The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-01-30 00:00:00

RESPECTFULLY S WETH

That the Imperial Parliament having been pleased to pass an
act for the abolition of slavery throughout the British Colonies,
and for promoting the industry of the manumitted slaves, your
memorialists, conscious of the necessity that existed for the tair
dial co-operation of all Colonial interests, endeavoured to the
utmost in their power to further the views of his Majesty's
government in all matters connected with thin great national
experiment, on the successful result of-which now depend not
only the lives arid fortunes of your memorialists, but the well-
being of all classes of the inhabitants, and the existence of this
fine colony as a productive portion of the British dominions.
Your memorialists had just reason to expect that the system
which had been devised by his Majesty's government, and
sanctioned by the wisdom of Parliament, fur giving effect to
this momentous measure, aided as it was by the concurrent feel-
ing and active exertion% of the colonists in its behalf, would iu
this colony prove safe and practicable in its operation, and they
feel confident that this happy result might. have been attained,
had a more rational and judicious line of conduct characterized
the proceedings of the supreme local executive authority
"The exertions of your memorialists have in fact, been
ackuowledged by his Majesty's government in the testimo-
nials of approbation transmitted to the lieutenant-governor and
to the court of policy; nevertheless, they had been paralyzed
by an imprudent, ;agitating, and unwise system of government
on the part of his excellency the lieutenant-governor, Sir Jas..
Carmichael Smyth, Bart., inapplicable to the peculiar exi-
geucies of the times, tending to create dissatisfaction-in the
minds of the labouring population, to break the ties of mutual
confidence between master and servant, and to engender the
a spirit of hostility in classes of his Majesty's subjects who can
have but one common interest in the preservation of order and
the promotion of agricultural industry.
"This system has been persevered in by his excellency the
lieutenant-governor till at length the property and interests of
the colonists are placed in imminent hazard, and the public
peace and safety seriously threatened.
"Disregarding the instructions of his Majesty's secretary of
state, that he should avail himself at this momentous crisis of
the counsel and local information, not only of the colonial
legislature, but also of other respectable inhabitants, , h,s
excellency the lieutenant-governor has of his sole authority and
will, without, reference even to his council, issued a series of
proclamations and addresses to the negro population, which.
have A
had the effect of producing in their minds erroneous m-
pressionspf_their condition and duties, and by their frequency
and conflicting doctrines, of inciting them,to discontent, insubor-
dination, and open opposition to the 'laws." •
Availing himself of his high station, his excellency the lieut.-
governor has thought proper to clothe in official garb, and
publish to the world, statement., unfounded in fact, affecting the
character and interests of the colony at large; .and he has made
representations to his majesty's government calculated to up-
hold his own peculiar. theories .or misrepresentations rather
than to afford sound and correct informatiun of the real state of '
the colony. lie has, likewise, interfered with the due course of
justice in a manner tending to briny into contempt the authority (1
the laws and of the magistracy, and io compromise the peace anti
security of the inhabitants and the great interests committed
to his blearge.
Notwithstanding the ruinous results of this line of policy
have been so glaring. open insurrection in one district, great
insubordination in others, and the no less destructive operation
of passive resistance to lawful authority. yet existing to an alarm-
ing extent amongst the labouring population, your memorialists
are still doomed to witness an infatuated perseverance in the
same system of misgovernment, till at length every hope has
left them, and they are forced to declare their firm conviction
that this afflicted colony can never know peace er enjoy the be-
nefit of the benevolent intentions of his majesty's government
while it remains under the course of policy adopted by his ex-
cellency Sir James Carmichael Smyth.
Your memorialists, therefore, craving reference to the ac-
companying documents, humbly pray that their grievances be
redressed ere the system of misgovernment now pursued shall
have involved all interests in irretrievable ruin.
And your memorialists, as in duty hound, will ever pray.
British Guiana, 2.5r/i November, 18.11.
The above document contains several charges of grave
importance; and, if they can be supported, the
simple
• recal of the governor would not, in our judgment, sa-
tisfy the justice of the case. He is here solemnly
charged with inciting the labourers to " discontent, in-
subordination, and open opposition to the laws !" lie is
charged with sending home to the colonial office " state-
ments unfounded in fact," and with interfering " with the
due course of law, in a manner tending to bring into
contempt the authority of the laws and the magistracy
These, we say, are serious accusations, and if Sir
James Smyth be guilty, lie deserves severe punishment.
But what could we have expected from any instrument
of whig misrule. The memorial is addressed to Mr.
Spring Rice. Little did the colonists know when they
published it, that the right honourable secretary had
been crsmissed. All will be right ere long.

Much has been said lately about the injustice of taxing
the people at large, including dissenters, in support of a
national church. The force of opposition to established
roles is always less or more powerful,
,according to the
view taken of
.the queStion by the prevailing govern-
ment. \Vhea the whigs were in office, the attack upon
the church assumed, for the first time,
.a formidable ap-
pearance. Why ? Because the whigs were supposed to
be favourable to spoliation, and change of every kind, no
matter how wild or destructive. They bad, for more
than thirty years, while in opposition, and deprived of
the emoluments of office, been the constant revilers of
all that was useful and venerable in the institutions of
the country. The church supported the monarchy—
therefore, it was in itself a powerful barrier against the
inroads of the whigs. It was, in consequence, the object
of their unceasing slander. In the same way the corpo-
rations were the strong holds of the monarchy—the out.
posts which protected the throne and the altar. These,
in their turn, were attacked for-the same reasons.
When the whigs were lifted into office by the divisions
amongst the tories in 1830—when a " pat' lot KING," as
he was then called, held out his hand to the defamers of
his father, the libellers of his brother—to the men who
had fur years flung their filth at the royal family—to the
men who made 'au unfortunate woman a stepping-stone
to power, and-who fell a victim to their malignant ambi-
tion—then it was that the revolutionary party came
forward to claim, at the hands of the whigs, the perform-.
ance of their repeated promises, and their active co-
operation in the march of revolution. Then was raised
in-louder yell the clamour against the church and the
corporations. The whigs had no support- but in the
parties who thus clung to them with a fidelity which ap.
proached,to homicide. They yielded, like the fat knight,
to compulsion under another name. They never intended
the reform which was forced upon them. - They only