, 1870-12-20

p WhASh lC GU
with a communal aim for the security of 'the
islands internal peace and order" The com
pany, or as many soldiers which might be found
IN st. Croix, must not be a Joint in that exter-
nal splendour, in which the chief official in the
island presents himself. The Diet has in its
time abolished the FARCE Jagercorps which
made honor to the governor (Amtmand), and
acted as his body guard and we must be cal
led upon to take the same steps opposed to
everything that is on an equality with this and
II we therefore find that any part of the military
force IN st. Croix is used for the glorifcation
and external SplendOr of the authorities there,
then we are perfectly in our good right when
we on our side ren0unce upon its being main
tanned. The balance then is entirely an inte-
rlor affair for the Island, which can confidently
be left to the inhabitants themselves to manage;
for the pOpulation-and first and foremost those
OF them who possess anything, who, according
TO the elective enactments of the Colonial Law.
are the only ones who have access to the ad-
ministration of the Island, is in a high degree
interested in the preservation of peace and or
der, and will certainly find the cheapest and
most effective mode of obtaining this object.
Consequently, if it finds that the Island is bet
ter served by having 10 mounted policemen,
than so and so many uniformed soldiers, COM
manded by the second lieutenants, first |lieuten-
ants, captains, colonies, etc, then the Island is
in its perfect good right when it as soon as pos
Slble makes such a reduction. SelEgovern-
ment, and liberty to move is, according to my
conviction, the best and surest assistance which
we on our side can give those Islands, and only
in such a step lies the necessary call for the
population to give a strong hand to remedy the
misfortunes which have fallen or the Island,
and which there is now some tendency to exag-
gerate, while all the benefits which it would
have gained, if it had been incorporated in the
American Union, are painted in much more
shining colours than what they were willing to
use so long assthat question remained unsolsved.
l shall namely, in passing, remark that when
the estate-oWnerS and the governor, in letters
which are printed together with the law pro-
p0sal, express it as an undOubted matter, that
the Danish WeStindia Islands would have been
inc0i porated in the Union as a territory, and
that as a consequence thereof there would have
existed exemption from paying duties between
the islands and the dominion of the Union then
it appears to me that it is by no means decided
that this would have been the case. / remem-
Der at any rate quite we'll, that I have read in
the influential American organs, a discussion on
this question, if the time had not arrived for the
Union also to acquire actual colonies, and if st.
Thomas and st. John ought not to be the first
American colonies; and in such a case the Is
lands would not enjoy that exemption from that
custom-duty, on which there is now laid 50
great a stress. But to return to the free action,
and l will in that regard remind you of another
little instance which we meet up whit is
made mention of c~ursorily in the copious letter
from the GOvcrnor-namely to the day of to-
day it is prohibited in St. Croix to establish SUI
gar refneries. But it is very remarkable that
such a restriction in free equal access to a ci-