The weekly Anglo-African., 1859-08-20

ished and / beggared. but suppose, on
the other hand, these half-fed, half-clothed,
overyworked. badly abused laborers, get
freed from my grasp, and get my farm, in
to the bargain, in their possession, by some
process or other, and cultivate it for them
selves, would not this be an evidence of
internal prosperity Precisely SO stands
the case in the British West Indies to-day
They are peaceable and content; they are
industrious and frugal They consume on
the spot what was forced therefrom to
foreign country to satisfy an exhorbitant
demand to the entire detriment of the is
lands. Hence the charge that because less
is exported from these islands than previ-
GUS to emancipation, they are less prosper
Gus, is as weak as it is Infamous BY ev-
cry rule or test of political economy, they
are in far more prosperous condition now
than formerly. Such are the facts, and |
challenge any man of respectable informa-
ton to successfully contradict them.
Thus have / briefly sketched the British
West Indies from the first symptoms of
Liberty's apparent struggles, its subsequent
growth, strength, and final disencumber-
ment, to its triumphal march through these
sunny islands; and while we would need
high praise to Clarkson, a Wilberforce, a
Buxton, Fox, Burke, and others, for
their noble efforts, still we cannot omit the
Just conclusion that force far superior to
these-an agency far higher than these
mainly impelled the result. These no
BILE men were but the sign-posts and way
marks to this powerful but unseen agency
which is implanted in every mans breast,
That agency is Liberty. We throw up
bombs and rockets, fire cannon, and send
forth our hurrahs on 4th of July day, and
we say it is for Liberty. If that achieve
ment-our country's independence-was
really any advance in favor of real liberty,
it dates no further back than eighty-three
years, while the nation, in some form, had
been in existence nearly three hundred
years. But / can point you, fellow citi-
zens, back to an effort-a noble effort-in
behalf of real liberty dating far behind
this, and from which this received its i'm
pulse; and though it now stands stigma
to the page of written history, under the
misnomer of the NEGRO PLoT, still history
will yet be true to Observation-Disclosures her
was the first symptoms, the first throb-
bings, the first breathings, of liberty ever
germinated upon the American soil 1t
was the first revolution. A beautiful Incl
dent connected with the Danish West In
dia emancipation, of recent date, (184S,)
Illustrative of this truth, may not be out
Of place to briefly relate here In the Is
land of St. Croix, under the guidance of
one of Gods noblemen, one Moses Bourd,
the germ of liberty was nurtured in all its
purity and simple grandeur. This Won
derful man, like Moses in the history of
the past, seems to have been raised up, in
the Providence of God for the express me-
dunn through which deliverance was to
come to this people. He digested well his
plans, arranged them, and then went from
estate to estate, laying down, among the
oppressed, regulations and rules for their
guidance, enforcing commands, giving
council and encouragement. Under his
skillful hand the trembling slave was taught
to know himself, and each rose from his
posture as slave and stood erect, and, in
the strength of their united manhood, de-
manded their liberty. Their shackles
they had thrown aside, and arming them
selves as best they could, they repaired to
the town where the authorities were
These fed. These stalwart men, with
liberty in their breasts and determination
in their faces, marched forth. A lady step
ped out upon the balcony, and begged and
besought that there should be no violence
no slaughter. Now mark the grand but
10 ro,,1xy nf thoco H 1T1/1ga57
qca7tt to A1t1t no one; qUe qca7t anil aciH
Aage liberty" The noble and sublime
response rang throughout the lines of this
bronzed army back even to the estates.
The autbO71tfes heard and granted the de-
mand, and 81. CrOi1 a0as free.
cannot conclude these remarks without
expressing my confidence that, under the
guidance of judicious but able and fearless
leaders, the time is coming nigh at
hand-when all our brethren held in the
unlawful bonds Of our country, shall also
be able to exclaim, We arC11tt and q0lN
hare liberty" and by judicious and en-
ergetic use of our time, talents, and oppor-
tunities, shall be able with our own unaid-
ed but strong arms to obtain it.
Fellow citizens, know this Achilles was
the greatest warrior of Greece not because
he had the largest bow, but because he
knew best how to use that which he had.
Weld rightly and well what strength you
have, and each successive stride towards
the goal of our ambition will, by its own
action, give new and increased accessions
of strength, till, on and on, we at length
reach the high object of our pursuit Up,
up, then, fellow-citizens, and be doing |!
Linger not nor tarry Let us leave moth
ing to be done by others that should be
done by ourselves, and when weshall have
performed our task-when our work is ac-
complished conscious | am the day shall
have arrived that our rejoicing (not as now
shall be unrestricted by pang of regret,
unmarried by cloud Of sorrow; unconfn-
ed, unloosed to the breeze of heaven, high
onoopl