Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-08-13
RUIN TO JAMAICA.

The British Government have been for some time in
great perpexy the question what they shall do with
INC lsand Of yamaicaonce the Queen Of the British
Antilles, but now bankrupt and ruined and, in fact
good Tor nothing To copy the language Of the present
Governor Sir Charles Grey "The fertility Of its SOIL
and hness both for tage and pasturage the richness
ana variety OF It's vegetable products the alterations Of
mountain ana valley the numerous hot springs and
dcnal waters the known existence of various and yalu
able minerals the timber ornamental woods of ita
forests the abundance and variety Of fish on its coasts
and neighborng reefs indicate peculiar facilities for the
promotion Of the future welfare and prosperity Of its in
habtants and warrant the hope that low it has now
fallen, il will not be permitted to relapse into utter bar
barism." Nevertheless, every thing indicates and the
English themselves with great reluctance admit the fact
that such must be the fate of this beautiful and fertile
island. II has become already what may be called a
"model aboltionist establishment" The slaves were
set free before they qualified to take of them
selves and the consequence is that while plenty
there is nobody to do work The land Is capable pro-
ducing in abundance, sugar, coffee cotton fustic log
wood mahogany, ginger sarsaparilla beeswax, and ho
Also the pmento spice, of which has assign
ed to it monopoly 1t possesses great facilities for
rearing horses CATTLE sheep, pigs, &c., and its copper
mines contain rich deposes. 1t contains within itself
the elements Of unlimited prosperity, but it is
petey fallen away from its former prosperous condition
as to be in a state Of practical bankruptcy.
The landholdcrs and the laboring population in
volvcd in one common ruin. From papers recently laid
before Parliament appears that since the emancipation
Of the slaves than six hundred in the island
have been abandoned These plantations once gave oc
cupaton to upward Of fifty thousand aborers All the
expedents that hnve been employed by the local Govern
the ruin of the proven nayxii-
ing and the inhabitants beseechng Parliament
to do something for their relief But what Para-
ment do for territory which is ruined for want Of cult
walton, and yet is full of population that viii work
All the sensible portion Of British people confess that
the emancipation of the West India negroes most
thoughess and inconsiderate act-a tremendous mis-
take" But there among them who refuse to
believe that any evil possibly follow the Immediate
and utter abolition of slavery" Such persons ascrbe
the misfortunes of Jamaica to the repeal Of the laws
and other Of that characters but they not
fond of being asked how these things can prevent men
from digging the ground We have heard of any pro-
ect in contemplation by the Home Government of Great
Britain for the rescue of this valuable colony though
the subject is contemplated with deep and mournfu in
erest by all who take pride in Britan's supremacy
In addition to the general incidence and poverty into
which the blacks have sunk since their emancipation
be added the decline Of the christian among them
1t is stated that they fast reapsng into their old
perstions Of Fetchism and Obeah worship which they
brought with them from Africa, and that they
paying their devotons to snakes oads and old rag
ged puppets We give these statements find them
in English publications. They may may not be colored
higher than the TRUTH but of the general fact that the
blacks have declined to most deplorable and runous
extent into oth and ignorance their be dispute
1t would be to no purpose to ask the leaders of the
anti-slavery party to think of these things. Men who
make trade of philanthropy viii of shut their eyes
such dsagreeabc facts but to the really honest men
of that party may put the question whether they quite
understand what they about in calling for the i'm
mediate and utter abolition Of y."Boston Courier