The West Indian Controver...
The Times, 1824-01-01T00:00:00

Si,AO'J -usa t Dl''fOR OFe THE TDIE~S. Si tnolter pOint to which ihe attentioin of the 11,e3r India theyowereo casle disrCedj .~:y Lord liatlurbl's letter. aDd on which they wAere cle POn to reportt, is the condition a,dteteto th slvs thenirs codtoni becri by the Africani Institution and cfrs th mosKt excteune and abject slavery that ever degraded and crsedmanktid"In consistency with these epithets, .M1r. SltePhenl, in another work, denounces, it as " that brutal state of toSti, bv w-hich thetaueo 'We4t Idislandsa"l ofslavery itseclf is degraded in the Brit"ish I a' ndia " Arsan, he -says..." Wle mu5t nor suiffer half au milOnf huMan ,bei-n91 to groan, In progressively perish, under hte heaviest chain that tover press~edro'n the chtldren of A1dam." Further 0o1, he speak, Of' the slae, fteWs nisa"ta c'eruev oste hc noent to heou, il h black fellow-creatures arc "Y alyet ofrd; and maketh .2s the following proiuise:_-' But if 'Lo thfe ands hlealph shall. be preserved a few lonZiths loniger, miy debt so te OOsthelles andi taost injured of mankind, the uLnfortunate co'lonial slvs hall be fully Paid. The kn6wledewic ps- vat ofther uparallee seog and mriser-ies shall'not die with nsie, but be spread before the e,'es of' that country, by %ahich oTiPreqsion h"ned inhuM':uniy wil lnot Ietoleratedl mutt las 1 rone and up- ed, wNhen thelir truie uharaertc~re knwn" thr ir,tr of theAfrcanInsituionarlpun rie lnguage of their own Report. atnd the ideas of- liii Steohien, in thir pehsi ieltueo Coernno,, hav rersetlevr lave as a suffring innlocent, anld i'ey et India Pl meanter dblodst tor,andThe pf sete - mec a s aii bln-tlirN per'secoi- roe; andotereror4fte it flow becenie, n~ecessarv to htear the opinions of' cbuc Goer,norofth differ.ent Ni'eat India colJonies upon thtis subiect, f~ound e,no upon, auonynl,ous infrr'aation. but upon actual pler. sorad knowledge.- I reC'rs' OF L.ETTER EOS TIlE GOoAEi-Novts ot WEsTl C"' tOaON?ESa To LORI" SBATHsURST, RitP.ELrTIaG THE O"FAN-) rTHEATtNENT 0O' SLAVES. BAB4AtxAS~.Extratct of' a letter fro GVernor Camneron, with onie encloseure. I hare receivedl the honottr of youir Lordship's letter (circular), datedi the 211tll of'.tlay' anid I have the hionour to enclose a copy of aletter fromt the Attn-nie i-Gerierail, to whlom 1 aipplied for the in- fr4mation your Lordship v. ishes for.`_..(Page I 10.) Extract tifcrncloeure, bein~ a letter fronm William Wylly., Bs4., Th,ss ttorney..Ge.,eral, to Goversor: Cameron. la (heabltioin1 lws) do not seetri to have had anyv taein t efconurbak popuilation, or otherwise upon the coi:- 'lirioz, of the rooi i reral. "-~(pkg I1Io.) Do-,iwt sirA-Excactr, of a letter frotti Governor Itaxwell. "4 The slave, in this islard,l 'interal, aippear tobhe liberally treat. ed adpoetd atid tit, tgel Legislature is inclinedi to adopt tny menasure for their atnteliotationi that may be recommended by Mt* l dajestyv's (Aswernmen, or e,lperierlcL itay suggest.-(Fage 112.) 7,_4N-1URA-.--xtaetuS' a letter frtont LieuEetiatit.ColoneiArtiuttr. ' " ith regard to thte s-aite of the black population, I havye the most heartf`elt gatiticatuion in assuring y'our Lordship, that it is .sc;reely possible it canT he armeliorated. "So great is ithe kitidness, the liberality, ! be indulgent care of the wood-curters towiards theit Negroes, thait sWier1 would scarcely be gnown to exist in tlii5 cotul trv, tevas it not for at few un,principled ad. venturers hi the town of Bcltze, whlo exercise authority over thieir sitne or twot slaves ini a tuatiner very difierenit front the great boll)y of the contmunity. "The stepu wiclel I linvet taketi a itli otec of'those characters,a- r5ev ported in mny despatcit toi yotir Lordishitp of the 21st nit., will, I have "odoubt, he artteridedl w'ithtebs fet;at ui ihpesr fromt[i, unlcaantexception to the greieral f'eatures of' the picture, which are s4o truly excellen- Alitiidsit all tttr ditficulcies in oilier rseis it is quite impos.