The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-06-02 00:00:00

(Ilea, bear.) I do not say that they misrepresent, but they do not
tell all that occurred, and I say that the omissions are vary materiel.
Among the questions suppressed, are questions called by the
lawyers leading questions, which are considered more in the shape
of suggestions thrown out to the witness, than as his answers—
they lead him to the answers. The report before the Ileum., and
Ithat which I hold in my hand, are different ; for I find in various
place, that questions evidently pm to the witnesses. are given, not
I m questions, but as if they bad been their answers, The whole
proceedings, particularly th to the reception of the evidence, are
highly irregular. I allude now more particularly to the receiving
hearsay evidence. All such evidence has long been rejected in all
one tribunals, civil and military ; but on the trial of Mr. Smith,
I the Court heard hearsay evidence, three or four deep. Some of the
I questions were, not as to what the witnesses saw or heard them-
! selves ; and several of the answers were, I heard such a one
tell such • one, that such a one had said or done so and so.
In the evidence that was sub.nitted on every point of the charges.
hearsay evidence was admitted in support of the prosecution, al.
though such evidence was carefully excluded in every part of the
' defenee.• In the minutes constantly were to be found such ques-
tions as—" lion do you know ?" To which the answer was—
" Because I heard so." (Hear, hear.) One person heard it from
anodic:, who heard it floe is third and a fourth, but in all the im-
portant parts of the accusation. such testimony was alone advanced
Ito substantiate the charge against him. I would beg leave next to
o refer to the evidence that had been given on the trial respecting
(euemina, in order to chew that in almost all instances hearsay evi-
dence was resorted to. and that this person, who stood so heavily
charged with the revolt, was in truth active in suppressing it. The
evideece I here allude to is that of Mr. Stuart, who, in the course
of his examination, was asked by the Court, " Who were the most
active of the insurgents on Plantation Success ?—Richard was the
most desperate character I have seen there. Befry was very active.
Jessamin, and all those who have been tried, except Quamina and
Jack, whom I did not see do any harm ; they were keeping the rest
back, and preventing them from doing me any injury.—Was not
Quamina a reputed leader in the revolt ? I heard he was such,
but I did not see it.'' Nor was reputation at first hand alone re.
quiehe ; imputation and distant insinuation at a fourth or fifth were
admissible, and gladly accepted. And even when this failed, the I
witnesses were examined as to their belief. fancy, anything that'
could support the mint remote suspicion. These instances oecurreol
frequently on the direct examination, but they were found stet 1
, more frequently resorted to on the cross-examination. The eve '
' dean so far might perhaps be supposed to derive a tinge from the ,
opinions of the prisoner, as some of the witnesses might be sup-
posed to be under the influence of his doctrines, The Rey. Mr.
Atrain, however, to whose evidence I shall now refer, could not he I
supposed to Sc lender such influence, as he was a clergyman of the
Established Church. On being called on for his evidence, he ob.
jected to be examined, on the ground that he was • member of a
I Board of Inquiry appointed to inquire into the causes aril circum-
stances of the revolt, and was consequently unwilling there to de-
pose on facts which may have Leen impressed upon his mind by
the statement. he may have heard before another tribunal. This ob-
jection, however, was metalled, and he was told by the Lord Chief
Justice the next day that tee Court had decided that he should give
evidence before it. and that he should not only give his personal tea.
timony, but also supply such information as he taut have arrived at
in his capacity an a Member of the Board of Inqutry." On bein;;
asked, " Have you conversed with any of the negrnea during tee re-
volt, with referencie to it, tip to the present time ?" His answer was,
" Yes, I have. Did any of these neeroes ever inaidiate that their
misfortunes were occasioned by the prat:ma's influence over them,
or the doctrines tatieht them ?—I base been sitting for same time
as a Member of the Board of Inquiry ; the idea occurs to me, that
eircumatances have been detailed there !igaieet the prisoner' but.
*never to myna(' individually, in my ministerial capacity." This
again was chaneterktie of the nature of the evidence by which this
unfortunate gentleman was "mailed. And here let me remark on
the injustice that was done him, by the very composition of the
jurisdiction before which he wee arraigned. Not that it can be int.
puted as • blame to the prisoner to have objected to that jurische-
lion, for he had roe the benefit of counsel; he was trepanned to
plead before it, and thereby acknowledged it at least tempanrily.
But had I been his counsel, or had he had the benefit of advice,
would I not have objected to so monstrous a proceeding ? Would I
not have challenged the legality and justice of a jurisdiction Com-
posed of persons before whom twenty.fire or thirty persons had
been before tried, on thin very transactions of which the prisoner
stood acensed ? Aconlil I not have protestal against proceedings,
where the prisoner was called upon to reply to charges, the nature
and extent of which, the very moment that he heard than. that
moment was he called upon to reply to them and vindicate hie in-
. nocence ?—(hear, hear)--charges too sustained only by vague
hearsay rumour, or by extorted confessions; and in referring to
, the fact of these confessions being extorted, I will call the atten.
, tion of the House, in the first instance, to the deposition of the
negro Paris, and to the after-contradiction of that deposition, when
, the object for which it was made proved fruitless and unavailing. '
This negro was himself convicted of crimes punishable by death fort
the pert he had acted in the revolt, and thonght he could have re-',
course to no better way of saving himself than by impeaching Mr.
Smith. It was worthy of remark, that although he had so impeach-
ed him, yet that the story be told was so improbable—the tales he
invented were so ntterly wild and impossible, that the tribunal that
tried hint did root even venture to allude to than. A =angst many other
very improbable things that this man told, he said. that on the morn.
ing of the day precding the revolt, Mr. Smith took them out ; that
. he gave them the sacrament. partook of it himself; exhorted them to
be of good heart, and not to fear, for that they ought to be free.
