Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-11-03
From the Boston Republican.
West India Emancipation.

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On no SUBJECT, probably, has there been
such gross, premeditated. and oft repeated
misrepresentation, as on that relating to the
consequences and effects of the emancipation
of the slaves IN the British West India Is
lands, which took place August l, 1885,
These misrepresentation are published by
southern shareholders, and other journals de-
voted to tnelr interests, and under their pat
ronage ana control. Perhaps some allow
ance should be made for the amount of in
terest they nave at stake; for the prejudice
they feel against emancipation, which has
been cherished in their bosoms till il has be-
come second nature; and the ANNOYANCE
which such an example, close by them, is
adapted to inpart. But all this is no suffi-
cient excuse.
Books have been published by honest and
impartial men, who have carefully examined
into the state and condition of these Islands,,
before and since the emancipation of the
slaves, which books have been filed with
well authenticated facts, proving the perfect
safety, as well as happy effects of this eman-
clpatlon. These books contained facts which
convinced Dr. Everett and other discerning
men OF the safety, expediency, and beneficial
cttects oil emancipation to the former mas
tiers as well as slaves. Yet with all these
facts staring them in the face, these slave
holders in our Southern States continue to
speak OF this experiment as a failure, in or
der to deceive people who have not the
means OF ascertaining the ruth.
The following well-timed and well applied
rebuke OF the constant SANDER and abuse
above referred TO, is taken from the Kingston
Journal, published on the Island of Jamaica:
The allusion TO the British West Indies is
most unfortunate, inasmuch as the condition
of those colonies falsilies all the statements
and predictions of these Southern members
Who will look at this island, for example,
and say "thc existing relation between the
free aud seryile races cannot be separated"
and the races cannot live together i'll peace,
or harmony, or to their mutual advantage ?"
Where is the man, however favorably incli-
ned toward the much-loyed system of the
Southern States of America, or preiudiced
against the dark hued inhabitants of that
portion of the Union, or of this colony, who
will be bold enough TO assert that "wretcll-
edness and misery and desolation" have been
the result of emancipation? But the South
/. eTn members appeared to feel that then
ground was not safe under them. Hence
they tell their constituents, that since tn
emancipation,' the British government cha
kept I'm a sufficient military and naval fore
10 Keep 1~FSiachs ~ 1--WE, uDa : iarae nnH
DtI Vi magistrates. CODstuDlcS, ana OliiCT CIV
II il officers, TO keep order in tie towns and o.
plantations, and enforce respect to their fol
mer owners" 1t is very evident from thi
observation that they know nothing of tn
true state of affairs in the West Indies, or,
they do, have purposely misrepresented then
Z There has been u very large dininution c
both the military and naval forces in til
West Indies since the abolition of slavery
Some years ago the regular troops in this il
land alone amounted to from eight to tie
thousand men. Now, we believe, there al
not two thousand in it.
As TO the naval forces, those who lne,
Port Royal during the palmy days of Slave
~, and look at 1t ut present, can say whethC
e there has been a falling off in this depar
e ment of our defence. During slavery, even
rural parish had four or five c~onstables, an
the towns a larger number, the total
which, we have no doubt, would be foun
fully equal to the number of police now Ell
ployed for the preservation of the peace
Some three hundred and fifty of these are d
n vided among twenty-five parishes, and a POI
ulation upward of 1901 souls, "to keep o
der" as these Southern members say, 81
III the towns and on the plantations, and el
force respect TO former owners" But tlel
u is no police on the plantations, nor any n
cessity for them and what will appear mo
y astonishing to Southern alaImists, "the s.
81 cial and political superiority of education al
e. talent" is still preserved. The Southel
ne members of Congress, after crowding u !
" of misstatements into very nearly as MAJ
a. lines, thus wind up their illusions 10 Il
q West Indies: "But Notwithstanding all TN
III the British West India possessions are rui
r ed, impoverished miserable, wretched, al
~ destined probably to be abandoned TO Il
II black race" This, many of our readers w
think, is going ahead rather too fast-ru
r. ming to a conclusion much too rapidly. o
u reply is, 1t is not true there never was a p
UT Rod in the history of the British West Ind,
D. in which life and property were more seem
and peace and quiet more universal, or I bt
lie, ter feeling existed between all classes of t
community.