The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1867-08-15
the grand iury. The Judgo saId:

Il ~
TO these offenses, / arrive at very
painful part OF my observations, in
onee'more calling the particular atten-
ton of the grand jury. as well as the
public ut large, to the remarkable and
appalling circumstanee that among
near 10000 souls, inbabiung this
District, the grearter portion of the
crime perpetrated therein should DO
committed by less thun 2 900 refugees
from a life Of abject slavery, toa land
of liberty, protection and comfort--and
froM whom, therefore, ifthere be such
generous feelings as thankfulness and
gratitude, a far different line of con.
duct might reasonably be expected,
/ allude 10 the alarming increasing OF
crime still perpetrsted by the colored
settlers. and who, in spite of the late
numerous, narrowing. convicted ex.
amples, ,unhappily furnish the whole Of
the ofenses now likely to be brought
before you"
next road from tho address Of q
public meeting, held at Chatham, Au-
gust ls, ls4s, to the people of Cana
da: .,.,..,.
"Canadans: The hour has arrived
when we should arouse, gather our
selves together in our might and resist
the onward progress fan evil which
threatens to entail upon future gener.
ations thousands curses. Now is the
day. A few short years will put il be.
yond our power. Thousands ard tens
of thousands of American negroes,
with the aid of the Abolition societies
IN tho States, and with the countenancs
given them by our philantEropistl in
stiiutions, will continue 10 pour into
Canada, II resistance is not offered.
Many of you who live at a distance
from this frontier, have no conception
either Of the number or the character
OF these emigrants, or Of the poisonous
effect upon the moral and social hab.
It's ofa community. You listen with
active sympathy TO every thing parra-
ted OF tho sufferings Vf the poor Afrl.
can; your feelings are enlisted, and
your purse strings uI.loosed. and this
often by the bypocrltie0l defamation
of some self-styled philanthropist.
Under such influences many Of you, in
our large cities and towns, form your
selves irto societies and without re.
hection. you supply funds for the sup
port ofschemcS preiudcial 10 the best
interests ofour country. Against such
proceedings. and especially against
any and every attempt to settle any
township in this District with negrUcs,
we solemnly protest, and we call upon
our countrymen in all parts OF tho
Province; to assist IN our opposi.
! ton" .t
The npprehensiuns expressed an
this address were more than realized.
I fnd IN the debates Of tho Canadian
Parliament of 1857, the following dc.
scriptiom Of Canadian negroes, by q
member, Col. Prince, who knew them
well, and who had Mt first encouraged
their immigration but had been forced
by experience to change his opinion.
10 said .----
THE blacks were a worthless, use-
less, thriftless set Of fbeipgs-they wero
too lndolent, lazy and ignorant TO work
too proud to be taught; and not only
that, If tho criminal calenders OF the
country were examined. it wonld be
found that they were adetestable that
unless some method was adopted OF
preventing their influx into this coun-
try by the under ground railroad, the
people OF the West would be obliged
TO drive them out by open violence.
In November. 1856, the grand jury
OF Essex county made u presentment
to the court on the subject of the evils
: reaultings from the negro settlements
IN that country, in which the opinion
was expressed that unless some meas
ure was taken by the Government TO
protect the whites and their property,
| persons Of capital would be driven
D from the country. .-II 90
In rcmarking upon this pesent-
, mcnt the Judge observed, that "he was
not surprised Mt finding them (the ne
! groes) among the respectable portion
ofthe people, for they wero indoe MT,
. shittless and dishonest, aud unworthy
? of the sympathy that some mistaken
parties extended to them, they would
not work when opportunity was pre-,
4. scented, but preferred eubslsting by
. thieving from respectable farmers, and
d bogging from those benevolently in
. clned" .4.t... .se9 4. 'l 4 ltUf
G Ihave thought ft TO produce theSo
q proofs, mot ono out Of n hundred that
s might be produced), notwithstanding
o ther inoonvenient length, because ex.
q perionce is OF far more value than
= mere opinion That there may be ex-
g aggerated expressions in somo of thom
: is very possible, but that they are IN
% the main correct would seem TO be
: nndeniable and they certainly show
i. that the Canadian and. Jamaea at
d tempts at negro and white equality
- like avery such attempt elsewhere,
A have proved misevable failures
II Butie there be any here who prefer
1t the opinions of eminent mar, and who