The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-30 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDA Y EVENING, DECEMBER 30, 1865,

THE JAMAICA INSURRECTION.

(REUTER'S EXPRESS.)
(From the Jamaica Guardian of Dec.ll)

The late George W. Gordon, the principal mover
to the bloody massacre in St. Thomas in the East,
was a coloured man. His father, who is still living
in Jamaica, was formerly the custos of the parish of
St. Andrew, the owner, in his o ,vn right, or that of
his wife, of a considerable amount of landed pro-
perty, and was besides a large planting attorney.
His son, George, who was intelligent and enter-
prising, picked up the rudiments of a• fair English
education; was assisted to commence business, suc-
ceeded, and became a merchant of some standing in
the community. When the great depreciation in
Jamaica property commenced in 1840, Geo. Gordon
then and subsequently bought a large number of
estates in various parishes of the island, in which
purchases, we believe, he was greatly assisted by
respectable merchants of London, Messrs. Grant
and Kemshead, and Messrs. Han ketel and Dubuis-
son. He was not a successful planter. Cultiva-
tion rarely succeeded under his management, so
that in time almost the whole of his sugar estates
were dismantled and some converted into grazing
pens for horned cattle, while others were allowed to
grow in ruinate. His business as a merchant also
declined, and Mr. Gordon became, to all appear-
ance, a poor man, having judgments for debts re-
corded against him to the extent of thirty or forty
thousand pounds, besides owing large sums to
parties, who knew it would be of little use to press
their claims against him. He was married in a re-
spectable family, and we believe took good care to
settle a large amount of property on his wife, who
survives him.

Gordon was always regarded as an eccentric man,
but exceedingly shrewd in business, and close in the
disbursement of money. He was for several years
professedly a very religious man, but must have
been a great hypocrite, for we know that by his
profesSion of religion and friendship he wormed
himself into the confidence of men—got obligations
from them in accommodation papers, which were
discounted at the Bank, and yet left them to lift
them, when he had other assets which he might
have appropriated to this purpose. As one proof
of his eccentricity, some years ago, he closed his
store for several days, leaving a placard on the
door to the following effect :
" In the name of the God of
Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob,
this store is closed for
three (or four days), for the purpose

