The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-09-08

and all parties were brought together, the vic.
tim took 1t In excellent part, and forpaye them
all for the trial to which they had subjected his
feelings" IN
LORD BROUGHAM ON WEST INDIA
| EMANCIPATION. ~
The twenty fifth anniversary of the abolition
of Slavery in the British Colonies was celebrated
on the Sd of August, by public meeting. at
the Music Hall, Bedford square, in London.
over which Lord Brougham presided.
The attendance was large and respectable.
and upon the platfrom, in addition to the ven,
cradle Presidents were many distinguished
friends of negro freedom. f-Fsi
Lord Brougham, in opening the proceedings,
after briefly acknowledging the enthusiastic re-
cepnon which greeted him upon taking the
chair, said
/ 1t naturally gives us all great satisfaction
that we have lived to see accomplished this
great measure of Slavery abolition, than which
there was none in the whole history of our
career at all superior in importance or in virtue.
or In what may be expected to be its beneficial
consequences, and that we have now, by the
| goodness OF Providence, been spared to witness
the twenty-ffth anniversary of that great event,
/ a quarter Of century to-day having elapsed
since the shackles of the slave were finally struck
| off,"
Lord Brougham then alluded to Spain and
the United States as nations who had failed to
follow the example of Great Britain. OF the
United States he said:
Il grieve to say that our brethren, our kins-
folk In America, furnish another exception to
our example /; but of that | would speak tender
ly, from recollecting that America has acted
admirably In many respects, and even abolished
| hot 4
Even in Georgia, which is as devoted to the
institution, as they are pleased to call it. as
any of the Southern States, it was our fault.
and not theirs, that they ever had Slavery for
| we pressed it upon them, and they refused it.
| They protested against it, but we defeated them
and it is our fault that that institution pre-
walls in those States"
After q glowing tribute to Wilberforce Clark.
son, Joseph Surge, James Stephen Macaulay.
Henry Thornton, who, with himself, labored for
the cause of emancipation, and brief recital OF
the struggle for abolition, Lord Brougham
thus referred to the practical results of Free.
| dom: .I
Now that emancipation has put the negro
| on the same footing as the white in point OF
rights and privileges, it is fit that we should for
a moment stop to consider what his behaviour
has been under the change; and nothing can
be more satisfactory than all accounts of the
conduct of the slaves. 1t was expected by some
that on the LIST of August, 1884, there would be
an outbreak, and that the sudden Liberation OF
persons who had so long been confined and
under the influence of oppression, would occa-
sion conduct that was not consistent with the
public peace. Never was any apprehension
more completely falsifed by the result Hear
hear.l On that day there was all over the
West Indies, / venture to say, among the
$4,000 negroes whom we had liberated, the
most perfect peace, uninterrupted by riot or de.
bauchery. In that country, where nature pro-
vokes the passions, and where the stimulus OF
intemperance is dealt out with profuse hand,
there was no instance to be found, in all the
Caribbean Sea, of intoxication or of riot from
intoxication. On the contrary, the churches
and chapels we're filled. SUGGESTIONS of con-
gregations, one after another, frequented them,
in order to testify their gratitude to God for
the great boon which Providence had bestowed
on them. Cheers. Those people, as pous
as the nature of man will allow, spent that day
in piety and devotion, and not the slightest
breach of the peace or act of intemperance
was perceived. Then it was said, They will
not work. The result has proved the contrary.
They are not at all indisposed to work. Give
them wages, and they will work. No doubt
they will prefer cultivating their own yam-gar-
dens, if you do not give them adequate wages
but, when they have adequate wages, they will
work as well as can be desired, not only at cot
ton and indigo, but at sugar also.
1T was said at the time that the supply OF
sugar would greatly fall off, but we have posi-
tive proof from the most undoubted authority
that where they are well treated, and proper
wages are given, the supply of sugar in the dis
trict is not diminished by emancipation. In
deed, it was stated by the Marquis of Sligo
some years ago in the House of Lords, that
there was one district in his Government, he
having been Governor of Jamaica, in which a
twofold greater produce of sugar had been
made by free negroes than by slaves in former
| times. That, / admit, appears to have been a
peculiar case, and therefore I do not mention
it as an average; but, as general rule, say
that there has been no diminu6on in the growth
Of sugar, and no want whatever of men to work
at proper wages. Hear, hear. This subject
| has lately been made matter of controversy,
and an inquiry is now going on, from which
! hope truth will be obtained, and from which we
shall see whether there are not exceptions-as
don't doubt there may be-to that rule. For
instance, am told that Barbados stands in
different position from Jamaica in that respect
and that Barbados is hourishing all the re-
spectacle testimony which we have from Bar
bados is to the effect that there is no want of
sugar, and that its growth has increased in
stead of falling off, The former slave stands
now in different position with respect to the
community, in consequence of the change that
has taken place, from that which he occupied
before. He has the same interest now as his
master. 1t becomes his interest that the mas
ter should profit, for his wages are to be paid
out of gains of his master. The profits of the
planter are the fund out of which his wages
must be paid consequently, they have com
mon interest, and he ought to rejoice in every
thing that tends reasonably and without any
abuse to the profit of the planter. Hear, hear
That many planters have suffered, that many
will continue to suffer, is undesirable; and those
particularly will suffer whose estates are under
mortgage. 1t may be said, indeed, that it all
depends upon that, and that those whose estates
are not under mortgage are fourishing but,
as q very great many estates are unfortunately
in that condition, fear that considerable
proportion of proprietors have suffered But
there have been many sufferers also by their
advocacy Of emancipation and when mention
the name of Mr.. Stephen, am reminded of the
last act of his public life, when, having been the
steady supporter of the then Government, he,
in the year 1915, gave up his place in Parlia-
ment and all hope of preferment, and retired
into private life, because he eonscientiously diff.
fered from bis Political friends-the Govern
ment of the day-in question regarding Afri-
ca and the slave trade. Such men also as
George Thompson and others, both in this
country and the United States, despising the
danger to which in some cases they were ex-
posed, and the loss which in ell cases they un-
derwent, labored in this great and good cause,
and honor be to their names fCheers.l /
could name other instances, and, if it were not
selfish, and slight matter compared with the
sacrifices which others have encountered, l
might name my own case. Loud cheers. 7