The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-10-27


West India Emancipation.
The pro-savery men are very fond Of refer
ring to the condition Of the West Indies as af-
fording proof that the fruits of emancipation
are destructive 10 the interests of both slave
holders and slaves. They assume without any
reason and directly In the very teeth Of well
established facts, that since the emancipation
sct went into effect in the British West Indies,
those islands have been rapidly degenerat-
ing, that their exports have greatly declined,
and that both the white and cOlored population
have suffered. Indeed, nothing is more COM
mon than to find In pro-slavery newspapers
lamentations over the condition of things in
these ISLANDS. From Mr.. Calhoun, who has be-
come almost insane ON this subject, down to the
most Lilliputian advocate Of slavery, the pro-
slavery men declare that emancipation In the
West Indies is failure. These gentlemen do
not, we suppose, wilfully lie whea they have
occasion 10 refer 10 West India emancipation.
Ii lie charitable to account for their manner OF
talking on this subject by assuming that they
are profoundly ignorant of the condition Of the
British West Indies. But admitting they are
wofully destitute Of knowledge in regard to the
effects Of emancipation, can they be excused for
recklessiy asserting that the effects Of emanci-
patton have been destructive to the interests Of
the planters and the blacks7 Is a man to be
free from responsibility on the plea of ignOr-
snce. when he may without any great difficulty
thoroughly inform his mind2
Whatever may be said in relation TO the cul-
pability Of the slavery men who assert that the
British West Indies have been ruined and rem
dered desolste by the emancipation Of the Ne
groes, all men who are well informed on the
subject know that the results Of emancipation
in those islands fully sustain the wisdom and
the philanthropy Of the measure. The act of
emancipation is amply justified by its effects
Issuccess has been greater than was anticipated
by many Of its advocates, who. knowing that
it is always unsafe to make great social changes
suddenly, expected that many inconven fences
and evils would be encountered before expert
ence could reconcile all parties to the changed
condition Of things.
Il may be asked how It happens that there
should be such gross misapprehension Of the ef-
fects Of the British emancipation act, il il be
true, as assert, that the act has been entirely
vindicsted by its efectsl This question is ca
silly answered: The slavery men have always
cOnteOded that any sort of emancipation would
be curse TO both whites and blacks, and par
tlcuisrly emancipation unaccompanied with an
their position, nothing bet the most irresistible
evidence can change their opinion. 1t is much
more olfncuIt 10 remove prejudice than it is TO
correct an error In belief The slavery men
are prejudiced against emancipation, and hence
their minds can hardly be reached by the inf1u-
ences Of truth on this subject. Indeed the ma
jority Of their minds hermeticslly sealed
against all reason, common sense, and truth
which make in favor Of emancipation. They
have resolved that emancipation is a curse, and
they have adopted another resolution to the Ell
feet that they will never regard emancipation
in any other light than positive curse. This
being the condition Of their minds they do not
seek any illumination, and when any facts that
are favorable 10 emancipation are presented to
them they DO not undertake to argue against
them, but emphsticslly deny them or thrust
them aside without deigning to look at them,
with all that lOrdly disdain that becomes one
whose iron bound brains are proof against every.
thing akin TO progress These slavery men
then do not read any Of the accounts of the
effects of the great philanthropic experiment
in the British West Indies, and are precisely as
ignorant of the true effects Of emancipation
tlRre a. theu 0f urhaf Il Al
valleys Of the moon.
Owing to the misrepresentation which the
slavery people in the U. States and G. Britain
have put in circulation with view to dsparage
the benevolent tendencies Of emancipation in
the West Indies, number Of men of enlarged
minds and unspotted character have from time
TO time visited those islands over which the
angel wing of emancipation has been extended.
These high-minded men have published the re-
suits Of their observations In books which no
one can read without feeling that the emanci- |
patton act Of the British Government has sig |
nslly blessed all those whose chains It broke
Not only are the negroes happier and better in
all respects, but many Of the planters themselves
willingly confess that emancipation has been
an incslculable blessing to all whom IL touched.
The improvement of the negroes has been most
signal. Wherever emancipation has gone the
hight Of knowledge and christianity has greatly
increased. Schools and churches now abou nd
where ignorance AID vice formerly abounded,
and none Of those great evils have followed,
which are too generally supposed to be incident
10 any plan Of emancipation, unless expatria-
ton OF one Of the races is connected with IL.
We distinctly aver that OF all the volumes
that have been written by persons who have
visited the British West India Islands for the
PurPose of witnessing the effects of emanci-
patton, there is not one which does not contain
the smplest testimony TO the effect that emanci-
patton has greatly benefited both the whites and
the blacks. There is no foundation for the al
legation that ruin aud desolation have followed
the British emancipation act. We challenge
the slavery men to bring forward one respectable
d'sintsrested man, Uho Is competent TO gipe svi-
denes on the subject, pho piH assert that the
,7eads Of emancipation haze any reason TO de-
pl0rs the fleets Of that act. No such witness
can be found, while hundreds and thousands
can be brought forward, all Of whom concur in
representing the emancipation Of the negroes in
the British West Indies as a most substantial /,
blessing to both planters and negroes.
IL 10 true that some of the absentee planters
In Great Britain who owned nla nts,Ion. in al. |