New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-14
AGAINST CONFEDERATION.
ENGLAND'S WEST INDIAN COLONIES REFJrSE
TO BE TIED TOGETHER

FREE GOVERNMENT AS NOW EXISTS AND
TO CONFIRM DOWNING STREET INFLU-
ENCE THROUGHOUT THE ISLANDS.
ORION A CORRESPONDENT IF THE Tnrpuxv,
Castries, Saint Lucia, British West Indies
Dec. 81. 1891
Three small and comparatively unimportant
Stands constitute what is politically known as
The Wndward Group Properly speaking, they
are not the Windward Group, but merely of it.
II due respect were paid to fact, the Windward
Group would consist of all those eastern islands
bounding the Caribbean Sea from st. Thomas to
Grenada, and the Leeward Islands would be Cuba.
Hayti Porto Rico and Jamaica. None of the
islands which have somehow come to be called
Leeward are actually to the lee of anything en-
cept Africa. These names are absurdly mslcad-
ing: the one is wholly false and the other but
partially true
Still they are names. The charts recognize
them and | suppose the newspapers must. The
Windward Islands then, are St Lucia, ST. Vim
cent and Grenada. England calls them con-
federation. but that too, is misleading. They
have a common Governor and his rule is nearly
absolute Each however, has it's own admins
tration its separate treasury its separate body of
laws. and It's separate civil list. Consequently.
confederation is mostly fiction. So far as Eng
land could make il true, she has done So but con-
federation is the one thing the West Indians nave
boldly, unitedly and steadfastly resisted and the
Government powers have been defeated IheS
would have won, beyond a doubt, but for 'he OAR
h.dians Opposition in the other islands could
have been choked down. But where the a't'uue
of the Barbadians made it clear that they "ou,u
never give up their constitution 1t was oil h''c
use to 90 on with the confederation scheme Noh-
federation without Barbados must have peeh' DIS
il is. empty and meaningless
The experiment of Canadian consondatioh 10
esteemed by British statesmen a success All that
Cir John Macdonald did 10 debauch and impoverlsn
Canada. even his wanton treachery to the cause oil
Free Trade. is lost sight of in the sentiment OF
gratitude begotten by his great accomplishment II.
tho interest of Imperial federation. For beyond
. donbt English statesmen look upon colonial con-
solidation as the first step towards that NasueY
defined but much hoped for movement OF 'he
future by which the British Empire Is 10 pe ui""h
together. In any event they say, coleman con-
solidation must be good thing. CANADA may ~
into the American Union, but whatever 'he ""'o
At which that step is taken 1t wonil nave co'n'
much sooner if confederation had not been saiheu
This i MAINLY true British Columbia ana Mani
,oha would have been American States TO-DAY II
the Dominion had not been organized. lrooa'N
zach of the Provinces would nave succuln"'" 7
400 TO the trade influences so strongly puhihe 'io'
over TO the Territories south OF theh' No'''U
orahon. whatever the end may be; and whatever
it has cost the people, has thus lar preN"Ieu 10
h,d tho Provinces together and to keep the British
Noc over them. 1t is not remarkable that BRUSH
statesmen have good opinion oil IT,
O,d GeorOe III warned Lord North that II the
Am.r;can colonies succeeded in their IeNoiC tue
West Indies then considered possessions oil lh'esu
mable value would follow not In INDEPENDENCE
hut IN dependence on America Inns preuicio"
has not vet been fulfilled precisely as the Ming
meant it, but in another sense it is realized now
Commercially the islands are dependent U"
America, and the natural consequence OF COM
mercia} dependence Is pohldh hePenuen0e'
While il is true that England holds these Islands
in small esteem. she has no wish to sec oheir
sovereignty lodged in America. The Conserva-
tive marty in England. which is less unanimous
than the Liberal in its dolatry of Free Trade
,,d much more inclined TO adopt striking
Immortal policy looking towards consolidation
Of the Empire is especially reluctant to part Win
any of tie British dependencies, an" especi''iA
DESTROYS of promoting those projects whch @un
70 keen together neighboring colonies and lnten-
sify British sentiment in them.
Under almost every Conservative Ministry dur
ing the last haf-century efforts have pcn maze
10 confederate the British West Indies All nave
mserably failed, not because there are no aoVah-
tages to the colonies in union, nor because uheS
fail 70 see the advantages. Lcft to their own
motion. it is quite possible that they would nave
oone +ooetber long ago But the conditions
under which the project has been forced upon
their attention by the British Government have
always included the extinction o! genuine sell
government where II has existcd-that Is IN
Barbados-and the abandonment OF all pope OF
securing il elsewhere, and consequently In the
ears of patriotic West Indian. the very word
"confede ration has 10 have a atcful SOUND
The Barbadian knows tie pleasures OF seli-@oV-
,rnment and hears from all his neiehbors nothing
but complaints against the powers at home The
colonist elsewhere than in Barbados knows thc
heavy disadvantages that Crown government i'm
poses on him and he is continually being reminded
Of what better situation he might be in by the
joyful cries OF the Barbadans. Neither can be
persuaded 10 see in confederation anything but
a menace Of wrong wrong confirmed
Still the British Government persists in urging
it, just as it persists in urging Newfoundland 10
join Canada, and if 10 familiarizc the west
Indian with the sound Of the word and to demon
stte that it is not essentially devilish, the two
cOnfederations Of the Lcewar1 and Windward
Groups have been established in despite Of popular
protest. But instead Of reconciling the people
to the confederacy idea, these departures have
produced precisely tn opposite effect, and with
good reason. They are not confcderacies They
give the people none of the advantages Of union.
such as reduced civil list, "a common tariff and
Increased ntersland trade. They simply enable
everybody TO sly, We told you so, Confedera-
tion even Of this modified kind does us no good
ana IL we were ever 10 give up our present system
and adopt real confederate plan il would end
In multiplication OF Offices. a new raft of incom-
petent nobodies sent out from England 10 lord
1t over their betters and in an unfair division Of
public works and taxes"