, 1866-02-17

/ 1Et ! kuluk lue Cl1IlclSm8 OF L1e America
papers, on the suppression Of the recent riot
the rioters and the Government arc to blarnt
Doubtless there WAS riot of considerable prc
portions that needed prompt attention. O
the other hand, tho Government appears I
have been needlesslY severe In the suppression
Of the riot. Yet I believe TINT the condem
nation of the Government on the one hand
| ana the sympathy with the people On tn
other, and especially with Geo. W. Gordon
expressed BY the American papers. Is very un
duly baIa1eed against the former and In fayo
| Of the latter. "a. =, :,
From all the accounts I have seen, and fto1,
what know Of the people, and OF tho stat,
Of things on tho Island generally, l doub
local hot, excited by a local cause, or whether
twas disturbance, prematurely precipita
ted, as part Of an extensive plot as has beer
alIeged-on the part Of the blacks, to rise Il
,n,atts and destroy all the whites and brown.
on the Island. II there was such plot dc
were concerned ln 1t, or that they were all
even aware of It. I believe that many oI
them would deprecate It, and do all IN, their
power against 1t, or, u they participated in It
al all, would no so on1y from lear, as did many
Southern Unionists in our late civil war.
That there are some restle.sa splrifa
on the Islands, and would be demal
gogues, Is true. That there are those
who arc capable of leading III the concoctine
ofsuch plot IS the one alluded to. and that
there are multitude Of the blacks who, tcuo-
rant Of the best way Of promoting their high
est interests, might be readily duped into
Joining such plot, Il FAR from being in.
credible, ,-...
There ars some facts that might operate as
Inducements and announcements to The form-
ing OF such q plot There has; especially
within the last two or three years, existed
more or lees Of discomfort among the com
mon people, owing to variety Of causes.
The American war has occa.ioued rise In
goods. Of which the people are consumers 81
considerable quantities.
3, Last year, aud two years before that. there
were executive drouEhts, which Impoverished
the, people more or less, and helped to pro-
ducc dstresa IN some parts .of the Island.
The intermediate ytar,, was fruitful one.
There hare been some laws and regulations
which have pressed unduly upon the common
people and must be pronounced unjust and
these wrongs have been masnffed IN the Im-
sgfnations Of I'M ignorant populace, and these
imaginaiions have been unvisely, II not GRIM
inally, infAmed by come Of their pretended
friends and tymrathizers.
There being some inducemen to an insur-
rcctlon OF the blacks, their superiority In
number would offer to them encouragement
to thla According to the Inst census Of the
Island, taken January 1st, 1850, there were at
that time on the Island: Whites, 1856 !;
:74. The number OF whites has probably
diminished some since then-lt Is 50 estimate2l
and the numbtr Of browns and blacks in
creased. - ''' -
There Is little prejudice against color on the
part Of the whites, though there IL good
deal between the blacks md browns.1A mans
color, in Jamaica, ls no obstacle to his rising
to my eminence which he is qualified to oce
Ii is true there is not much sympatby exist
inc between tho whites and b1acks, especially
between the planters and the blacks, Of
rather, should Fay between the higher and
lower classes, for there Is white and black
blood IN both. Not much care has been mani
tested by the Government for the real inter-
ests Of the people. The Government has
been mostly managed for the interest OF the
planters Think the Government Is more 10
be blamed for its neglect of the people than
for It's positive and intended oppression. It
down so much as that it has. done little to
help them rise.
The Government docs not throw obstacles
ID the way of those who make efforts for The
mental md moral improvement Of the people,
bnt rather fasors them; yet 1t manifests very
the Government Indirectly responsible for
such riots as that which broke out last Ocio-
her, hecarte If they bud done what they might
to dlffuse intelligence and virtue among fhc
people, 1t would hare resulted in such state
Of, things as would be Incompatible with such
outbreaks. It Is worthy Of remark Tint the
recent riot occurred ia the most ignorant and
cording 10 the last census, there were only
50, III OF the whole population Of the island
who could rend, and only 50, 126 who could
both read and write.
With all the obstacles that lie IN the way of
the mental, mora, and temporal prosperity Of
the people, I do not think that they arc In
snrmonntable,. that they arc 50 great ;hut
that Il they were disposed to put to exercise
that degree Of Industry and virtue, which It Is
In their power to exercise, they NIGH, In spite
Of tho misrule that has existed, and of other
hIndrances, rise in the scale Of being md make
theiF condition comfortable; though this per
haps, could hardly be expected OF q people so
grading serritude. Yet, while not a iot Is to
be abated from the real guilt Of the: govern:
ment and the planters, while Tint guilt Is
great and not to be excused or c1tenuated, It
must not be overlooked that the people are
gulltily DEPRIVED and wicked; and, In = grtat
Of their present condition. They have great
" neglected the mems that .ha7e been within
their reach for their improvement.
During The "hard time" occasioued By the
drought, the American war, ETC., those T,ho
were Of m industrious and honest character
were, for the. most part, able to secure
some parts Of the island to Which, lis state. tate.
ment ia not applicable. In many cases, hon.
est and industrious citizens have been thrown
into embarrassment by the thefts Of those who
had been too in0oleut and improyfdent to
prepare for such emergencies. .e -.
A letter Of DR.. Underhlll, u prominent man
49,
the Colonial Secretary in England, has cx-
cited good deal Of attention in that coun-
try and IN Jamaica, and has been noticed By
the American press. The statements Of that
letter are partly true and partly false. do not
suppose the writer made false representations
Yet his letter, % whole, gives
,sr5 o. hp,sssaa ot affairs II 5a
letter Eas, that the people Of Jamaica were
In starving condition, which was not true.
Much sympathy was excited In England In
behalf Of the people of the island, c!icltlng
help, In the shape Of supplies, &c; This was
By many missionaries, good nocn
and true friends OF the people In Jamaica, Al
ridiculous and an imposition upon the people |
in Jamaica received help, thus contributed, |
who were better able to. provide for them
selves than were some Of the contributors.
I know ono Baptist minister, an estiuable
christian brother, who Indignantly rejected !
the offer of portion Of these contributions
for his people. thinking 1t quite as appropriate
that bis people should contribute for the re-
lief of poor people In England u
It Is disgusting to- ono acquainted with the
[acts, to sec George William Gordon. held up |
by some of the American papers as a man I
eminent for his piety." as scattering thor |
ougbly Into every religious eaort,r md glorl-
lied as an eminent defender Of the people. |
Gordon may have been man of whom some !
things might Justly be sala h his praise, but |
he was certainly very far from deserving to be
In the manner mentioned above. |
The artlclefn the Detroit fweekly} Tribune Of
Jan. sd, taken from the" Boston CongreJd-
!ionalsss," gives. to say the least. an exceed
lngly overdfnwn picture of Gordon's virtues.
knew Gordon partially myself, and was lnti-
mately acquainted with some Of the best men
and truest friends Of the people In the island,
who knew him much better than did.
There Is ono thing TO be observed IN Coz.
don's favor 50 far as appears externally, and |
that is, that, Influenced BY whatever motives,
be was, In tile House Of Assembly, usually on
the right side Of questions affecting the inter
esta OF tho people. But, from what was well |
known of him III other relations mud In other
respects, good men doubted the purity Of his
motives: Hc was regarded By all good men