The white inhabitants of ...
The Times, 1824-04-28T00:00:00

'I'he white inhabitants of Demerara seem little disposed to sleep over the dangers, real or imaginary, of their situa- tion ; nor will they permit, if loud talking ean prevent it, the Government at home to enijoy its neutrality upon the Negro question undisturbed. A meeting of the inhabit ants was held, " under the saiction of the Governor," on the 27th of February, and a strinig of resolutions agreed to wAhich it is painful to read, both from their length and their acrimony. After going over the ordinary grounds (and some, we maintain, are solid grounds) of objection to the plans of the abolition party, the people of Demerara take up the subject of religion; and not merely their opi- nions upon that point, as it relates to the colonies, but one br two of the facts which they allege, may be worth attention from a motive inore respectable than curio- sity. 'rhey set out,, with denying flatly, the charge of any indifference on the part ot the Colonists to the religi- ous instruction of their slaves. They even assert, that urgent applications were made by themn to the Secretary (Lord BATHUItST) for Colonial Affairs, so long ago as 1816, " to have the colony divided into parishes, and Mi- 11 nisters of the Established Churches appointed, with an " offer to contribute liberall.y for the support and mainte- " nance of such establishment." It appears from the resolution, that this proposal was neglected by the Secretary of State. More recently, it is affirmed that an application was made on behalf of the Roman Catholic inhabi- tants of the colony, praying the noble Earl to assist in formnitg an establishment for the exercise of their religion, and that the solicitation was refused. From these dilficulties in the way of a legislative or official sanc- tion to the establishment of a system of regular instruction for the slaves, arose, we are told, the countenance given te the Missionaries by the Plantcrs, who were supported by contributions frorn individuals, and by salaries in some cases from the colonial purse. We do not, however, so far agoree with the meeting., when they come to speculate in- stead or confining themllves to facts, as t;O conceive it possible that the " system-iatic object of thegreater portion cc of the Missionaries" could' have Been to render the exercise of * their ostensible profession subservient to selfish and mercenary ends. When -the-- resolutions appeal to the late disclosures zbefore the' Court-Martial for confirmiation of such a stigmna on the Missionaries, it appears to us that the proof lies the opposite way-that indiscretion and recklessness may have sometimes charac- terized their proceedings, but sordid or ambitious mnotives never. We appeal now, as do the resolutions, to the evi- tlencc on the trial of Mr. Saurrix. These fallacious pro- mises, we lament to say, the inhabitants of Demerara have followed up by a resolation to petition the Court of Policy that all missionaries and sectarian teachers shall be expel- led the colony. Such an act is no favourable commentary on the professions of the meeting in behalf of religious in- struction. Missionary teachers are qualified to wvork extraordinary changes upon uncivilized minds, not mere- ly when they constitute the only class of minis- ters, and supply the place of established clergymen, but wvhere they act simultaneously with *he latter, by rousing their diligence, aRd stimulating their labours. The meeting, therefore, wvlen they recommend that MVinisters of the Dutch reformed religion, of the Episcopal Church of England, and of the Scottislh Presbytery, shall be au- thorized to officiate in the colonies, and shall be supported by the public, wouild do well to revise their declarations against the Missionaries, if it were no more than to render the established ones more strcnuoui in the discharge of their duty. We deeline to follow thle I)emerara people into the political branch of their discussions, seeing that, like their brethren of other colonies, they are on such topics a littlc touched in the understanding. Thc attempt to criminate every attempt at debating *Vest India qur-s- tioins in Parliament, as thc sole cause of Negro mutiny andl disorder, is, to say tie least of it, a figurc ot rhetoric such as common colntroversialists would seldom dlare to employ.