, (Hear, hear.) He also stated, that Mr. Smith then asked, if they
took the country if they would do him any harm ? To which they
replied they would not. Yet, in another part he states that 3'r.
Smith, in the event of the success of the insurrection, was to be
. made Emperor, and Mr. Hamilton, the manager of an estate in
, the island, was to be made General. Here then was Mr. Smith
at one moment renrescnted as supplicating for safety, and at
, another as the ringleader of the revolt, with the promise of being
male emperor as his share in the spoils of success: so that if the
general character of his testimony was not such as to render it in-
r credible here, it was destroyed by a species of felo-tfe-re in the
'absurd and contradictory statements it contained. The tales of
Sandy the other negro, who had been an acconiplice, were equally
incredible, and they were so proved by the acknowledgment
that he made previous to the execution of the modem of per-
, snood safety that prompted him to make them ; and asstill stronger
proof of this impossibility of their truth, it would he found in not
slating to bring them forward, and in the silence in which it had
been sought to cover them, and bury them beneath the earth under
which they had laid him and his accomplice% (Hear, hear.) But
although in the printed trial these depositions were not adverted
to, yet am I furnished with extracts from them. On the 13th of
:dim& a letter was written by a person resident in the Island, and
although I do not here mention his name, yet he referred with con-
' fidence to a gentleman (31r. Austen) who would be ready to super-
', add his testimony in support of the accuracy of the statement it
, contained. Mr. Austen was not a Methodist, nor a Sectary, and
: therefore may be presumed to be free front those prejudices or
partialities which such a person might be supposed to have
. Imbibed. He was a Minister of the Protestant church, Chaplain
to the Government at George's Town, Hemmen, and Curate of
a congregation, consisting of 77,000 natives and three or four
thousand Englishmen. This. I am desirous of stating, with
t a view of removing any prejadice that may remain on the
subject of Missionaries, by whom alone, after all, if these
persons are to be taught, they must be instructed. This letter,
, which was dated the 13th of March, detailed the circumstances
which took place at the execution of these men—set forth the
motives that prompted them to make the accusation they did
against Mr. Smith. and stated they retracted the testimony they
had given against him. and were induced to give that testimony in
consequence of a promise held out to them, that in consideration
of it their lives would be spared to them. And this declaration
they made on the New Testament, and at a time when there could
be no interest in concealing: it was made, too, before Mr. Austen
and many other trustworthy persons, who would be ready to
sustain it in evidence. And it would further appear that Mr. Smith
was marked out for a victim, for in the instructions given to one of
:hese unfortunate men, they were directed to say nothing
against Jack, for that they might save him too. Oa the
trial of .lack, after he had been convicted, he admltsed
that he knew nothing of Mr. Smith being engaged in the revolt,
but what he had heard from others, and that the revolt arose from
a feeling that prevailed, that they (the negroes) were equally en-
titled to freedom with their masters. At the close of the trial he
threw himself on the mercy of the Court, admitted his guilt;
and expressed gratitude for the humane treatment he had met
with. This was the genuine language of the prisoner, and the
proper course pointed out to him, by his Counsel, to pursue. But
a gentleman who was particularly active in these proceedings,
whose name r will not mention, but whoa inserfermos, I will say,
does him very little credit, recommended that there should be
added, that the negroes were iostigated to insurrection by many
. parts of the Scriptures that were read to them ; and further stated,
there would be no revolt if no Methodist had come among them.
(Hear, hear). Now, really this was strange language furs savage
to make use of. (Hear, hear.) What an insight he must have
had irto the causes that created riot and rebellion amongst a
people, and how his savage soul must have expanded to qualify
him to be a tutor and instructor on such subjects. It was truly an
• admirable specimen of the good effects of prison discipline.
(('beers and laughter.) From utter ignorance he eudderly is ena-
bled to embrace the most enlarged philosophical and general views.
I bonder he did net add, or wes not mottle to add, that it was very
improper to taste of knowledge, unless one drank deeply of its
fountain, and that the well-known adage was not introduced, that
. a little learning was a dangerous thing." (Applause, and loud
laughter). It was to be wondered at how all these new lights of
science suddenly opened on the mind of the unenlightened negro.
Nevertheless, these Missionaries were taxed with rearing certain
pieware of Scripture, and nice distinctions were taken as to
the half constructions given to them, and the dangerous objects to
which these texts were made applicable. After commenting on the
impropriety and unfairness of putting such sentiments into the
mind of the prisoner, the lion. Member proceeded to advert to the
treatment of the Court towards Mr. Smith on his defence. Although
hearsay evidence had been admitted soil courted on the part of the
prosecution. yet when the period for the prisoner entering on his
defence arrived, he was informed by the Court and the Judge-Ad-
vocate that there would he a cessation (he meant only a temporary
one) of hearsay evidence in future (bear, hear); and nothing
nutlet be admitted in evidence that was not warranted by the strict
rules of evidence. This was lino shown in the examination of the
Rev Mr. Elliot. The question that was put on the part of Mr.
Smith was certainly an illegal one, but it was not in any degree ap-
preaching the illegality of ninny, and almost all the questions and
answers that were proposed and admitted on the part of the prose-
agent. Nor was the roojection of illegal questions alone adopted.
