The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-02-07 00:00:00

THE WESD INDIA QUESTION.

The following excellent and judicious remarks were
' made by the Eroniiner paper, in its number of Sunday
last, on this important question. We recommend them
strongly to the attention of our readers; With few excep-
tions they are most excellent. Without cant or prejudice
' on either aisle, the Examiner takes a very just and im-
partial view of this great subject, and places it in its proper
• light. This paper, which writes sensibly on almost every
subject, views this important one of Negro Emancipation
most justly, and argues it accordingly with equal temper
and discrimination :
" The West Indian Proprietors dispute the claim of the English
Parliament to interfere in their local affairs; and certainly it is •
delicate matter, and one too which, after the example of North
Avnerica, the British Legislature should be very cautious in
meddling with. It may be true, that it is no pleasant thing for the
Government and people of England to contemplate the perpetuity
of negro slavery in colonies belonging to them, while the conse-
quent odium must attach generally to the British name; and this
eonsideratio renders only laudable an anxiety to fix a period foe
the termination of the disgraceful evil. But on the other hand,
I the grievance is a very old one, very difficult to remove, and de-
-1 mending the moat gentle and quiet remedies possible. Again, the
English themselves were the original sinners. The present slave-
' proprietors have inherited property from their predecessoca, in a
shape which it was neither their choice to have, nor in their power
to alter ; and these proprietors have a right to insist, that the
English shall not tashly endanger this property. Our Govern-
ment, besides, derives a considerable revenue from the enormous
duties on West India produce,--another reason for being very
careful not to put in jeopardy the titles and possessions of the co-
lonists. And after all, is the ease so very argent as certain sainly
pseudo-philanthropists would have us believe? Ate sot the neves'
well fed, well bussed, mixlevately worked, and grandly well taken
care of? We cannot, it is notorious, say the same of the Irish
peasants—nay, not or the British labourers or manufacturers.
true, there are, theoretically, civil rights belonging to the tenant of
an Irish log-bowie but honestly, does he know a sylbible about
' them 7 Or, if he did, could be practically derive the smallest be-
nefit from diem ? Would he be a jot less at the mercy of the
landlord and the magistrate? No: if an eolith:al truth be car-
• thin, it is—that to a massofpse* ii end dependence
the utast liberal theory a cavil4this were mockery they caw,
in fact, have little (tinny) better security for decent treatment than
the black shires have—gamely, their task-muter't sense of their
own interest.

• Are the Colonists altogather right then in the dispute with the
mother country ? Not so; fir in most of their speeches and rein.
lutions they treat all proposals for the gradual abolition of slavery
as • visionary' and • impracticable.' This position is false, and
dispaceful to them. The examples of Hayti, of the United States
of America, and above all, of Colombia, prove that the expects.'
lion of a final abolition is founded on experience and true policy.
Public opinion, the voice of Jostle* and Humanity, will operate
incessantly to this good end. The complaints of the Colonists
are strong—their retorts sufficiently cutting. They allege—
" I. That very scandalous falsehoods have been published in
England, respecting their treatment of the slaves. This we sin.
cerely believe. Cases of rare occurrence have bEen represented as
common practices, and anecdotes of superlative cruelty related as
Im:faeces instead of e.reept:oru—a too frequent mode of exaggerat-
ing horrors. We must subscribe to the justice of a remark mode
in one of the Jamaica resolothins—• That it is as unfair to judge
of the morality of the people of this island, from extracts taken
out of our Gazettes, as it would be to judge of that of the English
from the OGerrer newspaper, though, should that be the cue, we
should evidently possens agrest advantage
" 2. That the English Parliament has no right to make laws
affecting their property, sines that right can only exist in the
Colonial Assemblies, composed of their representatives. A ticklish
question, which the British Government would do well to pause
upun.
-" 3. That if the British Philanthropists want scope tor their
humane experiments, they might find plenty nearer itottie upon,
which they should at least first try their hawk it _t
say
the Jamaica planters, • have been mare eougtistent,yiti? eitadenti
and justice, had the British House of Continent tlVit tried,
effect of abolishing their press-gang, the whip in•fhlitt ,
navy, and of exemption of wpm= from punishment.;
themselves, before they attempted to recommend a, /ram to ne.
that would leave us destitute of all costrol over our neagrdai:' r.
Wilberforce must answer that himself—we cannot lattlet
for him.

.....
" i Encore as coup ! That the British 111Infittetk; sVhite de-,
riving large receipts and emoluments from the West Indian plapters,
have acquiesced in tho propositions of the Serials, from britOugb,
mongering motives, io order to preserve their Psrliltmeater, ma-
jority. A ton true account, we fear, of Ministerial tnothea r the,
Saints give their votes to Ministers, in order to pass Libel Am,.
Seditious Mania. Aces, Irish Insurrection AC'S, haealkiti
Conibinatims Laws, Revenue Acts, and all sorts of Menem to
grind the faces of their poor countrymen, and in recess demand
the support of Ministers for their proposition to better the condi,
tiun of human beings across the /Wan& What does this con.
.radiction prove? A marvellous zerl for humanity, where it eels.
nothing, and a wondrous leek of it, where its cornatent ezertise
would deprive its professors of sundry good Wags •goatzed out of
the unratural toil of the oppraiwadosapla.
•" To conclude—we should hylpsliamed of ea, if we could
Mlle to cherish the hops qiil4eaftaie garb= slaver in our
colonies ;we rejoice in Me asitm_pletif nano capidty displayed by
Hayti; we admire, more than all hi other liberal detts, the eet of
the f elornbian Republic which has enfranchisedlbe future children
of *Lives, and given abundant facilities for the manumission of
their parents; but we contemn these pretended zealots for hums-
: nity, who can overlook the flagrant wrongs and squalid misery of
millions under their own immediate care, and try to cam a Ppudous
reputation by searching out objects of sympathy, three thousand
notes ull Every plan for abolition should be of the most cautious
and gradual kind. The feelings and justice of mankind cannot
tail to operate in some degree upon the slive.pmprietors, and they
will doubtless be still more influenced to a co-operation in some
plan by their constant danger from their degraded labourers. It
has been proposed to compeisote the Blom owners; in other words,
to purchase their freedom fur the slaves, as a national messur ._a
mode which would reconcile all interests, and be truly worthy of a
country priding itself on its free notions, and anxious to wipe dut a
foul stain front its character. . .

In what we have said, we have not spoken of the natural rights
of the poor slaves themselves. It answers no practical purpose,
alas ! to talk of them ; yet if there were to be a general insur-
rection to-morrow, and every white were to be driven from the
West India islands, who could gainsay the right of the victorious
ncgrocs ? This is a point which all parties should constantly bear
in mind, and which should stimulate them all its the devising and
execution of a gradual abolition.
" The Colonists are doing themselves no credit by their persecu.
tion of the 3lethodists. At the moment they arc crying out for
protection for thrir own civil rights, it ill become* them to trample
on the religious rights of others. Heaven know*, we say this from
no affection to Methodist doctrines; we think it melancholy
enough that the poor negro should have added to his fear of the
cart-whip a dread of eternal fire but the that of all principles in
these matters is perfect religious freedom. The 3lissionanes are
as laudable in regard to the motives of their labours, as their right
to make converts by argument and persuasion is inherent and in-
disputable."