The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-02-16
From The Journal of Commerce.
Letter from w. II. Hays, Esq, Barbados,
West indies.


ner in which the first day of emancipation came
and went in this island We very soon afterwards
received similar accounts from all the neighborng
islands. In all of them, the day was celebrated
as an occasion of devout thanksgiving and praise
to God, for the happy termination of Slavery"
In all OF them, the change took place in a manner
highly creditabe to the emancipated, and intense
ly gratifying to the friends of liberty. The quiet,
good order, and solemnity of the day, were every
where remarkable. Indeed is it not fact worth
remembering that whereas, in former years. a sin
gle days relaxation from labor was met by the
slaves with shouting, and revelry and mery-mak-
ing, yet now, when the last link of slavery was
broken forever sobrety and decorum were espe-
cialy the order of the day. The perfect order
and subordination to the laws, which marked the
LIST day Of August, are yet unbroken. we nave
now nearly five months experience OF entire e.
mancipation-and venture to say, that period
of more profound peace never existed in the West
Indies There have been disputes about wages,
as in New England and in other free countries /;
but no concert, no combination even, here; and
the only attempt at combination was among the
planters to keep down wages-and that but for
short time only. will not enter particularly into
the question, whether or not the people will con-
tinue to work for wages--Whether they will re-
main quiet-or, on the other hand, whether the
island will be suffered to become desolate, and the
freed slaves relapse into barbarism, &c. These
things have been specialized about, and gloomy
predictions had their day the time has now
come for the proof. People do not buy land and
houses, and rent properties for long terms of years.
in countries where life is insecure or where labor
cannot be had, and the tendency of things is to
ruin and decay. In short, men in their senses
do not embark on board sinking ship. Conf
&c tbo oo,l ofy of
ence of this confidence in this island the immense
operations in real estate, since the first of August
are abundant proof. There are multtudes of in
stances in which estates have sold for $4,000
more than was asked for them six months ago !;
and yet at that time they were considered very
high. A proprietor who was persuaded few
weeks since to part with his estate for very large
sum of money, went and bought 1t back again at
an advance of $4,000. A great many long leases
of property have been entered into. An estate
called Edgecombe," mentioned by Thome &
Kmball, has been rented for 81 years at 81 500
per annum. Another, called 1.-The Hope" has
been rented for 10 years at $4,000 sterling equal
to $4,000 per annum. Another, after being rented
at a high price, was re-et by the lessee, who be-
came entirely absolved from the contract and took
$4,000 for his bargain. If required, could
give you host of similar cases, with the names
VI tiic pdltleS. Dul IL SCcllS unnecessary. l he
mere impulse given to the value of property in
this island, by emancipation, is thing as notor-
GUS here, the fact Of emancipation.
But are not crimes more frequent than before
| have now before me Barbados newspaper,
printed two weeks since, in which the fact is sta
ted, that in all the county prisons among popu-
lation of $4,000, only tho prisoners confined
for any cause whatever.
But" says believer in the necessity of Col
onizatioa, how will you get rid OF the negroes 2"
/ answer by adverting to the spectacle which is
witnessed in all the islands, of the former pro-
prietors of slaves, now employers of free laborers
using every endeavor to prevemt emigration
Trinidad Demarara, and Berbice acamt laborerS
The former has passed law to pay the passage
money of any laborer who comes to the island
leaving him free to choose his employment. Dem
arara and Berbice have sent emigration agents to
this and other islands, to induce the laborers to
join those colonies offering high wages, good
treatment, &c. On the other hand, Barbados,
Grenada, ST. Vincent, and all the old and popu-
ous islands, individually and collectively, by le-
glslatlve resolves, legal enactments, &c &c. loud
ly protest that they have not q man to spare =
What is still better, the old island propretors are
on every hand building new houses for the peas
antry, and with great forethought adding to their
comfort knowing that they will thereby secure
their contentment on their native soil. As pleas
ing instance of the good understanding which now
exists between proprietors and laborers, will men
ton, that great numbers of the former were in
town on the 9th, buying up pork, hams, rice, &C.
as presents for their people on the ensuing Christ
lnas-a day which has this year passed by amid
scenes quiet Sabbath devotions-a striking con-
rast to the tumult and drunkenness of former
lines cannot close this subject without bear
ing my testimony to the correctness of the state
ments made by our countrymen, Thome and Kim
ball. They were highly esteemed here by all
classes and had free access to every source of val
liable information. If they have not done Justice
o the subjec: oftheir book, it is because the man
fold blessings of deverance from slavery are
beyond the powers of language to represent 6
When attempt as have done in this letter, to
a few Of them, know not where 10 be-
gin or where TO end One must see, in order to
tnow and feel how unspeakable boon these ISL
lnds have received boon which is by no means t
confined to the emancipated slaves; but, like the
LEWIS and rains of heaven, it fell upon all the in
labtants of the land bond and free, rich and poor
ogether
1t is a common thing here when you hear one /
peak of the benefits of emancipa tion-the remark
hat hov |