Every question was refused by the I 'ourt that could tend even by
construction to vindicate the prisoner's innocence; and the House
would thus see in the ^conduct of the Court and the Judge-Advocate
that every thing that was irregular in law, that was grievous in the
infliction of wrong, and that was gross and oppressive in injustice,
was resorted to and sought after, et a third and a fourth hand hear-

liaT ?Mutat/mit to clime down this unfortunate primmer, and Mark
him out fora victim. (Cheers) All the decorumsef justice were
abandoned in his reeve'. After all the irregularities of law were
exhausted
against him, he was denied the right even of adducing
evidence on parts that contained the very marrow and essence of
the charges of which he atop! acct l• The principal charge
against him WWI that of not communicating
to the Government the
knowledge he was supposed to possess of an approaching instirree.
lion in the island ; yet upon this point was he not permuted to give
fair evidence, with which he was prepared toprove his ignorance of
such an intended event. This it was that completed the oppres-
sions that had been ieflicted neon him. Yet (and the House
should hear this well in mind) on tile cromnexamination of the
prisoner's witnesses hearsay evidence was re-admitted, and on the
very day following that on which the strict rules of evidence were
en strongly enforced in regard of the prisoner, the Court itself pet
Etch a quoit inn an this, " Were you told that plenty of people
were there that day ?" meaning the day preceding the revolt. Con-
verogiens with the wife in the absence of the huebend were referred
to; and no insinuation was too vague or remote to he deemed mad-
mineable against him ; whilst the questions that hemit, and a%
anxious to press, were rejected, although the fact of their haying
been pass and Tejected wan not to be found in the report of the trial,
garbkd by authority, which was now in the pussesaton of the
House. Some of them were rejected. because they were not tip-
proved of by the prosecutor; some, because it was alleged that they
related to dangerous things; sonic twin, because they contained
too strong a sentiment, or did not agree with the sentiments of those
who tried him ; in short, there was ere pretence left untried tostifte
and suppress the fair investigation of the use of this unfortunate
man. Amongst other charges, vaguely preferred against him, was
that of not adverting, in his lectures to his congregation, sufficiently
often to the New Testament, but in selectiag his leatione from the
Old Testament. In adverting to this chair. and not thrush
fissional pedantry, but with a view of expinining and ellietalattng
his conduct in that respect, he was interrupted and prevented from
citing passages of Scripture before the Court, and was gravely told
by the highest autieiritt , that it was unnecessary for him to cite
the Scriptures, as eve-v member of that Court was supposed
to be eufficieutly acquainted with them. (Laid laughter.)
He would that their conduct in this event proved the supposi-
tion true. (Bear, hear.) The teat which it had lees said
he selected for promoting the poplar attributed to him, was,
" And when he was ewe near he beheld the city, and wept over
it, saying, it' thou hadet known—even thou, at least, in this thy
day, the things which belong unto thy peace ! but now they are
hid from thine eyes." What ran the evidence of Mr. Austen
with regard to these texts ? It was thin." Will you have the good-
+ ness to look st the 41st and SM egress of the 19:h chapter of
Luke, and say whether you consider that an improper text for a
sermon ? I (Onside? it one of the moatbeautiful texts in Scrip-
ture.—!lave you ever taken these two verses, and preached from
them as a text? I am sorry to say I have not.—ls not the text
very often preached from ? 1 believe so. The passage is very
frequently introduced in sermons, and I believe I have introduced
them myself."—Thin was the testimeny of Alr. Austen himeelf,l
a Minister of the Established Church of this country; and if I
he was desirous of promoting the purposes of sedition attributed
to him, were these the presages he would hare selected ? It
was not a title remarkable that, on the very evening of the
day on which Mr. Smith preached on the foregoing text,
Mr. Austin read, as he was obliged to read by the Uniformity
Act, a lesson for evening 'mica, in which was to be found
the following passage from Ezekkl :—" Son of man, when the
land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I
stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the stair of the bread
thereof and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and
boast from it. Thotigh these three men were in it, ns I live,
with the hoed, they shall deliver neither eons nor daughters ;
they only shall be delivered, but the land shell be desolate." It
Was not a little singular that at this time the number here men-
tioned in the text corvemponded ter-the number of ministers then
there--the Reverend Mr. Austen% Mr. Rae, and the unfortunate
Mr. Smith. It remains to speak of the charges preferred against
Mr. Smith : they are four in nuankss; their substance is already
before the Ileum. Of these, one of the charges is properly divis-
ible under two heads—the aetret promntion of previous discontent.
and instigation of the people to revolt. To this is appended
another, which is consequence of it, if the first be sustained, that
he did not communicate the existence of that discontent to Govern-
ment. Three things were necessary to support this charge—the
revolt, his knowledge of that revolt, and his conemlment alter he'
had arrived at the knowledge of it. Of the two latter propositions
no proof was to be found ; and whatever positive evidence appeared I
went rather to spew that he endeavoured to dissuade them from,
than instigate them to, rebellion. The Honourable and !.earned'
Gentleman here again adverted to the proclamation of martial law,
and complained of the illegality of trying 31r. Smith under that
law, although the acts he stood charged with were said to be corn- I
matted, some of them two, and others six days before the procla li
-
mation. He had been accused of pot seizing Qearnina in his house
the day before the revolt. But what was his answer? It was
• natural one—" Look at this worn-out frame—look at these
whithered hands and feeble person. and say, could I succeed in
Pelting a negro in the prime of life and fullness of youthlial vigour ?"
Then comes that Court. and, with its headlong proceeding, it de-
termine to put down this poor missionary, and to chew to Niue
missionaries the dangers attendantb,oo the lintrucion of African
slaves; and is the absence of pesalee for pmesehing the Word
of (lath, did this Court con eign-him to he hanged by the neck uotil
his body was dead. (Hear, hear, hear.) At about six o'clock on
Monday evening—rumours might have been previously afloat—the
missionary discovered the extent of the revolt. There had on that,
as on former nights, been a coming backward and forwa.-d of the
negross, for the purpose of ascertaining what lead LOAM out for
them from England—to investigate the truth of a report, which, as
I have already stated, reached them, that the King of Great Britain
was their friend, and that the Parliament of this country MO given
them freedom. This report lied been circulated from quarters that
must have entitled it to the be,lief of the 'tepees. One of the Go-
vernor's own slaves reported, that he heard it spoken of at his mu-
ter's table. Another slaveof Bret Capt. 31acturk, one of the greatest
enemies of the prisoner, had corroborated tl.is statemeat. They had
also received the same information from a kept woman (so she was
mosteorrectly described), the lawn]] property of the Governor. They
hod anxiously enough been engaged in investigating the truth of
them reports, but any thing more than suspicion that that should
happen which Mr. Smith held neat to impossible, and almost
raculout that it had not happened before, never passed across his
mind; and he would have barn greatly to blame had he given way
to the
.promulgation of vague suggestions, and not contented him-
pelf with waiting for and then making known the actual existence
of this rebellion. (Hear, hear.) But on that evening, half an hour
before the commencement of the revolt, he did make that ecotone'.
