New-York daily tribune., 1858-10-28
VEST INDIA EMiNCIPATION

Lat evcrins the Rev. Mr.. BLKbr. sor many yesx.
missionary in Jsusica, lecturoi 20 large audience
assembled in Dr. Cheevers Church, Union SQUARE, on
the subject of Emancipation - the Brt.sh West
I1des.
He said that tie question he wss to discuss OF
Importance especially in view OF It's bearings upon tho
interests Of the human beings held in bondage in this
ard other countries The history of Emancip ston in
the British Colonies alluded 10. briefly COM
nencing with the resolution Of Mr.. Blackstone, de
cariug the system If Slavery TO he inconsistent with
the prrcplcs of Christianity ani the British Govern
mcnt which. however. was lost. By the bill. which
subsequently, passed. slaves over a certain age
to he held in condition If apprenticeship for GER
tain time, and twenty miitons were paid to the
slsvc-owrers. Caused, however by an insurrec-
tion in Jamaica, tie system oi apprentice
ship was abandoned, after tour years traL
Samuel sharp, an unusually intelligent slave,
persuaded the slaves that they had been set free by
The British Government, ad That they were held N
servituic without warrant. The result was that S'.
Geo slaves in the north ot Jamaica had thrown of all
respect and authority oi the law Sharps plan was
ror.rcsistarcc thinking that, though few might be
hung. vet ifttey held firm they would succeed. But
not taking into consideration the exs'sble nature OF
the people his scheme tlllcd. Some OF them broke
into rum store. aud, becoming drunk, they after-
ward accidentally set fire To buiing or An emnence
ant, this being like beacon, soon the planta'
tions all around in blaze. But the
commapdant of the British troops succeeded by
promising pardon to them who would return to their
plantations in queing the psurrection, and all would
have been well had not the planters, who at the incep
tou of the insurrrction cowars when the nsur-
rccton quolled commenced the slaughter OF the
slaves. mPny ot them mrocent victims. The fearful
scenes which occurred in connection with these sum
mary proceedings, Were depicted hy The speaker,
WHO WA an eve.witness to them. tbs instruction
had lcd The British pathemori to do away WIN
,layery Another element which bad led 70 this
result grew ont of the accusation by tho planters
against the religious teachers that they had inctee
the slaves to insurecton Missionaries were arrested
and thrown into prisons. Witnesses were suoorheo
and tins failing, brute violence war resotedto touAes
and persons ot missionaries were violated on frequent
occasions. Though the Crown officers were directed
by the British Government to take acton against
these proceedings, in every case the Crand jury g-
ncred the bills. 4 few months by seeming retribu-
tive Justice of Providence the leaders OF these acts Oh
violtuce had passed away, some by suicide, some ny
mur,r and by sickness or other causes Ahtheeo
events tended To cause the British Government to pass
the decree. Arrangements were made to have religious
services on the 3st of July 10 continue until midnight,
aud men and women knelt in prayer az slaves and
arose free men and women. Scenes connected WIN
this event were described by the speaker with much
! interest. The speaker then alluded 70 tho results
upou the interests of the British West Indies ot
tmancipation. He had been surprised to learn the
extent 10 which the belief entertained that the
West Indies had been ruined by Emancipation; "
was not true that the West Indies were ruined Dy
Emancipation, though many plautcrs were ruined not
by Emauc patton, but by Slavery The fact was that
the planters were in "A state of hopeless bank
ruptcy before the Emancipation. la support OF tins,
the speaker cited from the official documents ot
the Colonial Government, extending from i.9'
down The facts cited showed how unproiltabls
was slave labor. Before the slave trade ceased
and they could fll up the dccimated ranks of
/ their slaves from Africa, even the planters were
complaining Of debt aud ruin, aud this was not to be
wondered at An estate of bOo acres had generally
100 slaves then few bookkeepers an overseer with
hurern for him. an attorney the merchant IN Eggiand,
and the wear and tear OF machinery and cattle 10 DO
supported Was unreasonable, therefore, that estates
should be mortgaged Emancipation war,ied on ruin
Ilpeg ~ nm
nent though it did not go to the planters, ana did 90
To the mortgages, enabled the morigagee to make
advances to the planters. But the finishing stroke 10
ruin to planters giyenby the adoption OF Sir Robt
Peers policy of Free-tradc, which appreciated the
value If sugars fifty peg cent, causing mer-
chants to refuse advances and planters failed
Bu, IL. years after this event, the statistics showed
that the colony much better on than ID 1874, the
last Year of slavery Ia seventeen years after, the
population had increased twenty per cent, though ior
eleven wears previous 10 emancipation tue numbers 0t
slaves Tell on The shipping to The several ports oi
the colonies increased IN seventeen years alter more
than II ry per cent, and the revenues OF the islands
increased noIe than seventy per cent. Inc imports
uf the comforts of inhabitants Increased $,"w,Ww
In 1884 the planters could not, a. now, buy IN the
cheapest aud sen in the dearest markets OF the world
When in Slavery the blacks never used c0hee Of
sucer These they used now, and adding the
enount consumed TO the amount exported, It would
be found that the production grcater than previ-
Gus to emancipation. In Barbadoes, this year, the
! production Of sug0r $4,000 hogshcads. Never
ircyiogs to 1884 was more than - 900 Produced The
pronounced the state mcn tina, lie blacks were
worse #, thao in Slavery 20 be an unqualited false
hood. The slaves were gwen no %s1es ana no i"od.
but ~ " some cloth 10 scantiy c!othe themselves.
They were Given small piece Of snd, sometimes DIS
.ant nilc from tie plantation on which each say"
was compelled To provide tor hlm<ei, 20 DO whlcn,
each slave was allowed one Saturday each fortnight"
/ cult;vete the land But within ten years alter enan.
cipation, over 50,G00 OF those very persons haa
bought and were cutyatins ireehods, ana trsJ arJ
~ A. comfortably small farmers IN Isnana. ii,
4 Stbs,b u,s well observed. Each ismiy geh''""1
baJ cottage containing hall, palior ana twV VI
tiree bedrooms and what was matter oi ahp'e'on
a,norg the negroe., a mahogany bedstead ana Siae-
bo,rd The moral status OF the people had been sso
elevated The criminal statistics showed tnat tuey
were better In charge Of 900 people not case OF
.on.persnce had come before them for church disci'
~ - -oud leave biz house without being locker,
= h, -Iod by tens Of thousands oi
yn"sk he crs, snxr,. that the me-
/ 'Ho"Y" " voc '""sver
groes woaA not work. The truth wss, WIZ
The wages were forthcoming regularly they wes>
glad ~ work, and always gave satisfaction
To- .mploy.rs. The reason why the negroes
in many instances refued 20 work for planters 10 Ja-
maica was because they wanted tbem-fyee msn--to
woIk upon Slavery terms. Inc spcax.r eitoi IN
stances TO show II AZ emancipation had Svanocu tno
material interests Of the Colonies Mr. Hincks, the
Governor Of Barbadoes had in recent letter stated
facts in support Of this view From the statistics.
the sp.aker .ad that il evident that the beN step
that The -ayehoders could take for their own inter
ests would be to emancipate their slaves. In int.E
-ctua progress these people showed themselves 70 o
in no way inferior b. the whites and as evidence os
that the speaker stated that many high and resPcu-
sible offices filed BY colored men Ia coIcJsoos
the speaker called attention to an educa'iona scncnc
which lie had in view with reteI'hce 80 "a "a II, "
the Colonics, and asked contributions !" "'' VI ."
/ ~, III, - ,Iav os "The Pope Of Rome"