The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1866-01-19

ties a. a man and Christian. His father
fell into poverty and he bought his man
sion and plantation and left them in his
possession. He maintained his white half
sisters, and still, restrained by the eti-
quette which ignored the relation, never
intruded beneath the paternal root, never
claimed relationship to those whom he
truly and unaffectedly loved.
He became rich He owned forty plan
tations. He recognized his stewardship,
and is described as man of ''princely
munificence." He was man of no small
talent, and he became an active member
of the island parliament
Gordon was eminent for his piety He
was Presbyterian, and, if we mistake
not, an elder. So active was he, and so
thoroughly did he enter into every relig-
ious effort, that he was common y suppoS-
ed by the haters of the Baptists to be one
of their preachers. Had he been mistak-
en- for an Episcopalian he would not have
died.
Gordon never forgot the race to which
he was allied. Its oppression was dread
full. The element of the opprcssors' pow
cr was wealth, which secured them the
possession Of the soil and of the elective
franchise. The franchise was not restrict
ed 10y color, but was sold at price that
not one in ten could pay. The laws were
arranged to keep the poor in hopeless pow
erty, and compel them to work at inSig-
nificant wages on vast sugar plantations
Taxes We're devised purposely to fall with
greater severity on the poor. The wicked
and cruel laws were cruelty and wickedly
administered. The lordling of a sugar
estate was the Judge in lowest degree, and
to appeal to higher court was not only
an obvious folly, but was sometimes pun
iShed as crime. The penalty for the
crime was the lash.
This course Of tyranny met with but
one obstacle George William Gordon
was the tribune of these plebeians Every
qualification for this he possessed in a
good degree wealth, humanity, sagacity,
eloquence, seat in parliament. Remove
him, and the poor had no protector, but
the hated, deSpised and powerless dissent
ing missionaries.
We know how the troubles broke out
\ large number of peasants were prosecute
ed for stealing food, the spontaneous
growth Of deserted plantation. which
was rotting on the soil The aim of The
prosecution was not to protect property.
but starve families in the third year of Il
dreadful drought. The people surrounded
the court room. The riot act was read.
In reply to this argument they rent the
air with cries for justice The answer
was volley of bullets. Sixteen of the
oppressors died on the spot, two more the
next day.
Then on the third day after, and after
all otfense had ceased, the soldiery. perfect
tools of soulleSs officers, were let loose up
on them and the wild Maroons of the
mountains. They slaughtered till the land
could hold no more dead. The murder
lasted week. None of the murlercr>
were killed, wounded, or resisted even.
People were shot for flying. The bloody
directors Of the butchery record that one
man, against whom they could find no cv-
iaence, they ordered to be scoureed and re-
leased. But durin. his torture lie gave
a terocious look" and was hanged immcdi-
ately.
Gordon was far from these scenes and
where no martial law existed Hearing
that they sought to arrest him, he gave
himself INTO the hands of the authorities.
lie was put on board a war vessel and
carried to the scene of murder. Three
Suballerns were set TO try him. They
went to their task late at nght-afler
midnight i'll fact. They finished it ere
they slept. 1t mi eht be thought there re-
manned space for no further atrocity than
an immediate execution. 1t was not So
The tated sentence bore the date OF Satur-
day morning "aitcr daylight" They
granted HIM the boon of fifty hours But
tor torty-nlnc of them they kept from heir
victim all suspicion of his doom. There
was given to this owner of forty planta-
tons one hour to arrange all his earthly
concerns, take leave OF his friends. (bv
writing only and prepare for death That
short hour elapsed, he was hung by the
neck till he was dead. B0>j0v Drco,,ler