- vOibe, mlY Lord, that aniy thing cani surpass the treatinent (t'f the slaves., lien, wvoiien. atid chiildren. in this country. The vystetis aditited itt nitot otlher ptart.e of the \Vest Itndies, om allotting to eachi slave it patch of ground, on whlicit hi' is to raise food for himuself auicl faltilly. is~licre quite uiukno wn. "All the slaves are most abtiorlanitly, feI by thieir- proptriettors, oit -thel besi salted provisions, pourk generally, arthte rare of fiv'e itouan(is liar week fo-r each myanl, with yamns, plaitrains, rice, flour, salt, and tobacco. Every slave hasai inoschetta piavilioin, blanket, andI shirt found him- also two suits of 0)snaburgh anitiually. The men antI lad., work on account of thetir owitets five days in thie week;, for the Shtutrdav's labour they are eincitledl, by usage, wlhich has becomie a law, to hl a dollar ; anti t-he Sunday is etitirely their- owni. The wom4en are only etaploycti in'domnestic purposes, atid if they' have young chilciren, no work wh'attever is reqriired fronitchain byv their miasters. In fact, iuty Lord,atlthough i came to the West Itidies three year, ago, a perfect WliLberforce ais to slavery, I mtitst now conf'ess that I havv in t o parit of' the world seen theC labouriiig clssrfpeople pitsses's any tlitiiglike the coiniborts and atdvaittag-es ot' the shavepopulatiioi of flonduras."-Page 113 and 116. ;~T. 1i1stptia' N''s ONT 'sEHAnT, Tort-roi.p..-.Ex. tract of' a uttre' from (os'eruor Probyti. P'The slaves in general t.ppermtr to hr contented anid happy."- Page 117. n'T. Luc[A_...lxtractofa latter fertinmMajor 3enieral Doruglas The egrects of the alroli-joniof the slave tradec, are certainly fa. v'ourttbe to the condition of ithe black populatio.n ina-smuch as it is nowinumre than ever rthe intetrest ovf every proprietor to preserve the health offhis slaves, and particutlarly to cheihterisin eneration, whic waaforierl vey m~ch egleted upo rie sori principle " I geerl, hetrett,sestof hi clssof the popiulation is just sod ind ut tere re istaces f th revrse,accrtdiog to rite dispsiton o thir oner, ad smte f vey geatcruelty ; hut thes, ~lam hppy m sa, a'e at nuseros."lage124. Ton.kGo.-Bxtract of a leitter ro 71r President Camirpbell. "I bogw leave toenclose to your Lordship the Reporttfrem thie Cojin. nisitee to the Council anid Assembly, which siwas unanlissiously ap. provedlof, upoii the piresent sithtation of this coloniy andI I do0 niost lirmly believe the whole to lie true. The eleventit claus points otin thie situation ofif te Negroes. (Page 126. Eleventh ,lause-)-.Your Committee refcrs. uwith confidence, to the personial kitoweledge of every mtember of the two branches of Ithe Legislature, and of his Hionouir the Prasidetit, to b&ar testikuony to the fact of the imnprove. inernts which within thepse few years have taken place in the comforts and nmanners of the Negroes; in confirmiation thereof, your Coin.~ inittee refecrs to thie public ditcumients of the colotiip, to sli~ow how the atinuiti reduc-tioni in nitsmberr is note so niuch less tfian it used to he, that wve may confidently hope, that instead of an annual reduction, we "shall speedily obtain an aninual increase ; to the difFtisioit and increase of propertv a siotig the Negroes (generally evinced -~in their hiouses, their g'rouiids, th-eir tIre'ss, anid their food) ; the tl'iminislied practice of Obeah the infrequiency of puttishment. amitl the total reLinqush tn ofrni night work uipon the estates. Your G-ottimi'ttee belielve that as,s uchi gradual inmprovement has been niiade as the nature of our black population (a great portion of it vet consisting of iinliortedI Africansz) :,dutits if'; other mnattersi of asein.zlo racition of the conidition of' tho Ne4!roes are in gradttal advancemnent uipon many of the estates, anti will become general, But ifainythitig could mitre effectually preveat thitr beneficial attaintrienit, it will be the attempt ait dihection. iii these mnatters, of the African Iarlitu. tioni, at once disguisting the nomaster, and alarming himn for thie securi. ty of his property; and, by, rendering hirs disconteilteil with his situa- nionl, Si1eratinge the slave from all sentiments of'respect and affection to lisa master."