mention, and for that half hour only could he have been guilty of
misprision—but it is new to me—l have not yet heard it stated
it is true I am illiterate in all the anomalous proceeding of this
dispassionate trial,—but I think misprision no capital offence
(cheers), and had Mr. Smith been tried here at bar before four
of the most reverend Judges in the land, after that trial, which would
have been conducted with decency, with calmness, with the impartial
watehfulnest of the Judges, and with their attention fixed just as
anxiously on the interests of the prisoner, nay, much more atteu
tively, I should have said, had bethen been convicted of concealing
the levying war against the King and his Parliament, the utmost
possible visitation of the law could not amount to a capital offence;
and yet these people, anxious to crash this missionary, but vacil-
lating between their narrow policy and their prudent fears, dared
not send him to execution. 'Pun they recollected for the first dine
a precept in that Gospel to which Mr. Smith, in his defence, re-
ferred, and with which they professed so intimate an acquaintance,
that they deemed these allusions or the missionary not merely un-
necessary, but impertinent: then, however, they remembered that
he that sheds man's :loud by man shall his blood be shed (cheers);
for if that sentence had been carried into execution—if they had
dared to lift their hands against his life, those hands would have
been stained with murder, and they who perpetrated 'taunter must
have died the death of murderers. (Ilen, hear, hear.) I have
now alluded to this transaction in nearly all its bearings ; I have
referred to, and I hope esteblished, that in hitiyient_ idle ality,
in injustice in the manner in which it was accomplished, this trio:
is flutelike:ea-I trust inimitable ; but I own that all funnel aggro.
rations fade and come to nothing when I consider that most re-
markable of all peculiarities in this very singular proceed ieg—the
recommendation of Mr. Smith to mercy. (Cheers.) If lie WAS a
guilty man, as they pretend, why this recomniendation ? What
Was the guilt of the half-instructed nesroes compared with his
guilt ? t Hear.) He who, as they say, had deliberately, I say, if
at all, insanely, excited their ignorant minds to rebellion, and who
caused the shedding of so much blood, and yet he was the only
person recommended to mercy. ((sheers.) I have said a word
as to the other sufferers; though many have paid the for-
feitura. their crimes remain still in doubt. I would fain
hope that all the other sateen obtained it fair and impartial
trial. I trust it may be found that greater strictness prevailed
in these trials than in that to which I have adverted, which
was little more than an arena for the display of political and
religious feelings-if mil/ions they can be termed, which would
zealously destroy the miosionary, and banish instruction fruits those
dark and benighted regions. (Hears. These are nay sincere hopes.l
While, however, I own that the pursing necessity of usuig the
strong hand, and striking an example at all attempts at issithortli.
nation, it is still to be hoped that no more blood was shed titan the
absolute necessity of deterring by example required. How many
have fallen lt Three 'shim lives were lust. Ido not trientitm this
to undervalue the danger ; I only allude to this circumstance furl
the lake of contrasting this revolt with former rebellions, and thus :
vindicating the teaching of the Missionaries ftoin that which had
most unjustly been ascribed to it_-the causing of this revolt.
Upon this subject I am not relying upon my own oloir.ion.I
I speak on the authority of Mr. Austen, a chaplain of the Este-
blialted Church, and his letter states, " I feel no hesitation in de-
claring, from an intimate knowledge of r.ll the circumstances, that
nothing but those religion* itnpressions which, under ?residence,
the preaching of Mr. Smith bad effected, stopped the dreadful ef-
fusion of blood, and staved the live of those persons who are now
seeking his." (Cheers.) Mr. Austen further stated, that the wishes
of the megrims were confined to what they termed driving (but not
in a sense by which personal violence was implied) the planters into
the town. Their lives, said the negroes, we will not take, for we
cannot give life, and we have been told that it is not right to take
away that which we cannot give." (Cheers.) These were their
words, and while I admit that this unlawful combination was an
set of such impropriety that it was most fitting at once to check it,
still there could be no doubt that an cstiision of blood, certainly not
justified by apparent circumstances, hutt followed this revolt.
When it was considered that two hundred persons hail fallen
in the field, that twenty were subsequently shot, it must be
ackr.owledged that the example was tolerably striking. Then came
the trials, and up to September there were Si trials; a very eonsi.
