Demerara.
The Times, 1824-02-02T00:00:00

Besides the inteilizence we have given in another column, the Jamaica papers of Dec. 20 also contain the proceedings ofI a Ge- neral Court-Martial at l)emerara, Ibr the trial of a slave named Jack, belonging to Success Plantation, flr being concerned in tbe late insurrection il that coloTv. The prisoner wvas the cecond leadlerof the insurrection, hi, ftather Quamina, of Success, beinig the chief. Twenty-one witnt:sscs were called for tlie prosecutiDtt. After they had given the!r testinon v, the prisoner reatd the follow- ntig as part of his deftence. The pri&oner seemn to have been atware of tle feeling which had been excited a2gainst tihe .M issionarv Smith. :,nd to have founded hiis hope of pardlon on the success of his eni- dleaveurs to implicate that preachler in bis gilt:- About seven or eight weeks before this rebellion, Cato. a free nian, mentioned to nmy father, Quatnina, something about ouLr freedonm having come out. On t'urthler inqutiry, we heard trom Joe Simpson that it was true .Mr. \Wilbertforce was doing his best for us, antI that if we would wait pat ientlv, a new Governor was roming outt, awtd if he did not give us ottr right. ite must apply to hint, and he would infortti us of the regular way to get it, I went soon afterwards to niv friendl Darniel, the Goveenor'a ser- vant, to learn what lie knetv abottt the matter. He saiti he had heartd a little of it, anld if it was a thing God hadl ornlained tor ts,, it wottld be; itt we oughlt to have a little patience. York, a tsegro of otir estate, told miic that he had heard an overseer of plantation New Orange, Nassau, say thiat all the great tnen at home wanted us to be free, but our masters wotld liot agrree to it. About a week before I spoke to Daniel, a coloured woman named Susznnah, Air. Ilamilton's housekeeper, said to mc at cha- mel. that MIr. Hamilton told her we were all to have otsr freedom, but he did not think it wottld be given to us unless some sensible peuple went bv force about it, and exacted a positive promise from the Governor. I asked what she meant by force; she said we shotild take all the estate's arms, and, as soon as we had possession of tlter, then tum all the whites off the towvn; she said, Air. Hamilton can- not. and does not deny this; he don't care about himself, as he was going away from the colony, but only wished to have a little time to get away itis stock and all his tkings. Frotn that period until Sun- dav, the 17th of August, no regular ilan was laid. Aly father, Qiuamnina, went that day to Parson Smith, who told him we tnust try to atop a little unttil he should get a paper that was to lie read to s. It wvas agreed at our meeting, that Billv atid Jac. Reed were to command at Mahaica, and Teiemachas anti Sandvl at plantation Bachelors' Adventure. Paris and GoodUuck were to get the busitiess cotitmenced at the Thomas estate. " These two Sneit said they knew liow to get into the fort, and told Paris if that was attempted we shotild all be murdered * and lie replied, that is the only place where sve ought to go and dic. We then settled to begin on A lontlay evening, the 18th of August, and take all the arms b; force, and put all the white people into stocks, to prevent their going to town and sending up troops before dary- light.; but they were all to be permitted to go down the following day,, after whieh we were to remain on the coast till the Governor should come or send to know why we acted so. We did not expect it wotild have been known in towvn till Tuesday morning; but wve determined that no injury should be done to the white people, to prevent complaints against us , Joseph and B'ristol proposed to break itp the bridiges to prevetit t6troops cominrg. Richard,had been run awav for several m-onths beI4re t Ilia revolt,-and is extremely violent; h; will do harm yet, if notrtaken, sd I recommend his being secured at any expense or trouble, for he will be a rallying point for all the disaffected Ne- he is not to be truster. I have now declared every thing I ffinow that eaused this business. On the Wednesday evening, 20th of August, my father, Quamina, came to us at the Success back dama vith a basket containing some bread and two bott!es ; he told me he had just come from Parson Smith, who told iim, ' that now we had begun we must go on with it.' I X have lived all rmy life upon Success, my master's estate, where I was born 30 years ago, and where I have been always well- treated, and dqne my duty content and liappy. I cannot, and do not deny that I have been concerned in this rebellion* but I deelare solemnly that I would not have acted thtis had I not been told that we were-entitled to our freedom, and that it was withheld from us bv our rasters. Not only ass every deacon and member of the Church acquainted with It before it broke out. but even Parson Smith knew the whole plan. It was told him by my father and Bristol, on Sunday, the 17th of August. Bristol can tel you the p-arson wanted. uw to 'ait. 