-(Page l'0. TrifliX1DAtt,..XtMCtc a olea~~t_terfronti Governor Woodf'ord. -. "I hail rthe homour to ret eive oii the 2d1 of August, youir Lordi. ship's circular of te2h01' ay. To enable nie to reply to -threinquniris it contahits, I deemed it expedient to riequire the re. poirts of the comedandants of the ituarters, whose long residence in3 the colony, amirl acqluainitance svith its slave poptulation, better quali. fied them to affordi the inform-ation demandced tllail anly othier person. I beg leave to enclose a cop'i of thy letter to them'; and having received their reports, I haveritie hotitour to state, for the inforination of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, that they are ilnanisiiousi in declaring... That the emiactiltent of ithe laws of abolitioii has Caused but little imuprovemsent in the treatmnent of the -slaves, and no iniproveenent wlhatever in their moral condition, while it bsaa given adilitional insecuirity tothie planter, in consequence of the inistakeni notions it hias created amnongteNgosrsetn t ela eventual purpose.' mgteNgosrsetn t elat "'I also annex a report of tite Commiissary of Poipulation...- (Page 131) :. " Witha regard to the condb tion oh thie black popsulation, niore care is generally taken of thiens, 1isith in hiealthi and illness, on accouint tif the diffitults' of replacing tlilt m ; but notwithstanding great care is taken oh' the chilJdren, yet a g-reat rlasty die before attaining heage of eve yers frnt lless peculiar to that age, consequentl1ycie d-elicencey anioineet tule adulic can-wot be supplied by birthis, wlitich mutinevitably occas,ion a gradutl decrease in the slave p.opulation; an(Iwhih wi (niost seriouslv he felt in the course of a few years. " As te the woral effect priuducedi upon the Negroes by the aboli- tion, I atis nor aware of any i uprovemieat in that respect. I ittive the honour to be, &c., J. E. MAIA]NGOL, Commyissary of Populatioti." (Page 183.) JA.HAtCA.-..Dlltract ot a letter fromn his Grace thec Duke of'lan- chester. "Ireally believe there is a strong dlesire felt to consult the rum. fortof he lavs a nich s pssile,andl if t'his obiject does not advace m rpidl ascoud bewised,it proceeds from no disincli. naton n he artoftheproritor, ut front an apprehension of the onseuenes o toosudemi chage,in the habits aind nianniers of he egres;andwhrlstts evntsinBarbadoes have a tent- Extract froto a Report of' a Committee of the House of Assembly of Jamiaica, presented the lOch of December. 1817. "Your comaiittee hiave also considered the effects whjich have beeni produced by the measures adopted dluring the last s3essioni, for Cthe imiprovement of the condftion of the slave population ; the inter- val which has since elapsed has been too short. to admit of any par. ticular eflects having resulted from their operation. "Your committee, howvever, ear fully persuaded that the ten. dencyo those measures, anid the spirit'in which they were adopt. ad, have produced a general effect of great importance, both as it respectsi the condition of the blaves,and the public tranquillity of the xsland. -The slaves are satisfied tsat their condition is of sufficient ini terest to engage the attention of those under wbose authority they are placed, and that their comforts and personal security are the ob- jec of protection. In availing thenmselves of the facility which has been afforded them in making their coniplaint of any real or sup- posed grivanee, they have observed the attention with wbich it hbas been investigated, atid the justice with which it has been decided. The increase which has taken place during the last 12 niionths is the numtber of proceedings, both civil and crininual, which have been instituted by, or on behalf of slaves, is a fact which, accompanied as it has been by the greatest degree of subordiDation and go d order on their part, utay be referred to as the most decisive proofof their well-founded confidence in the justice of those to whom they appeal. 