derabie number were hanged, but others were punished, and with
unexampled severity. One dam was sentenced to 1.000 lashes and
one year's imprisonment 1 a second to receive 909 lashes and eight
months' imprisonment; and a third to receive $OO lashes. The
first man received the extent of his sentence as fir an the flogging •
was concerned ; the second received but 0110, and the third MO

lashes. (Hear.) Now, 1 mutt be permitted to Nay, (het in then (Mr. W. if would ask, Was it necessary for a mission-e-, to
cases there appears to me to hate been agood deal of ill-judged act ea Mr. Smith had done, to avoid asking any nuestions in"s•iter
and unnecessary seventy, and that this severity, was colculated dist he might deprive himself of all responsibility ? If so, ies
rather to angment than to diminish the general intecurity. But thought the fact would do more injury to the mi.sionary
what war all this intrude! entopared with that likely to grow out cause than any thing else could possibly do. Air. Smith hail Mtn
of the policy of tit' Governor. who, on the very find interview i stated in the later that " the proceedings were quite crusty Li
with Mr. Smith, told him to beware of reading the Bible to the t the religion lie professed, and that he hoped those to whom he mine
negrnet, to he rnotinot how he presumed to inttruct them, since the , souls" have reselling to fin with them." But this he conic ttei
moment lee discovered such teaching. he would tend him off the I toped that 31r. Smith must have known something eonenija
g
Ostend. (Chews.) When I find such doctrine as this, which nrigi- , measures of a revolutionary nature; and proves that at the penal
noted not in an Innglith but in a French Wald. which prevailed in I he wit ocimainteti with the movements which would eventiebe
'St. Domingo it-mimed, to the unspeakable calls:oleic+ that MO I , lent to insurrection; yet he kept this knowledge to himself, alit
'that c 'lone—when I have that doctrine derived from more of the 1 this placed himself in a erinfir,al Aituntion. If the House did sot
shiest colonial writers of the French school, who dtoon need with I think, lifter all the proofs which had been adduced, that Mr. Smith
considerable eloquence upon the propriety of keeping the torte in 1 bud aoy intercourse with the parties concerned in the insurrection,
ignorance iii that colony, upon the absolute necessity of preventing i then they moat conceive the prise vt:ings of the courtonarthe were
them from singing psalms, anal who proceeds in this way:—o• No Ino justified; but it %vele be the cuotrary if it were proem teat
longer are such things permitted here : we never allow two slaves to lit had been prepared, by habits and feelings of enthutiasin, to
separate front the gang' (a eireumlocsitioy phrase for ma-riage), : act ..; it was awned he hail done. He (Mr.W. Horton) knew
but we permit them to be baptised twice or three time:" joist as I that enthusiasmoften proceed:it from good motives, but it was only
they would inoculate them twice or thrice to make sure of contagion, net-o'er, to look to the as. and to ask, was Mr. Smith coronet
• provided they paid for it (a laugh) ; and so I float one of our own I of the intent of those who planned the insuereetino, and, being en
Hon. e ('d r,ll', e;nit.V (.3111,i.tet ranuon,
o wnam aLt
i at
which
t n the
owt,
minister., imitating with mom suspicious accuracy, the doctrine of did he neglect to give notice of it the proper authorities ? refit it
the Fetich economist, exclaiming against the obvious imleconey of I route' he proved that the irstierection ntight have been motored
I calling their naves `• brothers." and asking where but io larthel , Ist• the interference of Mr. S olio, he naturally heroines more elm
Chapel could tocii appellation, be heard, addressed to such Mtwara. I responsible t.er,,,
, iltatore4t.itihtse
,
ii
ISo then our tticklert for the F. tablialted Church can find no such I Pennon
re
phrase as " dearly beloved brethren," except in a ditooting i that a number of blades were terse'!, although scarcely any pro.
chapel. This one eircuniatanee clearly shows how constant in at- i perry was destroyed, and no live of the white voluntarily sarrinetti,
tendency, at his own church. was this redoubtable champion or I ()n the latter topic lie would refer to the erunination °CM o. Woo
Plotestentism as it Is found in the Estaislished Church. Well. I deem, p. 22. of No.:. She gate. that on the Ist day ot Omens.
but this writer seems to imagine that a necessity 'should be imposed i her, 1823. time heard the moon of guns, and the noise of peroyo
on all missionaries coming there to declare their plans. and they i breaking into the hove. Ile was anxinue tri notice her conduct on
should not be permitted to enlighten the slaves until it was clearly I this occasion. because he did not think that history furnished a
I shown that by such inntrnction no encroachment would be male:Hl ! more hitt-teeing or heroic anertlote than that of this woman. She
their privileges. How little do these people know of " the drier. ! snid that the looked nut of the window and taw the slaves who end
'pertaining to their IMAM." They, no doubt, thought it crough :collected round the home. They r.litteeet to her, and rid, •• Leo
to endure the perils of an inauspicious climate. WO it not' at that woman ; let us flee at he,. They did fire, and sounded
enough, they exclaimed, to die cut oft from all alliance' liar twice. She then 'Menem/red to go down, but a gave. her so.
with their friends by the intervening ocean, but most we in ; 'Alf, era: her and booted her not to do so, saying, ' They kit
• addition to ell these trials have white men to contend with. I wounded Mr. Forbes. killed %Ir. Tucktr, and. I believe, m ma-
I who, joorneying from the peaceful Ebro to the fierier , tee also. whom I saw dragged along the ground." He (3h. %in
Corytantio. wield against us all the relit:ion of the Oid World, I Horton : would ask of those who AO imich pitied Mr. Smith, if
as well as all the paganism of the New ? (Hear, hear.) This was I there were not tome pity also to be felt for those unfortunate vie.
the feeling they entertained, but in this they were ignorant of ° the 1 time ? The slaves then entered. and presenting mama poach a
things pertaining to their peace." I therefore call upon Palls- her, said they difi not mean to kill her, but they wanted to have
mint to save them from the coonequences of their own ignorance: I powder. She asked them what they had done with her hatband,
mill upon them first for the take of the slaves to whom we owe a I and a person front the crowd said the: 31r. Waldren was not hurt
debt of irratitudr—teratittedf• for the ill-treatment we to long 1 They gave low leave to em, anti she taw Mr. Tucker's dead body
hare inflicted on then-but 1 ask it too on the part of the I lying on the floor, and it had been rifled of every chips; she
West indiaes themselves, whose fate is loaded ten thousand I thought she would take advantage of the oppoetunstr, and spotlit
fold, and approaches fasts- than tate itself. I deem this 'to their feelings of religion, in hope o that they might operate on
question interesting in itself--I deem it more important fmm them. They %aid they hail rot killed Mr. Tticker. but that he had
the state of aoelov to which it refers. I meatier it due to cut his throat, wines a man from the crowd showed the Art weirs
1 the eiaracter of this House. and consistent with its former which had caused he death. They Com raid that they bad been pre.