lof the owner thereof engaging in fasting and
prayer for the sins of the land."
This was followed by a verse from Jeremiah,
9th chap. and Ist verse.
" Oh, that mine head were waters, and mine
eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day
and night for the slain of the daughter of my
people 1"
Few in Kingston, who knew Mr. Gordon, be-
lieved in the sincerity of his fasting and prayers,
and all looked upon the act as Pharisaical in the
extreme, indicating clearly that either Gordon was
a great hypocrite who wished to parade his good-
ness before the world, or he was a monomaniac in
some matters of religion.
It was well known in Jamaica that there was not
a worse paymaster on estates than Gordon—fre-
quently his people could not get their wages—which
should have been paid weekly—for two or three
months, and when he did pay, it was generally only
in part. Up till within the last few years he had
pretty extensive transactions with the Kingston
banks, and was noted there for not retiring the
discounted drafts on him when mature. He had,
however, a very plausible way with him—an
infinite amount of brass, and effrontery, and a
wonderful command of temper, so that it was a
most difficult matter to refuse, irritate, or insult
him. He had been brought up in , the Estab-
lished Church of England, but left it and became a
Presbyterian, next he connected himself with the
Independents, and about four years ago got bap-
tised by the Rev. J. M. Phillippo of Spanish Town.
Immediately after his baptism he commenced to
preach, in a temporary place, owned by him in
Kingston, the " Tabernacle," and when he went to
St. Thomas in the East, where he owned property,
he preached there in some of the native Baptist
chapels, and we believe, baptised, administered the
communion, and went the length of ordaining men
to preach and to baptise. During the so-called re-
vival in Jamaica, while passing through Morant
Bay, Gordon one day was heard to cry out at the
top of his voice " Fire, fire, fire," and when the
alarmed people ran out to see where the fire was,
they found him on his knees in the street praying
that he and others might be saved from the fire of
hell. Had Gordon been an honest man, we might
have regarded him only as a religious fanatic ; but
as we, and many in the community, knew him to be
grossly dishonest, he was considered by these as a
knavish hypocrite, who used religion as a cloak to
cover his bad traits of character and impose on the
credulous. It is said that in• recent transactions
with his own father, as regards Fontabelle
estate, he strove to defraud him, and even went the
length of lifting his hand against the old man, as
was proved before the magistrates. And yet after
these things he would, by the road-side or in the
house, take out his Bible and read it with apparent
devotion, and then engage in prayer and preaching.
Owning property in many parishes, Gordon was
made a magistrate in six or seven of them. Some
three or four years ago he complained to Governor
Eyre about the condition of the lock-up at Morant
Bay, and in course of the correspondence with his
Excellency so committed himself that his Excellency
deprived him of all commissions of the peace.
Rector Cooke, of St. Thomas in the East, and the
late Baron Von Ketelhodt, the custos, with several
magistrates of the parish, opposed Gordon in this
matter of the lock-up ; and since then Gordon was
violently opposed to Governor Eyre, Rector Cooke
and his family, the Baron Von Ketelhodt, and all
those who had crossed his path.
Gordon, about four years ago, got elected as
one of the Representatives of St. Thomas in the
East, for the House of Assembly, and was also
elected a churchwarden for the parish, though the
law distinctly stated that none but members of the
Established Church could act in this capacity.
Rector Cooke and others brought this case before
the Circuit Court, when Judge Cargill decided that
Gordon was disqualified as churchwarden, as he was
not a member of the Church of England. This was
shortly after his getting baptised by Mr. Phillippo;
but in spite of the decision Gordon persisted in re-
taining his office as churchwarden, and when the
custos, presiding at the vestry, refused to allow him
to sit and vote at the board, Gordon insisted on
speaking and acting as churchwarden. The custos
therefore ordered the police to remove him from the
board, which was done in a gentle manner. Gordon
subsequently brought an action against the baron
for assault and false imprisonment, which was twice
tried before special juries in Kingston, and in each
case decided against Gordon. He was, however, a
most obstinate and determined man—a kind of
mulish, knavish fanatic—and he, before the late
rebellion, again moved in the Supreme Court for
another trial in the case, which application had been
granted by the court.
When ejected as churchwarden, he got elected as
a vestryman, and was the head of a party of the
Vestry, violently opposed to the Rector, the Custoe
Baron von Kettlehodt, and the magistrates and
vestrymen, who would not join him. Although
Gordon regularly attended the quarterly meetings
of the Vestries, yet it is a most significant and con-
demning fact, taken in connection with the brutal
massacre which commenced in St. Thomas-in-the-
East on the last Vestry day, that neither he nor any
of his supporters in the Vestry, were present on that
fatal day. But we believe there is plenty of evi-
dence, in Gordon's own handwriting, to prove that
he suggested, if he did not plan, the brutal massa-
cre, which has so disgraced the country.

In the Underhill controversy, about the alleged
poverty and distress of the peasantry of Jamaica,
Gordon was a stout and determined champion of Dr.
Underhill, and of the Baptist missionaries. He went
about from place to place, organising and presiding
at mass meetings of the peasantry, in support of Dr.
Underhill's incorrect statements, and of course
exciting, wherever he went, the ignorant peasan-

try against the Governor, the Ctistodes of
parishes, the clergy, and others who had proved
Dr. Underhill's statements to be incorrect. He
presided at meetings in St. Ann's, in St. Thomas-
in-the-East, in Kingston, and in Vere, and in this
parish he used language, strong enough to hang
twenty men, when the language is so closely fol-
lowed by acts of the kind suggested. His words
were to the effect, " That the governor, the magi-
strates, and the clergy had written lies to the Queen
about them, the peasantry of Jamaica, that the
planters did not treat the people fairly—that they, '
the people, would have to make a second Hayti of
Jamaica—that the planters and authorities hated
them now, but then they would hate them far more."
This language was reported to us and published,
and we called the attention of the Attorney-Generat
to it ; but it. seemed to him, as coming from
Gordon, a man known to be eccentric and
ultra in his statements, not deserving of prose-
cution ; and not till the bloody and savage doings,
enacted a few weeks after at Morant Bay, did
the import of such seditious language carry
conviction of premeditated guilt to the minds of the
constituted authorities. These words, used by Gor-
don at the Vere mass meeting, were sworn to before
a magistrate, and were part of the evidence against
him at his trial; but besides this testimony there
were his own letters to Lawrence, his late overseer
on the Rhine estate on St. Thomas-in-the-East,
stating that certain persons, the Baron, Rector
Cooke, and others must be got rid of. One person
who was to be disposed of was the proprietor of this
paper, because we had from the first and through-
out opposed Dr. Underhill's statement as incorrect
and grossly exaggerated, and maintained that where
there was suffering among the able-bodied peasantry
in the country parishes, it was owing either to partial
causes, such as drought, or to their own idleness,
vice, and prodigality. We had also for years op-
posed the hypocritical pretensions of George W.
Gordon, as we knew him to be outrageously dis-
honest, and these were offences against the religious
fanatic, only to be wiped out by " getting rid of ”
i.e., by murdering us.

