The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-09-27 00:00:00

THE WEST INDIA COLONIES.

TQ THE EDITOR OP THE BRIsTot. JOURNAL.
Sir,--=1 take the liberty of sending you an extract from a let-
ter received by the lait packet froin a correspondent residing in
and of the Leeward Islancii,,as it contains a statement of the
views taken by an intelligent and experienced planter of the
lat 4 measures of government ; and of their probable influence
both on the proprietors of estateS, and on the coinfort and well-
being of the begro race. I remain, Sir,
A CONSTANT READER oP TOUR V-ALUAttLE PAPER..
Clifton; September 13, 1833.

" I must confess I anticipate the worstconsequences from this
government plan ; we here know not what to do; the greatest
sufferers will be the negroei themselveS. As to the apprentice
system it will never answer; With the whole of their labour we
can scarce make both.ends of the year meet; how then can we
do so when we continue the same expen'ce with one4ourth of
the labour taken from us? There is such a natural indolence in
the negro tribe that they are satisfied to 'submit even to starva-
tion in preference to exertion. Within the last quarter inquests
have been held on the bodies of two nev.roes, who were seized
by the Custchns' officers for an alleged Creach of the Consoli-
dated Slave Act, and condemned to the crown (i. e-. made free)
because the owner could not afford to defend his right in such an
expensive court. Well, these two negroes died of starvation,—
such was the finding of the inquest. I have myself repeatedly
tried to hire free negroes, even to 'do the slightest work and
have known them die of starvation rather than take myemploy-
ment; I have even tried to get them to mind cattle in the pas-
tures for high wages, but without effect. This being the 'case,
how. can we expect to obtain them as continuous labourers in
th 6 cultivation of sugar, a cultivation that requires two manu-
factories, that must be carried on with as much despatch as pos-
sible after the cane is severed from the ground, otherviise.fei-
me-ntation takes place in.the liquor, which destroys the process,
together with the industry of fourteen preceding months to cul-
tivate and bring the cane to perfection; nay, even the striking
of Your head boilers may injure you to the amount of £4O or kW
though it shoUld be for only two days. Such are the delightful
Crospects before us ; thoie before the negro are much darker.--
hildren, who, for oar own interest, we rear with the greatest
care, Will be left to the carelesi and improvdient mother, who
even with our assistance and intetested care, can scarcely
rear thein ; how will she when that interest Is 'destroyed ? The
mother, who from her pregnancy to the time of weaning her
child, does scarcely any work; and for ten months, of that pe-
riod none at all, daring which tune she is provided for as if she
did work; who will take her as an apprentice, or how will She
raise her offspring? Though the old and useless will be pro-
vided for by this bill, will that provision be like that of the mas-
ter,, whose interest it is to smooth the ills of declining life iu his
aged slave, as an incentive to the young and able to perforip the
tasks of youth and manhood, with the conviction that the close
of their lives will be made smooth and even by the master for
whom his energies wore expended. Add to which the breaking
of the tie of clanship which has existed for such a length of time,
wliere the slave has looked up to the master as his paternal pro-
teeter, while he has identified hiuiself as an humble member of
his Master's family, and expresses it thus when speaking. of one
of them—" A' wee famley. ' I say when all these ties are
binken, and the.improvident negro is thrown upon his own re-
sources, it beComes 'more than doubtful whether his condition
will be improved. Many of the intelligent negroes spurn the
tgeeri. My people at asked me if I was net still to be
heir piaster ? and when I explained the thinc, to the*, their re-
lit). was, " They did not want such freedom as that." When I told
them of their being coerced to work by inagistra.tes sent ontfroin
Eitgland, composed of half-pay officers, they ekclaimed "Ha !
da going to make soldier's of a' wee; no, massa, we no wantdat;
vie no want to be licked like 'soldier buckia." Their only idea
of freedom was to be idle ;—now they find they are to be made
to work, theyare; would rather remain as they and fo bring
about this folly England is to be taxed £20,000.,000 'at Once, and
beat the expence of 'at least 2,000 stipendiary inagfitrates.—
What madness!"