I nmeeedings—it is a duty it owes to the subject of this country. vented from receiving '.reir freedom which had been sent out tether.
1 however distant his settientent—to express its decisive, if it wee: Ile (Mr. W. thereat%) would say, that this 'attest eirearesonee
possible unanimous, disapproval of the whole of these proceedings. could rot be referred to any general principle, but to tare local
(Cheers.) I more you. Sir—(Hear, hear)—" That an humble cause. They then took her to the room where Mr. Forbes lay,
Adders be Presented to his Majesty, stating, that this Ileuse hay- who bad been severely wounded, and was in great agony. He said
ing examined the papers laid before them relative to the trial of to her. .s I with Wilberforce was here now to look at moo He
Mr. Smith, the missionary, they deem it their duty to declare, that (Mr. W. Horton) quoted this CXXC44O7I merely to row the effect
they have seen in that proceeding, with the deepest sorrow, a vim- that agony had made upon hi, mind. He had already said, that if
!anon of law and Justice; and they most earnestly pray that his enthustium were not remota!, it would lead to the most ruinous
3lajesty will be pleased to adopt such meant as shall prevent the ceonsequences. and that there woul.l be a prospect of nothing else;
repetition of such injostice." but he would exclaim against the ides that lel gone through the
3lr. W11.310T !HORTON observe!. that the details into country, that toxemic the fate of Mr. Smith hol been seeh as it
which the Urn. and learned Gentleman had entered, made it ne was, other niamionaries wereto anticipate similar arcumstancts,
cessary for him. in the Seat instance, to solicit a larger portion of He knew that it was impossible to conceive any instructions to be
the attention of the House, than, under other circumstance+, he better than those which were given by the Altimeter Society, but
should feel himself justified in requirleg. The papers to 'Mich he must protest wrest the feelings which held up Mr. Smith as a
the Hon. and Learned Gentleman had referren proceeded from the person not only pure in motive, but temperate anti cautious in ac.
Colonial Offiee. The Hon. and loomed Gentleman commenced tion. He would not say that Mr. Smith wis necessarily obliged to
his speech by Alluding to the interests inseparably interwoven with go and criminate those whose pastor and whose friend he was, but
I the Lase then before the House, and he had attributed a considerable he would contend that he was Wood to go and state to the audio.
share of that interest to the Methodists. put the proceeding of cities that the slaves moldered them selves aggrieved, and to state
which the Him. Gentleman complained was not levelled against the the none mity for Oaving the police out. sod to be upon their guard
Methodists, nor against the Missionary Society generolly ; for had against what might happen. Vet Mr. Smith did nothing of all the.
Mr. Smith followed the advice given by the Society, lie would not Other lives were lost dories* the revolt; and to what, he would ask,
have fallen into those error of enthusiasm—not to call them by a wan it owing that the victims ores not more numerous, that the in-
i harsher name—into which he had most certainly been betrayed. eurrection slid not more widely spread? To what but the exertions
I The lion. Member stated, that the feeling in this House on the of those very officers who had been held up. as horrible, cruel, and in.
I resent question bore but a small proportion to that excited out of human persons. With respect to the eiminelity Of Mr. Smith, it
it. lie well knew what means had been taken to excite that feelir.g; rested between his Creator and himself, and it might remain so to
and on a former night, when a petition was tormented by the lieu. the end of the woad, but ahe had all the attributes of guilt there
1 Member for Knarehorough (Sir J. Mackintosh) on the subject, full was no reason against treating him as guilty. No one contended that
I nfmisstatements, he said, that when the proper time came le would there was the same Marty required in Como Martial as in common
point nut the inaccuracies, and he should do so before he concluded. law. He :Mr. W. Horton) had stated, that before he Mt down he
The Honourable and Learned Gentleman hail descanted upon the smut! Mier a few commentt on the petition which had been pre.
duties of a Missionary; but were times and circumstances to aented by the Honourable Gentleman, and lie hoped he should
make no alteration en the conduct of a preacher ? Let them not trepan to the attention of the Howie he so doing. The peti.
consider where nir. Smith wan. He landed on ID island where tine stated, that the rums of the insurrection were io no degree
the bartering in slaves was by law established; and how did connected with Mr. Smith, but were the result of the most peer
he demean himself ? I wish to think and speak of Mr. Smith as liar And unwarrantable cruelties airtime the slave population. He
nothing more at,: less than an enthusiast, en whose conduct, how. would challenge time llonotimhle Gentleman to prove this. The
ever, were clearly discernible all theattributes attendant upon cfiff slaves who planned the Insurrection were slaves in the confidence of
minality. Let them consider in what this charge on It their masters, who had been well fed and well pankred who had no
grew out of an alleged participation in a most alarming revolt, reason for complaint against then,—yet the petitioners state that
which very revolt involved a necessaro suspension of the law, they see in this cause sufficient to ameuntofer the effects. They
A court-martial was appointed ; and if et be proved, as the Hon. stated aho that special circumstances conneekd with the island of
and Learned Gentleman had argued, that there proved
been a departure Demerara made the duties of a missionary there peculiar) y arduous.
1 from the strict rules of evidence, he was not satisfied that justice was Bu he did not see how this bore upon the questitio. lie thought
on that account withheld from the prisoner. lie was not satisfied that, under all circumstances, a missionary had to learn very much
that a strict adherence to these rules was always re meaty. But to bear and forbear. It was stated in the petition, as a ground of
from what source did the lion. and Learned Gentleman derive his . complaint, that 3lr. Smith had been kept cheely in prison, but this
• information? (Hear, he.r.) would have applied to him as well under the civil as the mill.