We wonder often at the credulity and perverted
humanity of many, of the English people. Let a
black man, if he only be plausible enough, to get up
a good tale of suffering and distress, be introduced
to a few of the Exeter Hall School, and he is soon
petted and lionised till the poor fellow is ruined for
life. He is generally found out to be a hypocrite
and a liar ; but he is then sent off to the colonies,
with recommendations from some good people, and
there he practices afresh that deception which was
so long successful in England. Let any credulous
missionary or stipendiary magistrate send home to
the Morning Star a letter regarding an arrant
hypocrite and blood-thirsty demon like G. W.
Gordon, and behold he is painted as a saint and a
martyr to freedom and religious liberty. Let
any lying tale about the white men and planters
of Jamaica be got up, and they are held up as
devils incarnate, not fit to live, much less
to own property and employ black men in
cultivating it. Now the white men and planters of
Jamaica are not without some faults and many
shortcomings, as is the case, we suppose, with
many manufacturers, merchants, and noblemen of
England, Scotland, and Ireland ; but this we say,
after living in Jamaica nearly 29 years, and know-
ing intimately the country and all classes of its in-
habitants, that there was no cause whatever for the
late bloody, savage butchery of the property classes
in St. Thomas in the East ; and that, while we are
not prepared to justify every act of the military
in the suppression of the rebellion, the very cir-
cumstances in which the community were placed
--having but a handful of troops to hundreds of
thousands of semi-savages, demanded that the
punishment for the atrocities committed should
be quick and severe. It was not merely the mas-
sacre at Morant Bay which alarmed the constituted
authorities and the white and coloured classes, but
it was the demoniac acts of murder and plunder
which so quickly spread throughout all the district,
and which could not, humanly speaking, then have
been suppressed had the rebellion extended to other
districts. We believe that the retribution has been
too severe—that many innocent, or comparatively
innocent, people have suffered—while there are not
a few deep-dyed villains, whose hands have been
imbrued in innocent blood, who have not been
punished—but let not those at a distance from the
rebellion, even distant from it in Jamaica, rashly
condemn the severity of the punishment inflicted.
That severity may have been mercy to the other
districts of the island, for as we were then
situated with only a handful of troops, and no good
volunteer organisation, the greater part of the
respectable people, and their property throughout
the country, might have been destroyed, had the
authorities not acted with promptitude, determina-
tion, and severity. As for letting loose the Maroons
to shoot down whoever they met, this is a gross
fiction. Between St. Thomas in the East and
Portland, the adjoining parish, there are a range of
mountains covered with almost impenetrable wood,
where the feet of the white man has rarely trod.
The Maroons live on the north side of the moun-
tains, and regularly hunt the wild hog and other
game in the adjacent woods and fastnesses.
Hence they know them and their caves and
passes better than any other class of men, and as
many of the greatest rebels took refuge in those
fastnesses—the " Cunha-cunha mountains"—the
Maroons were ordered to scour them, and capture
and bring to trial the runaway rebels wherever
they found them. They may have shot some per-
sons who, instead of surrendering, attempted to
run away ; but how could this be avoided, for
the regular soldiers could not, without the greatest
risk, penetrate such places. Besides, there was other
work for them to do, in scouring the plains, cap-
turing rebels, and bringing them to justice, and
therefore the employment of the Maroons was a
necessity, insuring their loyalty, by giving them
work which they only could, in the emergency,
efficiently perform.

It is utterly impossible for men in England, or in
the Northern States of America, where there are so
*much intelligence and physical and moral force to
fall back on, in the suppression of a rebellion, to judge
of what,:should be done in Jamaica under the cir-
cumstances in which we were placed. By all means
let an English commission be appointed to inquire
into the causes of the late rebellion, as far as they
can be traced, and into the conduct of the authori-
ties in its suppression. We have little fear of the
result. It will, in our opinion, be proved that while
not a few acts may be censured, that the Commis-
sioners will declare that wholesome severity was
imperatively needed, and was the most merciful
course to follow.