'If he did not know what we were going to, aoos ild he have toldtus to watit?7 I appeal to the Court whe- therr Ihate not etent every: msischief I could, and whether 1 *ss-e=-ioteven saved lives'; for if blood had been once shed, no eftrrt coula ave stopped it aftcrvrards: Richard was the head man at Succeas, and I never he3deti any of the gang; I never carried a glm, but I will say fairly that I had a cutlass, which I carried the whole time. I amn satislied that I have had a fair trial, and therefore throw myself on the mercy of the Cotrt. '-t have seen the anxiety with which ever entleman has attendeda to the evidence, and thie patience vith whc the members have listened to the cross-examni- natiop of ni.7 witnesses. Pronm the hotr. I was niade prisoner by 0;aptainl U'i'nrk up tothis time, I hare received the most humane treatment from all the whites,;nor have I liad a aingle itsulting expression from any white man, either in prison or any where else. Before this Court I solemnly avow that naniy of the lessons and other pares of the Scriptures, selected for us in Bethel chapel,tended to make us dissatisfied with our situation as slaves, and had there-Nen no MNie- thodi-sts on the east coast, there vould havebeen no revolt. Those dleepest in the rebellion were the people in Parson Smith's confidence. The lhalf sort of instruction we received, I now see, was highly improper; it put those who could read a little on examining the Bible, and selecting passages applicable to our own situa- tion as slaves, and served to make us dissatisfied with our owners, as we were not always able to make out the real meaning of such passages. I would not haye avowed tlhis to you now, was I not sensible that I ought to make every atone- ment fbr my past conduct, and put you on your guard in future. Gentlemen, whatever may be my fate, I shall suibmit to It with re- signation. " By letters and papers wlhich arrived on Satarday from Demerarato the 13th nilt. we learn thtt the colony continued in a state of great agitation, on account of the secrecy respecting thd verdict upon Smith the Mlisgionary. antl the delay necessarily occasioned by the- whole proceedings being referred, bytheGovernor, to his Ala- Jesty's iMinisters. It is now reported that he has been found guilty, but recbmmended to mercy, and that the Governor refers the whole proceedings to his Majesty, as the source of mercy. The Oovernor- (Jenera), Murray, it was expected, would leave the colonv in a short time, having beeni sunerseded in his comnmand. WEST INDIFs...Ure learn from KRngston, that Vice-Admiral Sir Lawrence Hlalsted, in the Iris, 74, arrived at Port Royal on Tuesday last, and(I that five more sail of the line, with the 7th and 42ii regirnents, were.daily expected. A Special Sl:ve Court w.a held at Savanna-la-AMer on the loth instant, when George and Ponipey, slaves to James Graham, a free man of colour, werc trird 'for being oresent at a meetinF fermed for tle purpose of administerinig unlawn'ul oatbs, by drink-ing human blood mixed with rumn, &c. kt being proved that they did actially drink humuan blood mixed nith lturn, and had taken a general oatl of fidelity and secrecy to each other., they were senterced to be trans- ported oft'theisland for life. Extract of a letter from Nassau, New Providencr, dated the 20th ult. :-" Our House of Assembly is now in session, but whIat steo may be taken remains yet in doubt. Some of the members are for Iresisting every measure pointed out in Lord Bathurst's circular, which has been printed for due consideration. Alost of them would, I think, be disposetl to follow your house, and are therefore anxiotus to k .sow what Jamaicat is doing."-Royal Gazette. ONTEGo BAY, I)ec. 12.-Ars. Powers, arrived here from De- tnerara, gv-es a rsost melancholy account of the situation of the country. Upw;ards of 1,020 Negroebhad suffered, and a great many were still missing from several plantations. M1any slaves, as well as free Negroes, haul been executed, and their beads fixed on poles in various parts of the country. Mlartial lavw still continued, and would !remain in force until after Christmas. A reinforcement of tToopS had been seit from Barbadoes, and they were in daily expectaton of iothers from England. It was understood that tne whole of the transports would first roall at Demerara, and such troops as were not requiired there wou'd be despatelied to the other islandr. The papers are silent on the subiect. DOi,EMER.4RA,