'Ihis feeling, whilst it operates directlv on theyr present condition, by lessenin' the pbssibility of their bein'g exposed to hijury without receiving redtress, and by rendering them contented with their situation, is calculated to impart to theni those principles which will enable them to estimate the benefits, to acquire the habits, and to pnactise the duties whicb belong toa nioreivifized etate of society. " Your committee attach grreat importance to this considera. tion, because it encourages the belief thav a foundation is laid for future measures o, progressive improvement. ' Every view which vour commnittee can take of the present and future contditioa of th,e slave poplation, confirms them in their op. nson ,tha the i m provem ent of their religious, moral, and civil state, cany eeSens tff ictd ave g al tendency progressive rueasures * and that on ly be efmected byicfradu a tendenprto produce a sudde;n hange in the: present state, by the introduction of principles vhich are un. known to, and iticonsistent w'it}:, the policy of colonial iratitutions; and the habits of the slaves themselves, would be as fistal to them as dangerous to the security of theisland." (Page 271.) TRtaruDA,.-Extract of a letter from Governor Sir Ralph Woodford. To proprietors of slaves, as to maniind in general, no incentire can be so great as their own iltereSt. It is nor in their lower now to replace a slave whose physica. powers are ixhausted by a short service; therefore, the value of a slave of g-ood caracter is greatly enhanced beyond the value of his ordinary appra sement, and propor- tionate eftbris are made to keep up his natural health and vigour. " The comforts of the slave depend upon themselves and their own industry, and their healtl. upon their own imprudences, and the quantumn of work they are required to petforin. I They can, if they clic se., with very little trouble, amass much beyond the Wsnts of the uitmost ambition or profligacy; but the idle and druttken (of which nihere are many) will al*ays be in poverty and rags. I have freqtently know.n cases of Negtoes preferring to con- tirue slaves rather than, with ample means, to purchase their freedoml, or eveni to accept it. With a humane owner, tbe Negro is liost happy ; and as a slave, and vwhen sick, lie alwavs stiares the tare of the owner'b table." (Payse 276 to 27ii) 1 Oll comparing these reports with the statements of the African In- sritution, who can believe thai the different parties are desctibiig the sanie stale of societv ? Gross exwgeratioti or misrepresentanon must be imputed to one side or the other. Ii the Africall Institution have faithfully reported the cra7acter ard condnuct of the West India planters. the assertions of (Civernor .Maxwell, Colonel Arthur, and Sir Ralph Wl oodfordt are wholly incredible. How is it possible that " liberal treatment an.l piomeetion of slaves" can ctaracterize Ehe iniabit-rte of Dominica; or that " the L,erislature of that colony can feel a tlispositioi, to atlopt any ilmlures for the ameliora- tion oetrhe condition of the sliveb, thtat experience may suggest, or his Majesty's Goverimient may recommend," as is Asserted by Go- vernor Maxwell 5 Can any thing be so preposterous as the declara- tion ot Colonel Arthur, that " in no part of the world has he seen the labouring classes of people possess an v thing