The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-04-28

loan it; and rejoice that God is vindica-
ting the right. Let proslavery croakers
hang their heads in shame, and be con-
veried.
l am, perhaps, Mr.. Chairman, the on-
ly person present who was an eyewitness
Of that event which you have met togeth-
er this day to celebrate. You will see
that am a very old man, sir; the SHOWS
of age have not entirely covered my bead;
but am old enough to have been pres
ent during that insurrection to which you
have referred, and which was one of the
principal events which FASTENED on the
crisis of the movement for West India
India Emancipation. and constrained the
British government to "let the oppressed
60 free"
1t had been customary with the pro-
slavery press of Great Brittsin.-and a
very large portion of that press was. up
to late hour. under the influence of the
West India body, and Of those interested
in the maintenance Of slavery,-it had
been customary for that press, as it is
now Of the pro-slavery press of this coun-
try, to endeavor to misload the masses by
asserting that the slaves were better of
than they would be in freedom, that they
were perfectly coBtent with their lot. that
they bugsed their chains, and that it was
in brief, condition very little short Of the
happiness of Paradise. You may imag
of ha
excited in Great Britain, among its
churches aud the people generally. wheD
the startling Intelligence reached them, in
the beginning of 1882, that City thoasan
slaves in the island Of Jamaica made al
effort for liberty, had resolved to strike
blow for freedom. and had stood up in
opposition to their masters, and to the
law which held them in bondage, and
claimed their freedom. Sir, the illusion
was at once dispeled, and it was seer
and felt, throughout the length and
breadth of Great Britain, that the public
mind had been imposed upon, and that
there existed in the West Indies. amongst
the slayes, an intense desire, nay. more
than that. a determination to be free.
Sir. happened to be stationed in the
leland of Jamaica, aud 10 that part OF 1t
which was the scene of this insurrectioD.
/ knew the person with whom the iDsur-
rection originated very well; | marked
its progress; | was an eye witness to the
eruelties aud slaughter by which it vas
suppressed; and saw it brougbtto ter
minatiou. The man with whom the in
surrectiou originated-Samuel Sharp
was a slave, aud a member of the Bap-
fist church in Montego Bay. Altboug b
it may seem strange to many, Sam Sharp
was very handsome negro. perfect
model man; and, more than that. be had
learned to read. He was born in slave.
ry, but he bad never felt anything of the
bitterness of slavery He was born iu a
family that treated him indulgen:ly; be
was a pet, anc was brought up as the
playmate of the juvenile members of the
family, aud had opportunities Of learning
to read aud for mental cultivation, to
which very few of his felIow-slaVes had
access; and Sharp, above all this, was
possessed of mind worthy of any man,
aud of oratorical powers of no common
order. | have been astonished, when
have beard that man address a large as
sembly, as ! did several times while be
vas iD Jail, to see the power with which
he swayed the feelings. the hearts and
the minds of bis auditory. He was a
man Of no common stamp, though black
man and born 10 slavery.
Well, sir, Sharp determined to free
himself and bis fellow slaves. l do not
know whether be was himself deceived
or whether he knowingly deceived bis fel-
low-conspirators, but be persuaded large
number of them to believe that the Brit
ish government had made them free, and
that their owners we're keeping them IN
slavery in opposition to the wishes of the
authorities 10 England. 1t SO happened.
sir, that, just at that time, the planters
themselves we're pursuing course which
favored Sharp's proceedings directly
They were holding meetings through the
length and breadth of the island, protest
ing against the interference of tho bome