Our long extracts under t...
The Times, 1824-09-10T00:00:00

Our long extracts uncler the head of West India Poliey will be read with general interest. It is plain that Govern- ment has had to encounter great. difficulties, in endeavour- ing to act upon the resolutions of the House of Commons. T'here is no one measure of prudence, benevolence, or sound policy, no symptom of regard for religion or humanity, which has not drawn down the animaidversions of the colonists or of tlie colonial agents, as ditinishing the value of-West India peoperty, oe mnenacing the lives of our coun- trymen resident amiong theislands. In th. ir commtunica- tions with the Committee of Correspondeue6, and their demandls upon Lord BATrIUItST, the colonial.agents press .into notice the necessity of adopting some plati for the re- storaticrn of tranquillity and credit it) the W'est I1ndies. For this purpose gravecomplaints are made, and various measures are recommended. It is stated that " dangerois " impressions have arisen in the minds of the slaveg, from- " thte resolutions which were passed in the I-louse of Coma-' mons last session (1823), and from the consequent despatches of the Mtini'ter to the constituted authorities ' in the colonies." The ag-ents infQrm the public, that the above documents have been interpreted by the Negroes as announcing that their ez.oancipation is to emanate, more or less immediately, from the interference of Parliament-ail idea whic)i had loweredl the price of property-rendered life itselfprecarious-destroyedaIlconfidence between masterand slavc-produced a general disposition to turbulence, vhich was rranifested byactual conspiracy and insurrection-and called for a reinforcement of troops to keep down the reb.- lious spirit of the Ne. roes. Lord B ATHURST consenfi .to issue a proclamation, denying that His MIAJESTY had granttd or offered freedom to tho Blacks ; and declaring that they would forfeit all claimn to the Royal protectior.. if they should fail to render entire submzission to the lavis, and dutiful obe(lience to-their masters. H;s Lotdship-does not notice, andl is reproached with omitting it by the agents, thedemand for more. -troops, to extend and prolong thie rovaps of coercion. But while they are thus decid-asto the use of stmng mid bitter medicines Rar the disfenipered Negro, these gentleren. are equally caref 'U,, V -i partnerehip withjtbat respectable boly-.of--4feS't Udianr. at- home,wio had suggested to thie -K 5 0 sIMa% for the "Additiohal qo1n9s iselIeeuaI and rli$ioul " smprovemeiu, and exkt?ridieApriviie&esof thjeayes U "'eoldnXs.- -A mild -andisalutary r-ente3n ipthit [aat the; agents- are notia-& little anxiets: shosdd.b-,tv pIicitl-; t&'"the 'adoption 6- yr jftiben of -the. colornistspj while the harsher diet, -fitlir~ea nd sodies wish Mlinisters imperatively toprescribe. Now, wi:h regard tUltMU9r@iQfig;3s, tlec i-f-ift elGetii3n,-tia h osar at ,eneoouragig among that xnu- hp race the hope of emancipation at a future period, tiuld leading .directly to stli a result; all %ise and beiie- voezient3igs,;:ithe other hand, consider the projected mecasures of.i~imnndiate.irnprovemenlt, as chicifly to be valued ftor the sake of that vcry freedom lo whicli they so naturally tend-a consummation, until the arrival of which, the foul and unchristian stain that now pollutes this empire, can never.be obliterated, anor,England bc enabled ta repel the cllarge of incnnsiistenit selfishness, iH a(ijuring so often the spirit of liberty, and the rights of two great quarters of the -lobe; wvlile those ofA frica (and we ay adtl, in a paren- th, sis, those of Asia) are made a prey to the most sordid and uncomimuiserating of human appetites.