The Sun.
London, England, 1831-05-07 00:00:00

TO THE BRITISH PUBLIC AT LARGE

TO THE ELECTORS
OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE IN PARTICULAR.

Our King has thought fit, in order to free himself from
the trammels of an overweening Oligarchy,. to appeal to
the kw of public opinion, no class of subjects should,
therefore, demur to follow that high example.
The body of proprietors of West India property have
been supine in laying their case before the public, under
the persuasion that the absurdities of their enemies would
defeat themselves ; but, continuing to suffer through the
malicious activity of those who aim at the destruction of
Colonial property, and whose plans for immediate man.
cipation of the negroes (if successful) would throw the
population of .the West India Islands into a dreadful state
of anarchy and confusion, an appeal is now therefore made
in their behalf to the British public, who have never- yet
been unjust when they understood the subject on. which
they were about to act, and particularly to the serious'or
religious class, who ought to observe; that all countries are
not competent to possess the great blessing- of liberty—L
freedom cannot be forced upon a people. Witness the
state of Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and other countries,
which, as to England, are but comparatively free; and
the great question which now agitates the public mind
proves herself n,4 perfect.

F.r what reason, then, is it, that in attempting suddenly
to force that divine good upon such a community as the
negroes of whom so few understand the nature of an oath
(vide Parliamentary papers), that our own countrymen
and fellow-subjects are to be placed in jeopardy of their
lives and property, and invaluable colonial possessions de-
stroyed to the mother country ? A great national calamity
which the success of the Anti-Slavery Society, in the
manner they propose, would bring about !
The general condition of negroes in the West Indies
will fully bear a comparison with that of n very large pro.
portion r.f labourers in this country, particularly as to the
absence of want, and being in a state of social happiness,
they are indeed far superior to those of Ireland at this
moment.

It is highly necessary to distinguish between slavery as
it now exists, and which is in a course of amelioration in
the West Indies, and the slave trade which is still, to the
great injury of British planters, carried on by foreign na-
tions. Most of the present negroes in the British West
Indies are native born (or Creoles), and of a inuola supe-
rior description to those imported from Afriox ; their con-
dition is in progress of improvement (a fact well known to
the Anti-Slavery Society, though they suppress it), and
will of course ultimately terminate in their arrival at r.
state of freedom. There was a time in this country which
the readers of our great novelist will recagnise in the
beautiful opening of "Ivanhoe," when Garth was the "born
thrall of Cedric the S mon ;" and it is well worth while
to reflect by what gradual steps the people of this laad
have attained to the freedom they nosy enjoy.
It was not done on a sudden. The Slave Trade has been
abolished by law only twenty-four years, and while that
existed (adorn was impossible. The British slaves aro
now secured by law in the possession of property. They
are in many cases rendered competent witnesses ; they are
encouraged to marry, and their progeny are well cared and
provided for ; indeed, among all the charges so industriously
sought against the West India proprietors, want or star-
vation is never made out. Insulated ins'ances of cruelty
occur, it must he confessed, and display, the brutality of
those who practise them ; but do not inatanoos of gross
oppression and vindictiveness occur, in this country, even
among the Magistracy ?
In all the British Colonies officers are appointed, called
protectors of slaves, and in Reports laid before Parliament,
their proceedings, particularly in Demerara and Esse-
quibo, give much insight into the stature of negro com-
plaints and treatment, and alan the degree of labour exacted
from slaves.