Mr. ItitOUGHA 31—In the Report furnished by the Missionary tiny law. It was stated also that he had not been allowed the as.
society, certain ontistions-1 will not call them suppressions,—ut agree of an advocate to speak in his behalf, but this would not
the report of the proceedings
ordered by the Hour, are supolied, I have been the ease under the civil law ; and be had had the ad.
1
and to these I referred ; but the hearsay evidence, and what I ' vice of an advocate when an advocate could be most useful.
deemed at much mom objectionable than what in this country we Could any man living reed the evidence if Mrs. Waldronwith
, are accustomed to stigmatise with time title, is untintunately given any thing like impaniality, and say that the strongest feeling of
in the copy of the minute ordered by the House. (Cheers.) irritation was rot excited amongst she negroes ; and Wields, r it
Mr. 11011110 N proceeded. Ile did not believe that the her. had been said, was an insurrection carried on without violence, was
say evidence was mooted when offered by the prisnner. %Vas it it necessary that nits. IValthen should bare been shot at ? It had
not likely that a much more impor:iil trial would be obtained before been said that on Mr. Smith, an innocer t end unprotected indite-
& ('ours above the Wand prejudices than if Mr. Smith had been tried slue!, the Government had poured the full force of its wrath ; but
before the planters ue inhabitants of the place? The lion. and he asserted that it was not on Mr. Smith, as an innocent individual,
Learned Gent had adverted to the continuance of martial law, and that that which hod been described as wrath had been poured out
he had charged the continuance on the Governor. Now the fact was, upon him, but it had gone forth against him as a person who
that after the insurrection the Governor had addressed a letter to could have put a stop to throe outrages which had been committed,
Lord Bathurst, stating that such was the apprehension among the and which, so far front attempting to do, had done every thing its
whites, that an active militia and martial law must be continued. hit power to foment them. If that mats, Retooling to his own intern
The next fact he had to notice was, as to what extent the impala. pretanon of duty, had thought hillock right in thus acting, it wu
don were concerned in the insurrection • the numbers amounted, the duty of the Government to check his misguides! ad fanatic
more or less, to 13,000. All these circumstances considered, he zeal ; and if, as he thought had beat proved, the individual in
was atiVilleCti of the reality of the revolt. and of the reality of the question acted from opponte motives, the conduct of the Govern-
danger. lie had said that Mr. Smith must be pronounred by all sent was clearly isoiatol out to them, and they had acted against Air.
who examined his motives by his conduct, an enthusing ; but he S. as in his (Mr. 11.'S) opinion they were bound to do. He hoped
did not attach blame to bim for this, he only entitled to it, to shew that he had showed to the satisfaction of the HOUR, that the pai-
-1 that he was not the man the Missionary Society pointed hint nut Lion was inaceurate. But that was not the only objection to it ; for it
jto be; but an enthusiast both by habit and feeling, and one who was the parent of other petitions containing doctrines that it would
i could reason himself into certain things, or persuade himself that be most einconve.tient for missionaries to lay down. They ought
'he had better let them pass, and be left to the direction of Heaven ; to have been candid enough to allow that meprisinti of treason was
and therefore a dangerous person, who did not treat his flock as be involved in the doctrine he had maintained, and therefore what lig-
ought to have done. The whole of the eireamstances proved this, lowed was hot to be wondered at. 3lartial law, be could assure
and showed hint to be a man who, perhaps without dettriog it, was the Ilouse, was not continued for the base and vile purpose that
calculated to raise in the minds of the 'slaves principle% which had been attributed to it ; it was in operation at the time and was
might lead to danger. He (Mr. W. Horton) would particularly applied from that circumstance. He did not conceive that the
allude to those instances of his quoting from the Bible the passages House, according to the tenor of the lion. and Learned Gentle.
which speak of the children of Israel, and his chararseterising man's motion, could contemplate with sorrow the course that had
them as slaves. To consider Mr. Smith as an enthusiast, it rear been pursued with regard to Mr. Smith ; for the court martial was
necessary to refer to that journal, the reference to which bad been composed of honourable men, as indeed courts matial for the most
objected to by the Honourable Gentleman ()Ir. Broughani); and part always were; inr no men, generally speaking. had a nicer
'in which Mr. Smith observe, " I felt my spirit move within me at tense of honour than thole Gentlemen whose duty it was to sit on
the sorrows of the slaves, and I hope that God will briag them out them, and if the Judge Advocate mistook his duty on that Cleta.
of their trouble." And then adds that" he thouont it his duty to sion, that circumstance did not affect Smith. The question for de
state openly his opinions relative to the slaves, but feared lest it consideratitm of the Dore wax, whether substantive justice had
might criminate him and not relieve them." And he afterward, been done to Smith, whether it was meant by the Greenman to
adds, in allusion to the Governor, that " he seems to do all he cam to I afford him that substantive justice, and whether the decametres
keep down the slaves, but he shall not if I can help it." It 1322, jot' the teeny did not require the coorse that had been pursued with
,he gates, that "if the slaves were more enlightened, they would 'meal to Solidi. The close of the resolution, which referred to
be better treated." Butt in 1821, he saes, that he " lenpol Mr. I the better administration of the law, no man could object to; and
Canning's plan would never be carried into effect." Ile (Mr. IV. , the object of the lion. anti beamed Gentleman only unticipated
I Horton) agreed with him on this latter topic, that the condition of . the intentions of Government, tisr measures had been adopted to
the slave population ought not to be mitigated, but abolished. To ! improve the administration of the Law, in the colonies, which be
this principle he would call the attention of the House: it was one ; hoped and believed would be attended with the tort beneficiali ti-
ed' speculation, and might be right or wrong, hut he contended that feces. Under all the circumstonees of the case, he could see no
it was a dangerous opinion to hold. lie believed, however, that goal grounds fOr the resolution of the lion. and Learned Gentle-
Isuch had been the opinion of Mr. Smith, with respect to inni- titan, and should therefore oppose the adoption of it by the House.
