, 1866-12-14

monial alliance with a Creole of African descent, though she were a fan
to look upon IS the mother of all mankind.
The question of social independence is a most dencate oe TO 'oucn'
and when / seem to suggest that in free Barbados social distinctions are too
marked for a perfectly friendly feeling to exist between the white and
black portions of the community, l do not mean to uphold tn absurd
pretension of social equality, in the name Of which, and under the @gSN
modern democracy, so many detestabie abuses and SO many nagrant 10
lations Of individual liberty have been practiced. Nature has drawn a
line of demarkation between a man with talent and a man without; eWu-
cation divides the learned from the ignorant; habit the industrious from
the idle; society the man of refinement from the boor; and necessity
the poor man from the rich. Nothing can be more practically hopeless
-nothinps more destructive to personal freedom tnan Inc dOcIHhe VI
social equality; nor do 1 for a moment pretend that the barbadlan plan
ter should be censured because he regards his laboref, MS Snoemaker' OF
or his tailor as social interiors. But when he, ana all te the Wnhe III
bahitants ofthe island, make difference of color their only line OF dStnc-
ton. and parade their reasons in a offensive and obnoxious Way-Wnen
white planters refuse to associate with coforcd planters wnte merchants
with canmed merchants, and white mechanics With c0lored mechanics,
simply because they ar cohred, the question ceases to be a purely social
one. and assumes a dangerous political complexion AS long a. .e
ooorad neonle were slaves, their heart-burnlngs and their JeaOuses
might be dsregarded with impunity Oh contemporary ignored. DuC
freeedom has opened to them the way of progress and power; and if their
present progress and present power have proved, as tey @oe PnOVeu'
that color is no insuperable barrier to intellectual development ana re-
fnement, it is but wise to make it no longer an supelae 13 ~ ~ 10
social advancement. I know of parties in Barbados VINO reIuseda 10 WISH
Government House because they met there cOlored persons OF Inc very
highest responsibility and cultivation and though l am ready u make
avery allowance for prejudices so mgraned al these OF the "mGe against
tho co1ored rae in a land where they have lived as master aMa slaVe-
thonoh r cor from a country where these feelings are more than cner
ished. and where the man in whom they are found wanting Is coeuemneu
Nv nnhlic onnion. and can expect or look for no political preIermenI;
yst in the peculiar case of Barbados, / can not help regarding these sell
s nroiudices IS the chief source of dsrust between the two peoples,
and as a decided obstruction to the satisfactory solution OF ID emahciPa-
ton problem. ~ -. nnohlo, ,nroti a oraat measure
ba worked ont by the emulate race. 1t is vain, perhaps, to speculate on
the future. Init we can not close our eyes to existing facts. line WnHe
race within the tropics loses much of its energy ana force. IL requires
4 very close scrutiny to be convinced of such a patent truth. gu ian
business. and in their daily life. The mulaHo is IS exclusively the ""h-
uo.uaam. in all professions and trades, as the black Is tue neId iaDorer.
Whites are the aristoora.sI speak of the Creole Whles-Wno deem IL
their special right to leghlate for the masses; ana they 10 iegls'a'e