If, in this country, the growth of liberty has been
gradual, and the attainment of civil rights tends to freedom,
on what principle should the slaves in the West India
Islands receive sudden emancipation, which would in •
disputably reduce them to confusion and ruin ? The
negrces are in a state of improvement. Slavery was ex-
pressly enjoined under the Mosaic dispensation. " More-
over, of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among
you, of them shall ye buy and of their families which are
with you, which they begat in your land, and they shall
be your possession. And ye shall take them ae an inhe-
ritance for your children II fivr you, to inherit them fur a
possession ; they shall be your birdmen foe even"—
Leviticue, xxv. 44, 45, 46. And it is clear that St.
Paul recognised the existence of slavery by the advice he
gives ; Ephesians vi. 5, &c.—" Servants, be oleelient to
your Blasters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling,
in singleness of your heart, as note Christ ; not with eye,
service, as mempleasers hot as the servants of Christ,
do:ng the will of God from the heart ; with good will doing
service, as to the Lord, and net to men ; knowing that
whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he
receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free." It is,
therefore, wantonly malicious to make tie sudden aboli:
tion of slavery a religious question, as the two dispense.
tions have left it to be an arrangement of civil eocety ;
slavery is acknowledged to be contrary to the spirit of
Christianity, and as Christian principles increase among
the negroes, emencipation of slaves will be rendered easy,
indeed desirable ley the masters, as there is every probabi-
lity thet the iiost for wages of labour would he less than is
at present expended—and it must he borne in mind that
the present proprietors of West India property did not
commence the system—they are not chargeable with
making the circumstances in which they now star-di they
have acquired their property by descent, purchase, and all
the various ways in which pee:elate, in this country is
acquired; and under eepeal eanction of laws for the secure
possession therceof. Therefore, suddenly and by violence
to dip e ive them of it would be the must gross injustice,
and yet to do so the Anti-Slreeey Society are aiming,
reckless of the consequeum to the negroes thtmselves
whom they professed to befriend.
Let us for a moment take a view du estate which has
upon it five hut.dred negm:s of all ages. About one-third
are available as productive of labourers, a portion of the
older are nurses to the younger. Be it remembered there
are no poor nor work-houses, nor parish rates to re,
sort to; some of the slaves are carpenters, ;ze:epees,
boatmen, engineers, in short they compote the various
workmen connected with the te4tivation and manufac-
ture of sugar—they &re at present in a com-
paratively llopeee cendition, pursuing their avocations, all,
thei7 semis are provided for, including medical ;sselt-
i ance,—(for it is clearly their owner's intereat to peeserve
health, or his works must stand afela-e_PB a sudden comes
the edict of emancipation, and what effect would be pro-
duced on these oor,.'eeeaettres—riot, disorder, and crimes
wo:eld be inevitable; the violent would be paramount,
and the most miserable distress must ensue to the vtdoiti
population ? Yet it is to this mischievous, te; that en-
thusiasts are urging the Goverrnettl;, to effect this
object, an organised system is to be, attempted of obtaining
a pledge from Metelleeke of ilarliament on their electinee„
[The Areieqlevery'Aociety well knowing that '...eons papers.
/eiclbefine Parliament such informatin ie bedeerned as
would induce prudent precautiere." It therefore becomes
the bounden duty of thoee who_ have ao much property at
stake, to urge the peele:Sic tea elm consideration of the
condition if 4eitieh West India negroes ; not t c;s: e n
cyrely. fiorn the, statements of the Anti-Siteveey Society,
who stand detected of partial and dietneted representations,
but from impartial fret:ea....A.4e dueeturtice may be tione,to.
the negro arel fee best India prop: ietoe, cleaeacaer
are! leebiks of the negroes should eeqdeeede which may
be learned from the variortee'efricere teervelleese ceenparison
of their moral ce?litiep in Africa and the West Indies
will befenl. high); favoterehle to the latter.
Tyf forea public purpose a man's house or premises are
required in England, compensation is made for the depri-
vation. On what principle of jestiee, therefore, should
the West India proprietors be deprived of their property
without compensation, merely at the will of a kuoti of
sanguine persons, some of whom, it is suspeteeed, have
sinister motives to conceal, if judgment may be toreeed
front an absurd project which has now faikd, and which

emanated from the Anti-Siavery junta, viz., the Fre-
ference of pretended free labour (or East India) sugar,
it is notorious that the state of slavery in the East is in a
far more irremediable condition than in the West Indies.
The attainment of civil rights constitutes freedom, to
which the West India ne>groete are advancing, hut the dis-
tinction of " caste" in the East forms an impenetrable
barrier to such improvenont there.
For the exercise of charity and benevolence there is
ample field in Ireland, and to rescue the people of Eng-
land from the slavery of Pin might find plenty of employ-
ment for all exertion of the Anti-Slavery Society ; but,
like fanatics of all ages, they must attempt something of
theatrical e ffect afar off; and it has a grand sound to ex-
claim, " instead of removinz tl-.e bonds of the negroe.s
link by link, let us lutist their chains !" If the orator
had added regardless of the consequent ruin ! he would
have spoken correctly. It is loped that the el ctors of
Great Britain will exercise their good sense, and beware of
"false brethren," not confounding the great cpiesion now
under consideration with what does not at all belong to it.