The Sun.
London, England, 1834-09-29 00:00:00

WEST INDIES.

INTELLIGENCE FROM DEMERARA.
(From the Guiana Chronicle of August 8. )
It suits neither our duty to the public, nor our inclina-
tion, to act the part of idle alarmists, who, in the accents of
fear and trepidation, proclaim aloud the cry of danger where
none exists, or warn against impending evil where none is
to be reasonably apprehended.
Equally foreign to our duty and wishes, however, would
it be, where danger actually does exist, or may be justly ap-
prehended, to shut our eyes, wilfully, to the knowledge of
such a fact, merely because it may not be a very pleasing
one ; and imitate the stolid example of that bird of the de-
sert who, when she shrouds her head from and looks not on
the impending blow of her foe, madly deems that the rest
of her body is secured from its effects. No ! to conquer and
overcome a danger or an evil can only be done by boldly or
manfully facing it, and opposing to it all the energies of our
mind and body.
Who that has heard the various accounts and reports
which, every hour, come in from every part of the colony,
will hesitate for one moment to say that the whole country
is not in a state the most alarming and disturbed ? There
is a mighty commotion fermenting in the minds of the whole
of the labouring population, which threatens every hour a
violent outbreaking. Why blink the truth, and. timidly
conceal the real state of things—a state of things of which
every dweller in the land is perfectly aware ? Why should
the press be the last to proclaim these things ? Rather let
us at one and the same time duly depict the nature and ex-
tent of the evil threatened, and suggest the remedy for it ;
while we call upon the energies and aid of all colonies to as-
sist in the hour of storm and peril that lours above.
The fact is, that such is the extreme dissatisfaction and
factious spirit now prevalent among the negro population,
that the match may be said to be now burning on the edge
of the mine, and wants but the hand of daring revolution to
apply it to the combustible mass that will quickly involve
all in strife and bloodshed.

It were in vain now to look to, and with bitter reproaches
to taunt, the causes of this fearful state of things. It is fu-
tile to turn our eyes to England, and to tell her legislators
that this is their work, this their boasted measure of eman-
cipation, which it was predicted would be both " safe and
satisfactory." To do this now, we repeat, would be useless,
because what has been done cannot now be undone ; though
the injury may in some measure be repaired, and the steps
that have been trod in error and misrule may be retraced in
right and justice.

-All that now remains for us to consider is, that danger
—imminent and overwhelming danger, threatens us—and
must be promptly and determinedly met. The safety of
this fair and boundless province hangs in a balance, and
tumult and faction must not be allowed to kick the beam.
In every quarter of the colony insubordination and tumult
show their hated presence. On Saturday the gangs of
Richmond, La Belle Alliance, Mainstay, and Reliance (four
very large estates), refused to do any work. On Monday
their tumultuous example was followed by the negroes of
Wal-
Haipp!onfourt, Windsor Castle, Devonshire Castle,

ton-hall, Exmouth, and Perth ; and it is likewise said that
slight symptoms of insubordination have shown themselves
amongst the gang of Lima.
On the east coast, on plantation Coming's Lodge, the
negroes have set law and all authority at open defiance.
On this property the presence of his Excellency the Go-
vernor was required to quell the tumult, and when he ap-
peared amongst them, these misguided people insulted and
scoffed at the representative of their King. Several other
estates on the coast have likewise shown the same factious
spirit.

In Canal No. 3, all the gangs may be said to be in a state
of mutiny. And here we extremely regret to have to re-
mark, that so far from this tumultuary disposition receiving
the proper check from the executive, the negroes were
harangued by the magistrate for the northern side of the
canal, in a speech more remarkable for its length than its
intelligence, and which inculcated into the minds of his de-
lighted sable listeners anything but doctrines that would
teach them obedience to their masters, and diligence and
assiduity in the discharge of the labour, which the law enjoins
from them, and which they must nolens volens perform.
This most redoutalile harangue took place on plantation
Profit ; and as the fruits of it, ever since the negroes on
that estate have set at defiance all the authority of the ma-
nager, and done exactly as they pleased. Nor did the con-
tagion confine itself to that property alone, for the next
morning the whole of the Mocha gang rose en masse, threw
down their implements of husbandry, and declared that
they, too, would go to hear this their champion " talkee,
talkee," and so accordingly they did ; and the whole neigh-
bourhood
in
mwasd. d
mid-day,
ha outragedilo 0
iubyg
shouting, witnessing
a large gang of
cursing,ne-
groes,
swearing,
and talking at the utmost stretch of their discordant voices,
and tumultuously careering along to the magistrates re-
sidence.

If we turn our attention to the west coast, likewise, we
there find matters in the same state of disorder. The
gangs of the Best, Nouvelle Flandres, Schoon Ord, Vree-
den, Hoop, and Hague, in fact, all along the whole coast,
are in the same state of the greatest insubjection. In short,
it would be endless to recapitulate the names of all the
properties on which these baneful exhibitions of a factious
and evil spirit have been manifested. Suffice it to say, that
throughout the whole colony of British Guiana not one-
tithe part of the ordinary labour has been done since the
memorable Ist of August. In this state of things, then,
it behoves those in authority to be watchful at their posts,
and zealously diligent in the discharge of the several duties
allotted to them.

Prevention is the better part of cure ;—stem then the
flow of insurrection while it yet runs over the land in but a
comparatively small stream, and wait not tardily till it
swells into a mighty and overwhelming torrent, sweeping
all down before it into one vast ruin, and marking its de-
structive course by havoc and wild ruin.
The law is strong and powerful—let, then, her right handbe speedily stretched forth in the mightiness of stern Jus-
tice, to avenge the outrages that are now hourly perpe-
trated against her dignity. Magistrates are every where
established throughout the colony. Let them remember
that their commissions were not granted to them merely to
single them out from among their fellow-men as objects of
distinction, but they were bestowed upon them as thein-
struments by which they were to administer the law, main-
tain peace, and enforce good order. On them, and on the
due, vigilant, and determined discharge of their duty, and
exercise of power vested in them, depend the peace of the
community, in the first place. Should that peace, how-
ever, be further invaded, and the misguided population be
prompted to still more daring acts of outrage and tumult,
let the power for our protection, which we have in our mi-
litary and militia, be called forth and used with resolution
and stern determination.

Already correction has visited some of the offenders ;
let us hope the salutary example will have the due effect,
and yet prevent harsher measures. On plantation Hamp-
ton Court yesterday morning a district court was held, at
which Captain Coleman presided as a special justice for the
district, when five men and a like number of women were
tried, and the men were sentenced to receive 39 lashes
each (which was inflicted on the estate in the presence of
the whole gang), and to three months' hard labour on the
treadmill in th colony gaol ; for which purpose they were
brought to town from the estate under a military escort, in
company with the women, who were likewise adjudged to
three months' hard labour on the treadmill. The pre-
sence of a detachment of the regular troops was deemed
necessary to protect the Court in the discharge of its duties
on this occasion.

Colonel Goodman, who is a special justice of the peace,
proceeded on Wednesday to Leguan, where the same spirit
of disaffection prevails as in other portions. At the time
we wrote this no account had been received from him of
his proceedhigs in that district.

Detachments of troops have been despatched to the va-