melon ; and that he was not prepared to agree with the principles The Honourable Gentleman sat down amidst laid cheers.
l'of the Society that sent him forth, hut took up ideas of his own on Sir JAMES M OCKINTOSII rose immediately and observed,
Ithis subject. lie (Mr. W. Horton) wished to establish this fact, • that if he had not been called mien by the Hoof Gentlennas oppo.
ias necessary to prove the enthusiasm of Mr. Smith. He would site, who had is the cowrie of hie mirth so repeatedly adverted to
, refer the House to page Mt of No. I, to the evidence of Colonel it, to defend the petition that he had had the honourto present—
, Reid. not as a proof ot the criminality of Mr. Smith, but to show that if' he had not felt it his duty to vindicate the character and
that all he did was in the same spirit. It was admitted, and he conduct of Mr. Smith from the 'aversions that had been thrcern en
(Mr. W. Horton) believed it could not be denied, that 3lr. Smith 1 both--he was anxious to bear Sits testimony ageing the most abo.
IS I laid it down as a rule that it .tS a culpable net to work oil mind:ere minable perversion of law that probably bad ever oceurod in any
(Hear, beer.) He would say that it wet the duty and intention of • carter. The Hon. lientleman had objected that the members of
oh i t •
Government. the pledge of the House of Commons, soul the we he London Missionary Society were not philosophers. By then.
of the people of England, that this Sunday labour should not be en. I he supposed Ira% mennt that theowere not accurate reasoner,. But
couraged among the slave population, but in the state of the island from the mariner in which that Hon. 31enthr had, in his opinion.
of Demerara at the period alluded to, he contended that it was a failed in answering their reasoning, he should infer thee that Society
most inconvenient doctrine, and he thought that the miraieseary had no occasion to plead guilty to the cherge. The next objection
I should only have told them that he hotted a time would come when urged by the Hon. Mantic? was. that cruelty could not be the
it would not he nettemary to work on the Sunday ; but he had not I cause ot the insurrection, because the ringleader% were not the ob.
I, done so, and had thus made evident the state of his mind. Although , jeers of cruelty. That was perfectly reameileable, because the ring-
! many of the act% might have been Serial, yet they were impoetant leaders were& better sort of people gum there who had been Jested
las proofs on this latter fact, and also that hml
e was pnvy to the ono with such revoking toothy ; who feeling their wretched condition.
recteon at Ilernenua, and that, being privy to it, he did not call to , had taken charge of the insurrection, for the purpose of eiteicstirg
ofthethitFlit
it the attention of the proper authorities. (lumina, Itristal, and them greatly oppressed people from the thraldom under which that'
opfieofylebirnfie:ritoh:foutuelhadu
reiderara.f.beerenthrholion,saiu.id.t
jen...lthbit
others had stated, that they had a conversation with Mr.
itSthimGittothotiteheye. i laboured. The next charge that the Hon* able tient. had madam
Sunday before the insurrection broke out, when they said that they
m"
anwonoldird.riivler
juthgehamzaasorgersntro, ttenhatnotTleyTihnelylionincouanrabt
mbuwaA'ent upont
would strike for work, but he (Mr. W. Horton) would ask if et wilfully put to dual'.
I lie stated nistinetlo that no man had been
could be Roffman! that Mr. Smith, who knew the circumstance+ i unnecessarily put to death—that in the derence of the houses and
connected with their complaints, could have conceived the phrase posts which were required for the purpres of the ineurrection,
emanothenetiantOUth"CC'haedilbeii::
which had been repeated to mean nothing more than that they I Koons had lust their lives, but not at all through the wanton
would strike fur work ? Ile did not intend to say that they then I cruelty of the sup,- .rtesof it. General Murray entertained the
contemplated acts of bloodshed ,Or an endeavour to gain possession same opinion that benSir J. Mackintosh) held; for he stared. that in
of the island front its legal authorities', but he did say that they j one inatance where the Whites were on their pound. end defer-
then meant to oppose those authorities, and that such expressions; mined to defend it, two nut of three were killed. The
ought not to have been listened to from slaves. Ile would allude' London 3listionary Society had appealed cab Mr, %omen a cereal •
to page .11 of the evidence relative to the letter which had been ta. , man of the Chunch of Englartst,as to the -.*'
. of then state-
accuracy.
ken to ..Ir. Smith while in prison ; the letter stated that they wen went. Of that Gentlemen be would say, Heat his redact hid
all ready to act on the morrow, and that it was written by the con. dime honour to thit Church rich at it was in talents and in Oe, r
sent of several persons, who, it should be recollected, were the for his sense of justice was' m"
of the al- I description, his
leaders and supporters of the conspiracy which had been nursed practice bad been a cont. I''. ex fet .
every
moo course cf the purest virtue, and
I and matured, and which might have arisen from a belief that they anion I• 11 'on of his life C VISA markeil by sympathy for the unfortunate, and
were oppressed by those whom power was unlawful, and that they kindocestowartisan mankind, No name had
ndtvid
i eel that he could
I huh a right to wrest it front thou. Mr. Smith returns an answer done store.
to this letter, setting that the subject of its contents was unknown sphere of action, in order that he might become a model for his.
•to him, and that he had not time to consider it, but that he did not torten, to eulogise." 'I 'he Ihe Honourable Gentleman knew -, Non
wish to know anything relative to the information it creole:ed. He mete I& n scr " I .
..,. t was the universal testiniony of all who were