As the Morning Star of England and some of its
contributors appear to be so ignorant of the real
character and antecedents of the late George W.
Gordon, the chief promoter of the rebellion in St.
Thomas in the East, we have thought it right to
giye a sketch of his past public life as we have
known it, in the hope of convincing some of the
anti-slavery party in England that George W. Gor-
don was not the man they took him to be. As
Mr. Gordon was so respectably connected in
Jamaica, and as it was well known in certain circles
that we had just cause of grievance against him,
we refrained, after his apprehension, from any
comment on his public conduct. In the article
which we have written we have kept back many
things which we know of Mr. Gordon, which would
have told seriously against his character; but
should our statements be called in question here,
where he was best known, we are prepared not only
to prove what we have written, but to publish many
other particulars corroborative of what we have
said of him and his doings.

KINGSTON, Dec. 11.
The topic of greatest interest in the colony dur-
ing the past fortnight has been the bill of the Go-
vernment to alter and amend the political constitu-
tion of the country. There was a fierce fight over
it in the House of Assembly, but the bill ultimately
passed by a large majority.
The- following bills have been assented to by his
Excellency the Governor :

An act to provide for the expenses of extinguish-
ing the rebellion.

An act for the forfeiture of real and personal pro-

perty of persons convicted of felony during tile recent
rebellion.

An act to amend the Oyer and Terminer Bill.
An act to prevent the training of persons to the
use of arms and practice of military evolutions and

exercises.
An act to prevent the unlawful administration
and taking of oaths.
An act to amend the act authorising the inflict-
ing of corporal punishment in certain cases, &c.
The Alien Bill.
The bill for the trial and punishment of offences
committed during martial law.
The bill to alter and amend the political consti-
tution of the country.
His Excellency, the Governor, having suggested
to the Legislature that a searching investigation
should be made into the cause or causes of the late
outbreak in St. Thomas in the East—a very strong
feeling prevails in all quarters that lion, members
should set about such an inquiry. Nothing, how-
ever, has been hinted of the existence of any such
intention, and we learn that the business of the
Legislature will soon be brought to a close.
The political prisoners continue at Morant Bay.
It has not transpired when they will be brought to
trial. They will be tried by a special commission
and a county jury.
There are 65 rebels at Morant Bay awaiting trial.
These are persons who were engaged in acts of re-
bellion on the day of the St. Thomas-in-the-East
outbreak.
Resolutions of thanks have been presented to his
Excellency Major-Genera O'Connor, C. 8., Sir
Leopold M'Clintock, Brigadier-General Nelson,
Colonel Hobbs, and Captain D'Horsey. Grants of
money have been made for the purchase of testimo-
nials to the three last named officers.
His Excellency, Major-General O'Connor, C. 8.,
has made a tour of inspection of the island. The
Major-General and suite were cordially received
everywhere ; in the parish of Manchester particu-
larly the reception was quite an ovation.
The following message from the Governor, and
its enclosures, were laid before the Legislative
Council on the 23d inst. by the Hon. Dr. Hamilton :
"E. EYRE, Governor.—The Governor transmits
to the honourable the Legislative Council an ex-
tract from a communication from Colonel Whitfield,
commanding the western division of the Jamaica
forces.
" This important statement, from an officer of
Colonel Whitfield's high rank and acknowledged
ability and experience, will afford the Legislature a
further proof that the Governor had good grounds
for asserting in his opening address that a mighty
danger threatens the land.'
"It must be remembered, too, that Colonel
Whitfield's statement is written some time after he
assumed the command of the western districts, and
after having personally visited all the districts
where military outposts are established.
" The Governor is anxious not to create unneces-
sary alarm, but it is his duty to express his opinion
that the Legislature and the country ought not to
be lulled into a fancied security, which the informa-
tion reaching the Government does not afford
ground for entertaining at present. " E. E."
Certified extract from a letter addressed by
Colonel Whitfield to Governor Eyre, dated 21st
November, 1865 :
"My dear Governor,—l did not like to answer
your letter of the 13th inst. until I had visited all
the detachments in my district, and seen enough
of the people to give an opinion. I quite agree
with you in thinking that a seditious and disloyal
spirit pervades the entire island, and that in all
probability the negroes would rise if it were not for
the presence of the military.
" I think that a considerable amount of inter-
communication has and is taking place between the
disaffected in the different parishes, for I observe
men of sullen and dissatisfied looks riding about
the country in all directions. About one-half the
negroes look happy and contented—the remainder
as if they would take much pleasure in cutting our
throats. I think the same feeling exists among the
women, but I do not think this feeling is confined
to this district between Savanna-la-Max and Mon-
tego Bay, but everywhere.
"I must now remark on the police of this colony.
They are in every district I have seen a most ineffi-
cient body of men, in many cases old and infirm.
They are badly clothed and look badly fed. I should
say if their services were required,, they would be
next to useless. They are inferior to those in Bar-
badoes, St. Vincent, and Demerara, and I at-
tribute this entirely to the force being
located in their own parishes. I should
suggest that the whole police be under the command
of a chief, an active and intelligent young military
officer, and the present inspectors under his orders.
They should be frequently moved from one part of
the island to another. They should be properly
armed and drilled, and a portion should be properly
mounted and attached to each station for the pur-
pose of carrying despatches, and making rapid
movements in any direction requiring escorts, &c.
" Believe me, &c.
" W. W. WHITFIELD."

