Star.
London, England, 1824-06-02 00:00:00

take a negro by the hand is an act of kindness to which,
these poor people are not accustomed; and yet those
who shudder at the very thought of a Missionary
making such an advance—those enlightened sup-
porters of the Established Church, say it is only in the •
Bethel Chapel, and by Mr. Smith, that these poor pen-
, ple are ever addressed as fellow-men by these words-.-
4‘ Dearly beloved brethren ;" forifetting that in these
very words the Ministers of the hstabltshed Church al-
ways commence their discourses. The language of the,
colonial proprietors to the Missionaries is—" You must
not be allowed to teach our slaves, unless you can sliew
that the result will not endanger our property." Short-
sighted, infatuated men—in what a predicament they
stand ! Profoundly ignorant, indeed, might Mr. Smith
well say they were (in the words of his text), of the
things necessary to their own peace. So monstrous had
been that power which had grown np out of that iniqui-
tous traffic, that all the talent of all the rulers who had
been placed over the colonies could. do little more than
hat el), keep that society together. Enough of difficulty
had they previously, trifling in numbers as they were—
enough of difficulty had they to be the mitst.Ts of mil-
lions of slaves—enough to be placed in the neighbour-
hood of a Republic, the black inhabitants of which had,
like themselves, been slaves, but had attained freedom
by the slaughter of their masters—enough to be sepa-
rated by an immense distance from home—enough to
be cut off from all resources, all assir.ance from the mo-
ther country ; but with all this, with all their compara•
Live insignificance, to merit the detestation or all those
who ale rrparated from them by a line, an indelible im-
peii,habie line, drawn by Nature herself, from the
peaceful Yboo to the fiery Coromantu—yet to all these
(short-sighted men that they are!) they add to the dan-
gers to be thence apprehended, 'oy exasperating to mad
ness, by adding to all the enthusiasm which religious per-
secution is certain to produce, and which increased to fa-
naticism, rendered them a body fearful to contemplate.
This is the system of the British Colonies ; and to this
system, and for the reasons I have stated, I thought it
my duty to call the attention of Parliament to this sub-

ject. I call upon Parliament to save the Negro on that
principle of gratitude which we owe to those who have
suffered ill treatment at our hands. I call upon Parlia-
ment to interfere, from consideration for the West In-
dians rather than ourselves. If persecution be the
only means by which they hope to retain their present
dominion, I shall tell them that their tenure is but of a
feeble nature—(Chcers). I fear I have taken up too
much of the time of the House, and shall therefore con-
clude by moving—
" That a bumble Address be presented to his Majesty, represent-
ing that this House having taken into its most serious consideration
the papers laid before them relating to the trial and condemnation
of the late Rev. John Smith, a Missionary in the Colony of Deme-
rara, deem it their duty now to declare, that they contemplate with
serious alarm and deep sorrow the violation of law and justice which
Is manifested in these unexampled proceedings, and most earnestly
praying that his Majesty will be graciously pleased to adopt such
measures as in his Royal wisdom may seem meet, for such a just
and humane administration of law in that Colony as may protect
the voluntary instructors of the Negroes, as well as the rest of his
Majesty's subjects, from oppression."
Mr. WILMOT-HORTON observed, that the details
into which the Honourable and Learned Gentleman
had entered, made it necessary for him, in the first in-
stance, to solicit a larger portion of the attention of the
House than, tinder other circumstances, he should feel
himself justified in requiring. The papers to which the
Honourable and Learned Gentleman had referred pro-
ceeded from the Colonial Office. The Honourable and
Learned Gentleman commenced his speech by alluding
to the interests inseparably interwoven with the ease
then before the House, and he had attributed a consi-
derable share of that interest to the Methodists. But the
proceeding of which the Honourable Gentleman com-
plained was not levelled against the Methodists, nor
against the Missionary Society generally; for had Mr.
Smith followed the advice given by the Society, he
would not have fallen into those errors of enthusiasm—
not to call them by a harsher name—into which he had
most certainly been betrayed. The Honourable Mem-
ber stated, that the feeling in this House on the present
question bore but a small proportion to that excited out.
of it. He well knew what means had been taken to ex-
cite that feeling; and on a former night, when a petition
was presented by the Honourable Member for Knares-
borough (Sir J. Mackintosh) on the subject, full of mis-
statements, he said, that when the proper time came he
would point out the inaccuracies, and he should do so
before he concluded. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman
had descanted upon the duties of a Missionary ; but
were times and circumstances to make no alteration in
the conduct of a preacher? Let them consider whereMr•.
Smith was? He landed on an island where the barter-
ing in slaves was by law established; and how did
he demean himself? I wish to think and speak of Mr.
Smith as nothing more nor less than an enthusiast, in
whose conduct, however•, were clearly discernable all
the attributes attendant upon criminality. Let them
consider in what this charge originated. It grew out
of an alleged participation in a most alarming revolt,
which very revolt involved a necessary suspension of
the law. A Court-martial was appointed; and it it be
proved, as the Honcurable and Learned Gentleman
had argued, that there had been a departure from the
strict rules of evidence, he was not satisfied that justice
was on that account withheld from the prisoner. He
was not satisfied that a strict adherence to these rules
was always necessary. But from what sonrce did the
Honourable and Learned Geetleman derive his infor-
mation ?—(Hear, Hrar.)—[Mr. BROUGHAM explained
—that the facts on which he had argued were to be
found also in"the official documents.)—Mr. WILMOT-
HORTON, hi continuation, said, he did not believe that
the hearsay evidence was rejected when offered by the
prisoner. • Was it not likely that a much more impar-
tial trial would be obtained before a Court above the
island prejudices, than if Mr. Smith had been tried
before the planters or inhabitants of the place? The
Honourable and Learned Gentleman had adverted to
the continuance of martial law, and he had charged
the continuance on the Governor. Now the fact was,
that after the insurrection the Governor had ad-
dressed a letter to Lord Bathurst, stating that such
was the apprehension among the whites, that an ac-
tive militia and martial law must be continued.—
The next fact he had to notice was, as to what extent
the population were concerned in the insurrection ; the
numbers amounted, more or less, to 13,000. All these
circumstances considered, he was convinced of the
reality of the revolt, and of the reality of the danger.
He had said that Mr. Smith must be pronounced by all
who examined his motives by his conduct, an enthu-
siast ; but he did not attach blame to him for this, he
only alluded to it, to shew that he was not the man the
Missionary Society pointed him out to be; but an en-
thusiast both by habit and feeling, and one who could'
reason himself into certain things, or persuade himself
that he had better let them pass, and be left to the di-