New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-05-29
THE "CoLOHED PEOPLEo OF THE
KNsT ENDTEs.

of Ohio offered petition Of coOsed soldiers asking the
right of suffrage whoroupon, Ar salisbury Of Delaware
is reported to have sad The Senate and the country
were very familiar with this word colored He would
like 10 know what authority there for the use Of that
worsg The only place he had ever seen il history 50
snned was in the history Of ST. Domingo where it was
r,e1 to denote muattoes." The remark of the Della
ware Senator was certainly just reflection upon the
nopular ignorance respecting class of people
whose past history an present social con-
don present several features Of peculiar and striking IN
terest. Wereer to the colored people-propery so-,
I of the British West Indies.
As 10 the word coorcd Itself it is used throughout
the whole Of the West Indies, to denote persons of the
mixed race ha: u.s. partly Caucasian AID partly Aiican
whatever the shade pr their complexion from the fair
mescluna to the dark mus.to; but is never applied as
in America, to the ull5oo5ed black Nor, in popular
paance, is the term negro applied to any but the
pure blacks. The cooed people Of he West Indies are
divided as regards shades OF complexion into four classes
according to the proportion in which the blood of the
original from which they spring is mingled in their
veins These classes known muiQttoe qEadTconS,
0estee and mescqfnos Tie offspring Of the Caucasian
and the African is called muatto; OF the Caucasian and
the muatto qUadroon Of the Caucasian and the quad
room, mestee; and of the Caucasian and the mcstee
mescafna b speak correctly, the proportion OF
blood Caucasian African whatever may be the parent
age designated by these several grades determines the
category in which the individual is placed In the Of
the mescafna SO faint is the nge of African blood that
he is generally regarded white asome of the English
colonies he formerly held as, legally entitled to the
privileges of white man; hence the expression now OBJ
selete, white by law"
In the British West Indies the colorcd people have for
a long time enjoyed equal civil and political rights. These
they secured by act of the Imperial Parliament several
years before the abolition Of Slavery in the British posses
sons But prior to this concession such rights were
wholly beyond their reach, competent for any
individual Of that class DESTROYS Of obtaining his pnv
leges they called to apply by petition TO the
Legislature Of the Colony asking to be admitted TO the
status of citizen. If considered worthyand he was re-
quired to produce satisfactory testimonials TO ntel
gonce and Characterize admitted by special enact
men or in Parliamentary language by "a private bill
Few however avaied themselves Of this resource; it
being REGARDED by the coloel people sort Of treason
the class for Of their number TO sue for that as
favor which his right to enjoy free British sub
ect. They who obtained citizenship in this way
known as "the whitewashed "a term applied to them in
dersion and contempt.
1t was not without hard and protracted struggle that
the coored people succeeded in obtaining their civil and
political rights Year after year they pettoned the legs-
latures of the different colonies asking for the removal Of
ties one Of the most gieyous and oppressive law
preventing them from nhertng property to any greater
amount than 81 200 currency OF $500 Many OF them
had been sent to the mother country by their fathers and
educated as gentlemen but tho inheritance Of wealth
could never be theirs the learned Professions oil
closed against them and the planters and merchants
refused employ them except in the most humble eapac
ties on their return from Europe their native land they
were doomed find their superior education hindeance
rather than help rather than blessing to them
At length having failed TO obtain justice Of the hands of
the Colonial Legislatures the cooed people resolved to
appeal direct to Parliament: and accordingly they sent
,deputaon England lay their grievances before that
body and seek redress at its hands With the exception
Of the ultra pro-Savery Of the day the dePuston
was well received by ali parties England and in due
time the petition which they bad been instructed TO pro-
pose on behalf Of their constituents was presented 20 the
House Of Commons The scene was described /
as being very interesting one The delegates were
admitted within the bar "a mark OF special honor
and provided with seats. The petition presented
by Lord then simple Henry Brougham al that time IN
the zenith Of his fame forensic and Parliamentary
orator and ITS PRAYER was urged BY him characteristic
cay powerful speech An animated debate ensued, dur
ing which the question Of India Slavery brought
up The pro-sayery already alluded TO saw clearly
that to grant The coored people what they asked /
would be the insertion Of the thin edge of the /
wedge into the system Of negro Slavery, AID they /
accordingly fought stoutly to have the petition /
rejected. But tho party in favor Of equal rights /
was too powerful them and when George Canning rose
toward the close Of tie debate and in eloquent speech
declared himself the side Of the petitioners all doubt
to the ultimate Gate Of the question al once departed
This was Canning last speech in Paament He left the
House that night never again to tread the arena Of ms
splendd trumphs bill securing to the coored people
lie
into the Commons and passed both Houses Of Parliament
BY large majouties.
There is no part of West Indies in which the col
orcd people occupy important place in society and
exercise 50 potential political influence as in Jamaica
In that island they sit onhe Judicial bench; they plead at
the bar as counseos they found IN the pupis OF the
different religious denominations they practice as ator
neysataw they have seats IN the Legislature they hoid
respectable place in the ranks Of the medical professions
and they take leading part in the mercantile business oil
the country Brief sketches Of few Of the leading men
among them may not be unacceptable to the reader.
The Hon. Edward Jordan c. b., Governors Secretary,
and Mayor OF Kingston light quadroon, and about 10
wears old His history is a singulary interesting one
Ills psrens were from the Island Of Barbados, but he
was born in jamaica where he received plain English
education His entrance public life dates as far back
as the year 1875 when he selected by ms copa'ots
a. one Of committee Of eolored formed about that
time 10 agitao for the removal Of the disabilities uhder
which the class then hbored Ho subsequently became
editor OF The Waterman, newspaper started by the
coored people Of Jamaica 10 advocate their interests, and
IN expose at the time, the abOmnatons OF west
India negro slavery In the year 1882 spirited article
appeared in that paper, in which, with reference to
Slavery the writer said " Lot us give long pull strong
pull and pull altogether, and the system viii come down
bv the run For this language Jordan indicted and
mt on his trial for treason his enemcsand they were
IL. d. .-u-ll naun IL. IL. Imt