New-York daily tribune., 1854-08-28
JAMAICA.
TIE REsuITs or EMANcrSrIoN
y o. otr os- Ssesg aasa-

n =
negro emancipation IN tho Colonies, PasseI o" II
kfpestea and adjacent parishes without 'he sy"V"S'
do ponNration 10 distinguish ne DAY rom al oIahary
Tuesday. Nor does The day aPPear 70 nave peea at
AIN observed IS holiday in The distant parishes loo
el, hss the legislature succeeded IN ObLterang all
,eu.mbranse OF the inestimable boOn-ii may use
sueh term that was bestowed on the lst oi August
ltss an eight hundred thousand Of the human race
II nay be within your remembrance "I,9 "hat re'Gc
tsnee he Emancipation Act passed by our Colo
nal Parliament OF those days. aud how u was actually
thrust down the throats Of Jamaica legislators and ia
maics planters by the British Government, backed by
the Imperial Parliament. Nothing else than this, and
a wholesome dread Of repetition ON grander scale
and with greater success Of the nsurrectOn of ll%
xonld have siced Ia induce western hylocks to
orcgo their claim 10 their pound of negro flesh They
,wsllowed the pill, but it was bitter one; ana IN
order 10 neutralize the taste they WIN the
spite Of little minds, res0rted 70 one OF tne mean-
.,t and most undgrifed acts that sunk ieglsa-
tive body beneath contempt. Not daring to go 50
kr as to prohibit the new emaDciPated people iro
spioyipg Themselves on the day which witnessed
their sudden transformation from chattes INTO human
beings legislators were determined tha' no bucn
Indulgence should be granted on the, 10 the decVfSCd
spuiyersary Imaginary fears OF disturbances were
deemed sufficient reasons for this patry deter
uinaton into effect; and with seliconie.sion oi
sowar,ce unparalleled in history we bnd these gentle
men-msny Of whom lad exhibited Their yalor by
sbootiDg down the poor uDarDed and unOhendng
.eoroes in ls32-actualy decreCng that the lst Aug
lras should atone be considered as holiday. How
tie British Government came 10 sanction 80 outrageous
ar act-beraying il did the hatred Of the planters
y ho had the legislature under their thumbs, to the
cause Of negro freedom--I avn at loss 10 conceive
Perhaps they were persuaded Of the reaity oi the
ars .f the planters, Of disturbances, should INC ISL
August be perpetuated public holiday; or per-
iaps they accepted the act as a sort Ol compromise
" i,ich miaLt smooth down the asperlues oi the
,iantoeracy. IN whatever manner this may be ac-
counted ior certain il is that we have the astonishing
cifc.nstnnce Of the greatest event IN modern history
sr be achievement Of dependence by the thirteen
United Ststes-sn event that yonr Dr. thanDng con
,dsrs "A more remarkable than the delverance o the
Israelites frem Egyptian boDdage-we have the cir
sum,tance of this great event passing without COM
u,mofatioD; aud that, too, under the authority oi
statute law, made expressly u prohibit any such com
mtmoration. 1t appears not to be 80 N some 0i inc
other Colonies. ! have before me files oi Windward
leland papers in which the preparations for ceebrat
ing the LIST Of August duly mentioned. And what
can be more proper than that day fOr those who III
eir proper persons or IN the persons OF tnei an,
eeors rose 10 the dignity OMAN TO observe the blessed
anniversary BY prayer and Thanksgiving TO Hin who
4, the Author snd Giver OF the liberty which they
sneyi Nor should the expression OF gratitude he con-
fined 10 these Those resident in the Island " lao have
never tasted of the bitter draught of Slavery have al
most az much 10 be thankful that the bghting,
witberug curse of Slavery has been removed from the
land Independent of the morality of the act the
security OF life aud property which we now ENJOY as
eOntasted with the frequency OF Instructions under
the ameeH regime is certainly subject for congrau-
jaton Despite the fears OF the old cr0akers of for
er days the only threat of nsurrecOn that has ever
been made in Jamaica, since the of emancipation,
was made by the whites, when iii lo}9 ON the suspen
sion of the islands Constitution being before the
Imperial Parliament, revolt was actually meditated
by the European residents and the annexation Of Ja
maiea to the American Union in contemplation.
Never in the worlds history has great an event as
the liberation OF the slaves OF Jamaica been 50 quietly
accomplished. II was naugurated in peace and peace
has resulted from it, How prepOserous, then, TO pro-
hbit the celebration of glorious ami, ersary,
fbe plea that it may lead To disturbance The fact is,
the negro now, in respects man Of substance.
A very large number OF them are small freehOdcrs;
and those who not are in hopes OF becoming
day or the other. Having, therefore, everything to
lose and nothing TO gain by insuTrectOn-and they
shrewd enough to perceive tbis---and being withal
pcaceably disposed by nature, any serious outbreak
that may arise sill not be on their part. However it
IL a matter finally settled-as unaltcrsby as the
laws Of the Mcdes and Pcrsans-tst the LIT Of Au-
gust shall not be in Jamaica a public holiday. Bold
indeed would that legislator be who should grayely
propose the contrary. He would BE- accused of de-
sire to revive the prejudces of the Odeu time. and
would be looked by his brother legislators fire.
brand How l do blush for MY country, when | re-
member that in Newlork situated III country with
which We have no political connection, and which il
NOT directly interested in the great question of West
India freedom, the champions OF liberty still celebrate
the great festival which we shameiuy neglect!
But must leave morazing, and return to facts
Ithas been conended by the enemies ofthc Negro that
be has not improved his condition. morally socially, or
religiOusy, since the Act of Emancipation came into
operation; but that, the contrary, he has retro
graded, in all these PARTICULARS aud the falling of of
our staple products IL laid at hs door. IL not
prsing that persons having started with these pre-
misses, should have arrived al the conclusion that
freedom, 81 far from being blessing has been
ysrss Ia Mf f0UafTUi f.p AS &c haWpCpr how far
these premises are correct. In support Of the
fon, That the negroes have not improved in moral
point Of view, We are directed Ia the calendars OF
the criminal courts apdsare told that that these docu
ments are the trne ermtomoiers-to employ word OF
NV own coinage-by which the morals OF the people
NAV be tested. Unnatural crimes are pointed ont
to us which certainly would disgrace any community;
aud the increase Of robbss aud other crimes OF an
binary nature shown by the records othe Courts Of
tee il cited evidence OF the increased wckesness OF
the But the gentlemen who thus argue, care
fully keep out OF view this little but important fact that
in the "goOd old times OF jamaica il the interest
of the planters and other Of human cattle TO bring
the ohenses Of their slaves little before the Courts
of Justice possible. solemn trial before Court
would result in the onRes deprivation oi his property
Tor days, weeks-perhaps for months years. Nine
"and.thirty rel laid oa" without troubling the msgs-
tracy with the matter was, therefore, considered
sufficient atonement for any crime for which Court
of Justice would be likely to award punishment short
of hanging transportation. In these two cases in-
deed, there was very little reluctance manifested on
DE part of owners to let justice have Its legitimate
course, because the Legislature very sapienty pro-
yded that the of the hanged transportelprOp
criy should be amply remunersted for his loss
that was, OF course, calculated TO render hanging
or transportation less frequent Here YOU have, at
once sufficient reason ior the augmentation of the
criminal records, without necessarily implying an n-
crease Of crime. lu there is another reason which
have often advanced through hc press of this island: