Southern telegraph., 1838-05-09
JAMAICA APPRENTICE SYSTEM.

JAMAICA APPRENTICE SYSTEM.
The working Of this system does not seem
to answer the expectations of IFS projectors.
The present effects, at least, of the free Ia
Der scheme, is not at all fattering 10 the
future prospects of Jamaica. The blarhs
being emancipated from the yoke Of bood
npe. scorn to submit to the wholesome res
straints Of law. Like every people who
have not been trained up TO the enJpyment
or ,:aeriy they abuse its privileges and run
;n,o ,hs widest excuses Of lie cniiousness
.,ra a,ro,.;ty What lameniable ignorance
&c bnman nature do the abctiors Of such ia
nat;r1 notions betray! The history ofman
-,a. moustrated, that free institutions can
only Stand ~, ma basis of intelligence and
.yirtne. Il wouid require centuries OF as
,cplin mud education TO qualify race de-
graded as in the Ethiopian, to enter upon
the elevated career Of freemen. enthen,
the guardianship of some superior power
wauld'sSe necessary to keep them in That
erect peSIeion, for which providence seem
not to hive designed them. "a servant OF
servants sirsit thou be" is the curse stamped
upon their Nisages, as lcgibly as the mark
craven upon Gains forehead; and vain will
9,c the efforts dfagitators and humanity mon
gers to avert thu, doom.
on tho conduct of the blacks, under the
new state q things, the following extracts
from Jamwica gHGet:e will furnish our
readers with correct ideas:
"1'he apprentices says the Kingston
Chronicle. care frosted by the special mag
istrates and their subordiuates, as spoiled
children. They are petted, humoured, en-
co,lra eea in idleness rad waste of time, and
taught to expect indulgoUces which their
masters cannot afford to give them gratis
and when denied these mdulgences, they
arc encouraged ia the belief that they are
ill-treated and imposed upon. Their chill
drcn are idle and pronisate, acquiring no
one good habit whatcvcT, disdaining all ag-
ricult,rsI labor; and again encouraged in
such feelings, we suppose, 10y command, or
on account Of Instruction.
This, no doubt, presents a true but faint
picture Of the Inconvenience and abuses TO
which the miserable failure of this expert
ment has opened the doors and may be re-
garded as he advance guard of host of
evils which, in the shape Of revoIts, insur-
rections, murders and mnsacres, will heat
ter be introduced, and spread havoc over
that beautiful island. The symptoms of
these intestine CONNEXIONS already begin
To manifest themselves. The Jamaica ga
zettes are filed with accounts of the attro-
rious deeds and horrible outrages, of which
the petted and pampered apprentices are
guilty.
On this subject the following remarks are
mnde by one Of the leading Journals on the
Island. "That idleness is the root of all
evil" is made manifest in every court, by
the fearful increase ofcrime. In days when
masters had the power of stimulating their
1aborers to industry and good srder, the
black catalogue ofiniqnity which now stains
the quarterly calendar, was seldom 10 be
seen. For be it remembered, it is not trivial
Offence subject merely to domestic punish
sment, but hcinous crimes which are brought
mnder the cognizance Of the court--crimes
switch were always visited by capital pun.
ishment, such as ''murder, burglary, cattle
stealing, rape"
After this specimen Of the effects of abo.
jition, who would for moment tolerate
the spread Of such Aagitious doctrines
through our own happy land Ler the ox-
nmples Of jamaica and ST. Domingo, where
this wretched experiment has worked on n
miniature scale, but sufficiently extensive
90 develope awful realities, be contemplated
'hy men Of sense and intelligence as war
uing BY which thew may profit Frnaiics
and'hypocrites may discard the evidence Of
facts md turn deaf ear to the dictates of
reason, bat to the honest. judicious, ,hinkin
portion II the community, sufficient proof
has heen furnished in the condition ofthesc
tive islands, Of the absurditv and FOLLY of