New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-06-04
JAM AICA.
The Condition Of the Colony.
Fromor Special Correspondent.

brief review of that policy pursued by the planters since
the Emancipation which, disastrous throughout has at
length eliminated in the Of trouble and bloodshed
through which we have just passed.
England committed great blunder when having given
freedom to the slaves she left 1t to the representatives OF
the old regime of Slavery TO legisate for the colony IL
not be expected in the nature of things that the
late sGye-Owner would do justice TO the freedman sud
denly delivered Of his hands and raised by the inter-
venon of superior power 10 tire same level of civil
liberty with himself The planters of Jamaica had fought
against negro freedom long they could IL was car
RED against their will IL forced upon the colony by
strong hand which they found themselves powereSs TO
resist But though they had been conquered IN the hight
they subdued. If they had not been able to
prevent the fulment Of the benevolent purposes IN
which the destruction Of Slavery originated they had II
in their power ii left to themselves, to mar and hinder
the fair work of freedom The greatest vigilance and
i1nness therefore, demanded the part of the
British Government IN dealing with the new state OF
things that superyened upon the downfall Of Slavery
But here the Government failed in its duty, simply
tenting Itself with the appointment Of number OF St-
pendary Justices TO preside in the Petty Court especially
with view to the protection Of the negro but many Of
whom VIGOROUSLY sided with the planters against the
blacks Left thus to themselves how did the planters act
In the new circumstances in which Emancipation had
placed them Instead OF adopting policy which might
have the effect Of concatng the freed people, OF healing
the gaping and still bleeding wounds that Slavery had left
OF strengthening the attachment OF the people 20 the Plan
tations on which they and their fathers before them
had been born, and had lived all their lives,
they took the very opposite course They began by 1ng
the abOrer wages the lowest rates pOSsbe WHILE
at the same time they charged exorbant rent for the cot
tagcs and gardens occupied by the freedmen. In some
rentwas actually charged at so much capita for
every member of the family and the names of the man.
his wife and his children all appeared separately the
face of the account the charge for each child being fixed
about onehaf Of that for either parent Indeed the
of the plantation cottages very high that In
numerous instances the of the abores almost
entirely absorbed by IT, II required to be paid weekly
and in of failure OF payment steps were immediately
taken for summay eyicng the tenant in doing which It
was quite thing for the planter 10 cause the
doors and windows Of the cottages 10 be torn of and
taken away the fruit trees in the negro gardens TO be cut
down and the peoples growing provisions entirely de-
srOycd This system of persecntion-for can call IT by
no other nanehad the effect OF driving the aborers away
from the plantations in search of settlements of their
in the mountainous parts Of the island and thus sprung
I'D the large number Of negro homesteads which now
cover the hills Of Jamaica But further effort was to
leave the planters without the command Of that contnu
labor which is essential IN sugar eutvation and thus
estate after estate abandoned and the exports Of the
colony greatly diminished To remedy this state things
resort was had COoe immigration but this experiment.
after budeniDg the colony with debt Of fully sOUVJO,
has proved a disastrous failure.