lilke the coniforts and tld- vanstages of the slave population' of llonduras?" Absolutely Imonstrous niust he tite assertion ot Str Ralph WVoodilord that he has |" frequently known casei of Negroes prefeiring to continue slav2s, I rather tihanwith ample means, to putchase their freedom,i or even to accept it wlhen oflered them, !' Sucts will naturaliv be the exclama- tions oh the disciples of the Afriran Institution, on first reading these extracts; anti farther be it linown to them, that these Governois, so far froin having imbibed any colonial prejudices,are the very friends and prottges of their own Society. Govemor -Maxivell was for- merly Governor of Sierra Leone, aild is understood to have been appointed by the indtlieLice of somne ot their Directors, to his situa- tion in Doiinica. C(olonel Arthor. as ihe himself declares, " went outa perfect WVdbe force as to slavery," biut lina sielded to the force of roncition. Sir Ralph Woodtfrd has bern in constant habits of correspondence and iitetcourse with lhe Africani institution and honotirable menion of hits n ame was tltadc by Mr. Stephen, in hfi, specCh at otne of their anmseeary meeting:i. Thus all the assertions of that Stciety, respecting the eouditioti atid treatiioent of the Ne- groes are,outradictedoout tif the mouths of their ovn witnesses. In the tlebale on Air, Buxton's mottion, the preceding reports of the different Guvernoys were quioted by Alr. Mlarryat auth .Ir. Buxtoti, in repyl, endeavoured to invalithate the testimonas of Colonel Arthir, by reading an account, 4it-en by him ini a forotier diespatch, of the crutel treatment ot a feiale slave, by a man of the name oi Carty. This case is referred to by C'olonel Artiur, where he says that " slavery voiild scarcely be known to exist in this country, were it rot tor a few unprincipledl adventurers in the town of' Bclize, I who exercise authority over their one or two slaves, in a luan- nier very uli(fereijt fron t it- great hody of the cominniliitv." And. aeain, where lie adils, "I The step, which I have taken with one of these lcaracters, as reported in may dlesp:atchl to vour Lordahip of the 21st tilt. will, I liave no loubt, be attended v:th the best ef- fect; and I turn with pleasieu to froi this unlleasant exception, to the general features ot the picture wIhicih are stt truly exceUcrt." The brutal conduct of Carty ili linot preveut Colonel Arthur, in niakitig his subsequent report to Lord Batlttrit of the state of thie slave population ini Honduras, froti expressing himsclf in the*e words:- " I r have the most heartfelt gratification in assuring vour L.ord- ship, that it is scarcely possihle it can he ameliorated."' Colontel Arthur turns with pleasure fro tl the unpleasant exception, to the ge- iieral features of the picture which tare e truly exceilent. Alr. Bux. ton, on the contrary, liides all those features, anm dwells on the ex- ception alone. Wtould it be just to characterterizc the people of Englanti by aneedotes twhich might be seiected troni the Ne;agate Calendar? Certainly not; neither ought the inhiabitants of lIon- duras to he stigmatized for the crielty 0t' oneo unprinicipled adven. turer. All general rItles have their e'Xceptiolls * but Mr. Buxton sets tip tite exception against tile rule, in opposition to all sound rea, sOinn1g and fair argument. The testimony utfall otter Governors stands unitrealched. anil therefore the whole bhotly of evidenice on this subject completely re. futes the char e brought against the planiters by Air. Wilberforce, tn lils late appeal to the British natioti, mith supported by .Mr. Buxton and some of his other friends in the House of Co)mmons, " that the system of slaverv in Oile WVest itihies is a systemn of tit imiost unre- lenritig cruelty." I aits, Sir, your mlst tbutmdient eervsant. A Wl INI' INVIIAN PROPRIETO-RT SPHE WEST ZjNVIAr CON,ROVR7'.qy -,- -.-- - U-T??ERYIY