State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-04-19

"
and feel that it is now disparagement not
to be able to read. In the country parish
es, those who have the means of comfort
will sometimes not work on Saturdays for
wages, because they wish to employ the
day in receiving instruction. The slaves
used to speak barbarou5 dialect of broken
English, unnelligible TO stranger. Now
they are taking pride in being able to speak
English, and each is ambitious Of speaking
| it better than the rest. That they should
make some Mdicrous mistakes, and often
get hold of hard word, is not strange
The negro dialect will soon disappear, us
well rs the negro habits.
A clergyman, Il German by birth, md n
mau of science, who has been connected
with the African mission, is now engaged,
in high school or college. A valuable
! place has been purchased, and the plan is
TO select promising youth from the different
schools, and educate them for the church.
| There is gentleman OH the island, who,
with his lady, supports at his own house,
some two hundred children belonging 20
another estate, and has them taught at his
own expense, and their aptness in learning
is astonishing, and their moral department
! bears the strongest testimony in favor of
the influence of knowledge of the Bible.
The security which the people oil the
island now feel, both ns to person and
property, is astonishing. They no longer
have n thought about it. The magazine of
POWDER over which they used to sleep in
fear, is wcttcd and turned to clay.
The horrid stories with which the Jama-
ca papers used TO feed the untl-uboliton
press i'll the United States was so notorious
" exaggerated, as to give rise to n strong
suspicion among the Jamaicans, that they
Were paid for from this country The
most creditable press on the island is the
Jamaica Waterman, conducted by two
coIored men, MCssrs. Jordan and Osborn.
Even before the abolition, many gentlemen
took the Waterman, because they said they
could rely on it for truth.
MIR. Osborn, one of the editors, was born
n slave in the parish of St. Andrews. lie
purchased his freedom, came to Kingston,
obtained some education, and made his
way along, step by step, until lie finally be-
came partner Of MIR Jordan in publishing
the Waterman. AT the general election
last year, he was returned Il member Of the
House Of assembly for the parish of St.
Andrews, the parish in which he was born,
candidates. and among them some of the
island, one of them the coStoS of the parish.
Since that period, Mr. o. has been appoint
ed by the governor, magistrate of the
parish and judge of the court of Common
Pleas. Several other Colorod men were
returned to this Assembly, some high in
the profession of the law, one of them Il
gentleman who, for talents and character,
would be an honor to any country. The
Otbnr a1itor ,f Tho NJ. Io,,lc,,
has long been member, and holds several
other high appointments. a gentleman on
the island said 10 another, 81 wonder that
Osborn should should have the cfrontery
to set himself up as n candidate for the
Assembly. If had been born a slave, !
never could have duue it," "'Thi, is tue"
replied his friend, elf you had been born
slave, you would have died Il slave, for you
never had talents enough to draw your feet
ont OF the Chains"
The apprentices work for pay, on their
own days, almost without exception. Those
who have harsh masters, will not work for
their masters on their own days, hut will
work for somebody else. 1t is said that the .
service Of an apprentice, for the remaining |
five years of his apprenticeship, will now /
sell for more than the man himself would [
sell for when he was slave, before the
abolition act. One gentleman, a very large
estate holder, who was rcsolutely opposed /
to Emancipation, was asked what lie eX-
pccted would become of his people, when 7
the apprenticeship expires. Said he, "pcr-
haps there are thirty or forty troublesome .
follows that will go away, but the rest, .
have no doubt will all stick by me. There
is one whom | manumittcd many years ago
and told him he might go where he liked,
he was well fitted for gcntlcmcn's servant
and could do well. But he said he had
rather stay, and here he is YET. | have
thirty or forty more, that We're manumitted
years before The act, but they have never
left me. ! furnished them with a little
land, and they chose to keep near me, and
now some of them have farms their own
which they have purchased. They come
to me for advice, and when any difficulty
occurs among them, / settle it. | expect
the rest will do the same. And when the
lay comes for the apprenticeship TO expire,
believe it will be the commencement of
better tines than this island ever saw or
dreamed Of"
Our friend was acquainted with n lady in
another island, who, with her husband,
their slaves some years ago, a
scorce or so in number. The husband died,
and the lady became embarrassed; when
these manumttcd slaves, some of whom
were acquiring property, spontaneously
came forward and worked her lands, md
contributed of their means, money, more
Than an ample supply for all her necessities
When she demonstrates with them, and
says they are too generous, giving hermore
than she can use, the reply is, "Did you
not teach us TO read the Bible, and treat us
rs five We're your own children before we
were cmoncipatcd 2"
The disorders TINT took place during the
first few months after the lst Of August,