The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-05-03
NEGROES IN JAMAICA.

The Royal Commission in Jamaica, which
has been examining into the history of the
late revolt in that Island, has taken q great
deal of testimony, much of which, while it
leaves exceedingly uncertain as yet the ques-
tian how for the plot of the rebellion extend
ed among the negroes reveals in strong light
the fact that the Jamaica freedmen are
wholly unfit for selfgovernment No one
can read the evidence without peroeiving the
conclusive nature of its bearing on this point
1t was point, indeed, which did not concern
the Commission, and to which they gave no
attention, and the evidence on this subject
was for that reason not direct, but it is on that
account all the more forcible and oonvinc-
ing.
One Of the remarkable features of the tes.
timony relates to the credulity of the negroes.
They seem to believe any story, however i'm
probable and foolish. Hence constant excite
ment can be kept up among them by de-
signing men. Rumors that the Queen had
sent them ship-loads of presents, had ordered
the lands to be divided among them, had done
this and that impossible thing, not only spread
as rumora, but were instantly adopted and
believed by the whole oolored population.
Various witnesses testified that a common be-
lief prevailed among them that "liberty of
person carried with it liberty Of lund, and
that the Queen had given them the lauds
when she gave them freedom" The custom
of pilfering among them is described by wit
nesses as almost universal. They steal every
thing they can lay hands ON in the way of
provisions and the produce of the soil-steal-
ing from one another as much as from the
whites. Farming is described as almost i'm
practicable in some districts on account of this
practice.
Among the witnesses examined was Rev.
S 4. Ward, who is described as q colored
man, formerly slave in America, who had
escaped and been in England. lie said "the
people were oredulous and truthless, and if
you told them they were starving they would
be very much inclined to believe you, even if
they were well to do" He said that $50 far
as he could perceive, the laborers had not
much to complain of respecting the admins.
tration of justice. The fact was that the
black people grumbled even moro than En-
glishmen did; they were always grumbling;
and their grumbling was oooasioned by tenn
perament more than by any substantial rea.
son. If it rained, they grumbled; if it didn't
rain, they grumbled; and so on. Then there
was loose feeling among them with regard
to the land. They did not like to pay rent,
and If they hired On acre of land they did
not want you to measure it of, but wanted to
I'LL good deal more" The same witness
said "there was low tone Of morality in re-
speos OF marriage; one-half the children
registered in the island during the last eleven
years were illegitimate." The superstitious
character Of the blacks is remarkably illus
trated in Jamaica. Obeah is still believed
in. These are but few of the characters.
tics Of the race in Jamaica, after the expert
ment of freedom under English oivilizing
influences. 1t is, of course, plain enough
that thore are bad white men as we'll as
black, and that these same vices prevail
among the whites. But the remarkable
character of this testimony is its sweeping
nature. The witnesses speak of whole race
as Developing these marked characteristics.
The exceptions only strengthen the rule.