Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-05-11
THE LATE REBELL1oN IN JAMAICA.

'THE LATE REBELLl0N IN JAMAICA.
The following letter, says the New
York News, is handed us for publication
by gentleman who has received it from n
relative in Jamaica, who has largo negro
population under his spiritual care. 1t
was writtehsWithout view 10 publication:
OxFoRD, April 2.-Y" on ask INC for q
sensible account of the rebellion and It's
putting down. TO understand the matter
properly it requires somo experience of The
negro, character Sanl habits; rules that
would apply to an INSTRUCTED and indns-
trIous white population living where there
was considerable Indictment to labor
would be inapplica9le to our population.
The people are as rulo very barbarous in
their notions. They have mono OF tho self
respect or finer feelings either of affection
or taste, necessary to sclccontrol or govern
mcnt, and arc exceedingly cunning and
'ntruth!nl TO degree as well us suspicious
in the extreme. They were, however, al
the same time, considered by all as utterly
wanting in the power Of organization, and
trusted and looked upon rs Troublesome but
harmless people, at the time the rebellion
broke out. In the midst, then, OF such n
population, living in perfect security. at tho
tail end of the island, a rebellion utterly
unprovoked, but those who had rendered
themselves amenable to the law for some
petty offences were sentenced by n bench
o! magistrates, broke out with the most
cruel atrocities, all tho white families boiuo
obliged to fly for their lives at night, with
out even clothing, whilst some, not fortu-
nate enough to escape thus, were barbar-
ously murdered. At this time there were
but few hundred soldiers in the whole
island, and symptoms Of dissatisfaction and
rebellion before l1nheeded in the rest of the
parishes, now understood in their full sir.
niicance when looked at in tho light Of
the events of the day, ripened into action.
From the nature of tho people they wero
incapable of understanding clemcncy, and
the only hope of stopping what seemed to
DO dangerous rebellion was to make a
stern example of those who had risen in
arms against the representatives Of govern
ment. This Gov. Eyre did, and for it has
received, by innumerable addresses from all
quarters and every class, the highest ap.
probation. The stories circulated of eight
wells of dead, Of women fogsed, and peo.
pie wantonly murdered, have been proved
to be absolute falsehoods, intended to ca.
lumniato Governor Eyre and the officials.
That the people are disaffectcd, have a no.
ton that the Queen means to give them all
the land for themsel Ives, and has sent then,
presents which we are keeping from them,
and consider themselves oppressed because
they find they still have to work and can't
eat bread in absolute idleness, have had
abundant evidence to prove; and when
people with such feelings arc worked upon
BY such men as George w. Gordon, q
thorough paced demagogue, with nothing
to lose, being over head and ears in debt
and disgrace; who shut his own father in
prison and nearly beat him to death; who
got "r n,eot;nso ell evo- ha isloni and
harangucd the people on their grievances,
which existed only in his own brain, and
bid them follow the example of IIavti;
when he spoke TO them of the Governor as
a.bad man, who was helping the white
people to ensIave thcm-was it wonderful
that their ignorant minds, worked up thus
to pitch Of excitement, should burst out
'ntorebellion, and require strong handzto
put it down?