The proceedings in Demera...
The Times, 1824-01-02T00:00:00

The proceedings in Demerar appear to justify, in more than one respect, tlhe apprehensions of reasonable men for the reputation of the Colonial Government, and for tlhe sa- tisfactory settlement of the Colony itself. Our readers will find in this lay's Times, a statement from the Misionaryl Society, which calls upon them to suspend their judgment, -wivit-h regard to the giiilt or innocence of Mr. SuIT`H, by the last accounts under trial by Court-martial at Demnerara. Mlr. ELLIOT, the other Missionary stationed in that Colo- ny, was taken into custody, not for the crime of insurrec- tion, but for disobedience of orders, in "1 visiting Mr. S?aITH," after the latter gentlemarn hntd been thrown into prison. Throughout MIr. ELIoTrs division, viz. the western, ther was not a single Negro, as we are assured, who hMa taken any part in the rebellion. lf; therefore, it was not the object or intent of that Missionary to excite the slaves to acts of insubordination, it seems strange, at least, that his Brother-Missionary, deputed from the same Society, and acting in the same cause, and, as we must presume, under similar instructions, should have pursued a couirse so opposite as that which has been imputed to him. Although a few weeks may bring us'the result of the Coust-martial on Mr. Sarirn, in whose case the prosecution lad closed on the 2sth of October, and whose defence wvas to open on the 1st of November, we can hardly in the mean time refrain from asking what a religious instructor sent fronm ngland could IPropose to himself by trepanning the miserab)e slaves into an attack on a scitled government, and on a powerful military force? Unless he was a lunatic, he must hav? foreseen the imme- diate an(d necessary issue of such a contest: but in the nar- rative before us, a distinct cause is assigned for the revolt of the Negroes near MY. SMITH'S restdence, wbhich exempts him from all participation with the insurgents. Tt appears that au order had been given for the arrest of two Negroes on a contiguous estate, and that thoseon theestateof Ressouvenir assembled to rescue the, prisoners, on their passage through. This, however, like the accounts first received, must be yet regarded as an er-parte statement. 'lre wish the Mis- sionary may, it' innocent, be proved so: we likewise trust that no danger may arise to him from the desperate tales of culprits, in terror for their own fate, or from the pre.ju- dices or arbitrary tempcr of an unconstitutional court, or a hasty Governor. General MuuRA-Y's conduct has been questioned on former occasions, by persons of respectable character and station in Demerara. A petition has been long before the KING in Council, from clergymen of the English, Dutch, and Scotch churches, praying for redress for alleged injuries offered to them by Governor MuRRAY, lvho is represented, in a series of documents said to have been copies of official correspondence, to have insisted, contrary to law, on the performance of certain ad- ministrative duties by the above Reverentt gentlemen-to have, on their refusal, removtd them illegaily from the performuance of functions which they ha(l faithfully and usefully discharged-and to have brought a number of wrongful accusations against them. The merits of the case being yet subhjudice, we shall say nothing more; but that as Negroes may be barbarous, and Missionaries insane, so a Governor may be impolitic, indiscreet, and overbearing.