The Placer herald., 1866-01-13
From the London Times.1
The Jamaica Massacre Negro and his
Capacity for Sci. Government.

lheTe can lie no doubt mat the insured a..
ton Of the negroes in Jamaica is an event Of
the most serious import. 1t has been at
tended with some of the most horrible out.
RACES that have ever been peIpetrated even
in that horrible land of African law sness
In the old days Of slavery the Jamaica negro
was noted among his race for his dangerous
character, and he arose against his masters,
under the guidance Of the Baptsts, on the
very eve OF Emancipation.
Since that line this race have been al
most masters themselves. They have been
placed on political equality with the whites,
aod from their vastly superior n mbers they
have been able to exercise an influence be.
yond what their intelligence should give
them in any well governed State. They
have had their place in the Legislature and
magis'racy: they have been favored by the
Colona Office at home; successive Governors
have thought 1t necessary to uphold them
in almost every difference with the white
population. The generation which was
freed in 1888 has been succeeded bv another.
which has grown up under a system the
most favorable for eliriling all that was ca
pabIe FIR civilization in the negro nature.
'"eN HdNe u HHe iSiHHI, hNoUt tU6 SZo VI
Yorkshire, almost to themselves; they have
received the guidance of Jealous E. glishmen
who have gone TO the country AS the black
mans friend, and who have done all in their
power to instruct and elevate him. They
have been taught the doctrines. and rear-d,
AS far as possible. in the practices Of Christi
ani,y. Every child has had much better
chance of good education than the great
mass Of our poorer classes have in this coun
try. A climate exactly suited to them,
abundance of land. and the most easy sup
ply of the wants of life, ought to have made
them the happiest and most contenied peas
an'rv the world every saw. 1t seems, how
ever. impossible tn eradicate The original saw
ageness of the African blood.
As long as the black man has strong
white Government and numerous white pop.
ulalicn to control him lie is capable Of living
as a respectable member Of society. He can
he made quiet and even Industrious 10y the
fear Of the supreme power and by the ex-
ample of those to whom he necessarially
looks up. But wherever ha atlains to cer-
tain degree of Independence, there is the
fear that he will resume the baharous life
and the fierce habits OF his A (rican ancestors.
This has been eminently the ease in Jamaica
In s"me of the smaller islands the density If
the population and the complete occupation
of The land have Obliged the black people to
work steadily for wages, and there has been
no reason to complain of their conduct
They are said, in such cases. to show reason.
able industry and dncilil,; crimes Of VIC
Ience are unfrequent aud their offences are
only such petty ,hefs AS might be expected
fr IN people s" little gifted, and, until of
late years, So completely neglected. In Ja'
maica, however, the crcumsl ances which to
a more highly endowed people would have
been especially advantageous have been the
causes of failure. The negro has teen able
to live With liuia or no work, he has been
able TO get patch of land readily. and t"
subsis, hv wre.hed cultivation of il; and
The consequence is rha, considering lie vast
sums that have been spent by the English
nation in freeing and educaing and preach.
ing to them, they are the mos, unsal isfactory
portion of the race that exists either in the
islands or on the continent of the New
World. Nearly seven millions sterling were
paid down in 1884 to ruin the old propre
tors, and to purchase for these 100000
blacks the liberty to squat and maroon or to
hang about the towns of the island How all
lha efforts of philanthropy have ended may
he read in our columns to-day.
The insurrec'"n appears to have orgina'
ted in, and at the latest advires to be con.
fined to, the eastern part of the island in
the neighborhood of Morant Bay The at
rocities committed need not be rerapit ulaled
here. 1t is enough to say that the negroes,
without the smallest pIovocation. and excl
ted ouly by fanaticaI hatred of the white
men, have broken out into murder and RAJ
pine. and destroyed almost every white man
they could seize. The court house, where a
number of gentlemen were in session, was
all acked, and, except the horrors of the Sc
poy muiny, we know of nothing in recent
times like the atrocities of the blacks Un-
Tending people, even the ministers of re-
Iieon, whose lives had been passed in preach
ing to them, we're frigh.fully mutilated and
then murdered w men AS we'll as men EN-
gagged in the work If blood. The writer Of
a letter from the island says. "Ihere is not a
white man in St. Georges in the East. or
any one in charge of any of the estates."-
The design of the insurgents evidently has
|
What their object in doing this could be. ii
is not necessary to inquire, for people so ig
norant and savage were probably urged on
only by vague feelings of hatred and desire
for plunder.
1t may reasonably be hoped that the regi
ments present in the West indies, aided by
reinforce,nents from Ncrlh America and bv
The crews of the vessels on the station, will
he able to restore order in the island. Bu'
it is evident that such an outbreak must
have a most grevious Effect. through the ap'
prehensions which it will cause to prevail for
years to come. 1t may be that the fallen
fortunes of the island will sink still lower
now that it is known that not even thirty
years of freedom and full political rights are
capable of giving the Jamaica negro the in
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