. It may be useful to compare the amount of those interests with the amount of their interests in certain other countries, where we have consuls, and in some instances ministers. HOWE PETER. When the Marquis of Sligo retired from the government of the is. land of Jamaica, in 1836, the apprentices raised a contribution amounting to $1,000, to procure a suitable testimonial of their gratitude to his lordship, for the protection and kindness afforded by his administration. This sum was sent home by the hand of Joseph Sturge, and placed in the hands of a committee in London, consisting of T. F. Buxton, Esq. Rt. Hon. Dr. Lushington, M.P. Sir George Stephen, Capt. Moorsom, R.N. W. B. Gurney, Esq. Rev. John Dyer, Rev. John Burnet, Joseph Sturge, Esq. and John Sturge. The committee procured a splendid silver candelabrum, which they presented to his lordship, March 16, 1839, with a suitable address, in the presence of Lord Brougham, Sir George Strickland, Hon C. P. Villers, M.P. W. Evans, Esq. M.P. Jos. Pease, Esq. M.P. and others. In his reply, the noble Marquis said, "It is with feelings of no little pride that I receive this testimonial of the gratitude and good opinion of the Negroes of Jamaica. When I remember that the subscription for its purchase was made after I had left the island, when no advantage could be gained by its promotion, and that it is the only instance which ever has occurred, or can occur in these dominions, of the presentation of such a tribute of respect from persons still in a state of modified slavery, I value it so much that I would not exchange it for the highest distinction which the favor of my sovereign could bestow." THE INSCRIPTION. "Presented to the most noble, Howe Peter, Marquis of Sligo, by the Negroes of Jamaica, in testimony of the grateful remembrance they entertain for his unremitting efforts to alleviate their sufferings and to redress their wrongs, during his just and enlightened administration of the government of the island, and of the respect and gratitude they feel towards his excellent lady and family, for the kindness and sympathy displayed towards them-1837." JOHN SCOBLE. At a meeting in Chatham streets chapel, New-York 1839, prayer having been offered by Rev. S. S. JOCELYN, Mr. ScOBLE was introduced to the assembly by ARTHUR TAPPAN, Esq. chairman of the meeting, and stated that he should prefer, that instead of making an address, questions be put to him that would elicit any information of which he might be possessed. Mr. Scoble adduced facts to show that the planters, as a body, were never in so flourishing circumstances as now. Very many of them have paid off their mortgages, and made improvements on their estates. He then read an interesting passage from the Jamaica historian, LONG, and documents furnished by the House of Assembly at Jamaica, giving a disastrous view of the island before emancipation, and contrasted it with the appearance at the present time. One of the gentlemen from Jamaica then said, he admitted that they did make excellent crops of sugar and coffee in 1838. Some one then asked about the comparative value of estates previous and subsequent to emancipation. Mr. Scoble replied that the value had increased from ten to fifty per cent in different colonies. He stated that a Mr. Allen, of Barbados, became alarmed, and sold his estates for £27,000 sterling, and soon afterwards repurchased it for £30,000 sterling. Indeed, said Mr. Scoble, the lands now will sell for as much as both land and slaves would bring under the system of slavery. A question was then put relative to the moral character of the negroes since emancipation. Mr. Scoble went on to state that the number of prisoners, in the jails, had greatly decreased from 1836 to 1839, that almost all those confined for capital offences were white men, that the offences committed by the negroes were generally petty assaults on each other; that there had not been one conviction for any assault by a negro on a white man since emancipation! He proceeded to remark that now marriage was sanctioned by law, and was “honorable in all." A great improvement had taken place, in this respect, among the whites as well as blacks. That during his whole tour through the British West Indies he had not met with a single planter who said he was willing to return to the old system. He said he would appeal to the gentlemen from Jamaica now present, if he were incorrect. They both exclaimed, "certainly not." (Great applause.) A planter of great respectability in Barbados, told Mr. Scoble that he remembered the time when he thought he would be doing God service if he had put a pistol ball through the brains of Wilberforce or Buxton; but that now he could go on his knees and clasp theirs, and bless them for the abolition of slavery. VICTORIA REGINA. My Lords and Gentlemen:-" It is with great satisfaction that I am enabled to inform you, that throughout the whole of my West Indian possessions, the period fixed by law for the final and complete emancipation of the negroes has been anticipated by acts of the colonial legislature, and that the transition from the temporary system of ap. prenticeship to entire freedom, has taken place without any disturbance of public order and tranquillity. Any measures which may be necessary in order to give full effect to this great and beneficial change will, I have no doubt, receive your careful attention.-Speech to Parliament, Feb. 5, 1839. It is with great satisfaction, I inform you, that I have concluded with the Emperor of Austria, the King of the French,* the King of Prussia, and the Emperor of Russia, a treaty for the effectual suppression of the slave trade, which, when the ratifications shall have been exchanged, will be communicated to Parliament.-Speech Feb. 3, 1842. * Postponed JEAN PIERRE BOYER. The President of Hayti has received, with your letter of the 10th of October last, the different publications that you have sent him. His Excellency congratulates you on the perseverance with which you have pursued the work of abolition of slavery. The warmest desires of philanthropists accompany you in this difficult enterprise, and the President of Hayti doubts not that this holy cause will conclude by obtaining the triumph it merits. I seize, sir, this occasion of assuring you of the particular desire I entertain for the success of your glorious work, and renew the expression of my high esteem. B. INGINAC. Letter to B. Lundy, Nov. 17, 1836. SIMON BOLIVAR. I beg as fervently of my country as I would for the lives of my children, that you will never consent that clime, or color, or creed, should make any distinction in your republic.-Address to the Senators of Colombia. Legislators! Slavery is the infringement of all laws. A law having a tendency to preserve slavery, would be the grossest sacrilege. Man to be possessed by his fellow man!-man to be made property of! The image of the Deity to be put under the yoke! Let these usurpers show us their title-deeds!-Address to the Legislature of Bolivia and Peru. "This distinguished man, who was second to none for patriotism and political philanthropy that the last dozen centuries have produced, is no more. He has left an example worthy the imitation of all slaveholders of every country and clime. "In addition to his great and untiring efforts to break the chains of clerical and political bondage that oppressed his countrymen, he acted the part of perfect consistency in using his influence for the enfranchisement of the African slaves, who were there reduced to abject servility. We have been informed that, in the early stage of the Colombian revolution, he emancipated from 700 to 1,000 slaves; and that he strenuously and successfully urged the total abolition of slavery by the government. Since his death it is stated that he has freed 150 more by will, who were still held by him, and who probably preferred remaining with him while he lived. "BENJAMIN LUNDY." |