SOUTH AMERICA—CHILI.
VALPARAISO', Nov. 18.
During the fortnight little or no change can be
noticed as having taken place in the state of affairs
between Chili and Spain, but every day the people
are drawn more closely together to do and suffer, if
need be, to the utmost for the honour of their coun-
try against Spain.

It is generally believed that Commodore Harvey
was the means of having effected the restriction tbat
Pareja, the Spanish admiral, had limited the block-
ade to six principal ports, viz. :
Valparaiso, where are the Villa de Madrid, of 50
guns, and the Resolution, 42 guns.
Coquimbo, where is stationed the Berenguela, 42
guns.

Caldera, with the Blanca, also of 42 guns.
Tome and Talcahuano, south of Valparaiso, which
-are watched by the Resolucion.

But Chili has still some 54 open ports, and one of
these 40 miles from Valparaiso, with which it will
be immediately connected by a good road. Imme-
diately on the receipt of information from Commo-
dore Harvey that the blockade was restricted to the
ports named, the Pacific Steam Navigation Com-
pany prepared a new itinerary, and placed some of
their largest steamers on the route to embrace the
opened ports, and the import and export trade will
be carried out with all its usual and even greater
activity.

Admiral Pareja evidently was not prepared for
the reception he has met with in Chili; he can-
not land any body of men along all the coast, nor
can he procure at any price fresh provisions, the
people feel an utter contempt of him, his nation and
his ships, while all the time Government is not idle
with measures which will, in due time, rid them of
their pretentious enemy. The working classes who
are the greatest sufferers hitherto by being thrown
out of employment, have borne patiently and calmly
any loss—the criminal records even show less crime
since this affair broke out,and altogether the people
of the Republic seem to be animated with a zeal
for their country's honour and a hatred of the power,
so much their superior in brute strength though it
be, that time will soon bring out victory and
freedom for ever from Spanish aggression.

Of course nothing can be mentioned particularly
of thb state of trade and general business at Valpa-
raiso in these days. The foreign merchants, Eng-
lish and American principally, are suffering heavily
from the closing of the principal ports of the
country, and not knowing how long the present
state of affairs may continrae.
The foreign -men-of= war in Valparaiso are her
Britannic Majesty's P',ca'mer Leander and corvette
Columbine ; United States sloop St. Marys, and
steamer Mohongo, 'lately arrived from Rio ; French
ship Pallas, and transport Euridice ; and Italian
frigate, Principe Humberto.
Her MajestrllB ships Duncan, Aboukir, Niger,
Cordelia, Fawn , Rosario, Nimble, Onyx, Netley,
and Delight we-re at Port Royal, Jamaica.
Martinique continues free of cholera, and strict
quarantine regulations were enforced against vessels
from Guachloripe and Dominica. A subscription

list was opened at St. Pierre for sending medicines
and food to the cholera-stricken inhabitants of the
sister colony. On the 2d instant the subscription
reached 5,000 francs.

At Guadaloupe the cholera continued to rage
severely. The rate of mortality amounted to 80
persons daily. Poor and rich fell victims to the
scourge, which extended everywhere throughout the
island.