As regards legislation the pursued by the PLAN
ter has been all along OF the most unjust and perni
character During the four years OF the apprentice
ship-r0m 1881 TO lSs-Jamaica legislation was, 50 far
The negro concerned prominently thing of pains
and penalties The OdiOus whip the badge OF cruel sys
tom Of Slavery was retained. The tread-mill intro
duced into the several prisons throughout the and and
Yagancy and dsobcdience of ordas on the plantations
punished by hoggng and labor on the mill, women
well being subject 70 the latter punishment. IL
il matter Of establishment 10 some people, how the In
peria Government could have permitted these things
But the fact is that the VINO had succeeded IN carry
ing negro emancipation through Parliament were sue
ceeded In Office by ministry having predictions noion
ously favor of the West India body II Is true that
when the change took place emancipation was already
fat accOmDb and the work could not be undone but
under the administration the planters enjoyed greater
latitude and met with leniency than they could have
looked for had the Liberals remained in office. Besides,
IL had been confidently asserted, and was souty main
tanned that the negro would not work save under compu
son that it required measures to keep him TO
lQk doctrine. although
il had no better foundation than the De 0T of the
planters had It's effect in England IL accepted ~
gospel certain influential quarters and thus the Jamaica
Legislature was LETT Pret! much 10 ltseu 10 make
laws for the management and control OF the negroes,
the Crown exercising It's right of veto only IN some very
and upon the urgent circumstances OF the
phauthropsts of the mother country. Eventually how
eve the abuse Of power the pat Of the Legislature
became nolerabe, so fruitful of mischief and misery
in the colony that the British Government was compelled
u take steps for restraining the excuses OF the Jamaica
legislators Then the tug of war" The Ministry
OF the day DESTROYS OF introducing into the colony
Prison law with provisions OF more humane character
than that which then In existence here In this they
were met with the determined resistance the part
of the planters The administration OF the then Governor
of Jamaica the late Sir Lionel Smith, seriously EN-
barassed through the action Of the House of Assembly,
and matters TO such lengths that annexation to the
United States Of America was actually threatened ltn
certain that had the power been equal 10 the WILL the
planters of Jamaica would az that time have thrown on
their allegiance to tho Crown and sought place In the
Union As it was their opposition was OF so violent ana
recalled; bill passed Parliament providing for the sus
pension Of the Constitution of Jamaica should tho As
semblv continue refractory and the late Lord Metcaie
sent Governor armed with fuu powers TO give
effect that IT, upon assuming the government
of the colony he found the House in the same temper IN
which it had parted with his predecessor These decisive
steps produced tho desired results. The Assembly yielded
with the best possible grace the Imperial Government
gained their point and under the prudent and coneatoy
administration of Lord Metcalfe the colony enjoyed some
repose from the distractions by which 1t had been troubled
for series OF years.
which the House OF Assembly had always exercised prac
tcy an absolute control We reertO the public finances.
In the carly history of the colony the home Government
had than once attempted 10 interfere in this diec-
ton: but each occasion the attempt successfully
resisted BY tho House, who claimed for themselves the
rgh OF imposing taxes and voting supplies without dc
taon from the Crown. Here, them the Assembly held
in their hands weapon which might be used against the
newly emancpa ed people, viz. this power OF imposing
taxes without Lot hnderlnce and the planters were not
backward in using il. The doctrine was laid down. that,
falling the lash the next best of compelling the
eroes 10 work the necessares of life TO obtain
The means Of procuring which the people would be Obliged
10 take such as they could get however low The
result way that arii was framed bearing with terrible
weight upon the ab0rng classesa tariff which, with
few trAing notifications, has continued in operation TO
the present time and which has contributed than
ANYTHING else perhaps 10 hinder decided advance
ment of the blacks of Jamaica in material prosperity
Meanwhile in strict consonance with the policy adopted
after emancipation little or nothing has been done by the
governing class 10 promote popular education; and al
though osensiby equal political privileges with the whites
have been accorded to the blacks yet the of the
franchise cogged with such restrictions rs vr
tuay tonuy the right so fur as the latter concerned
and to leave all legislative power in the hands OF the old
dominant party.
Such state Of things could not be expected to endure
Despite the disadvantages under which they labor the
freed negroes Of Jamaica have been making very fair pro-
gross both in intelligence and in the acquisition of proper
~ and in process of time they would have made their
voices heard with good effect in the legislation OF the
country Il TO arrest the advancing and threatening
tide and 10 preserve their power that the planters ndng
fitting instrument in Governor Eyre for carrying out
their purposes took advantage of the recent disturbances
establish reign of terror and to deuge one OF the
fest portions of the island in blood But 1t strikes me
that they have oveshot the mark this tme and that e