Year: 1866




SPEECH OF MR.. BRIGHT ON THE POSITION AND


PROSPECTS OF THE NEGRO.


[From the Liverpool Post. April 2e.l


An influential meeting in aid Of the objects OF the
National Freedmen's Aid Union Of Great Britain and
ireland held on Tuesday afternoon at the Westmn
ster Palace Hotel London under the presidency of
Duke OF Argyle X. G. The noble chairman, in opening
tho proceedings, warmly advocated the claims OF the
society which he stated was composed Of from forty
had already raised of for the objects con-
tempated by the union.


The Rev. J. s. Howson D. D., OF Liverpool, moved the
hrst resolution, as follows


That this meeting regards the progress Of events during
as pa&s With pona interest," @ s
and Intelligent fitness OF an increasing .number OF the
f1ssdom psiRR their sSrn after edacaon
BsSSse 'n' 'n'''e' 70 e'f'' pNA"'A'p'


Mr. Bnrour, NJ p, who was received with enthusiastic
cheering proposed resolution expressing the claims
which the society has upon tho British public He said
that though he had done but very little in connection
with the Frcedmens Aid Society, nc not the less had
vcry strong sympathy with Its objects for he thought
that all grounds there had never been offered
case that entitled to their sympathy and their
contributions The fact that four millions OF persons
Dc IN ne ~ WI 81 T
their heip but when they recollccted the unhappy
dton which many Of them lived in that country, and
the terrific circumstances under which the late great
change their had been accomplished IL
seemed that every ground they had stronger claim
1pon Engshmen than any equal number Of sufferers OF
Shom they had heard at any time In any quarter of
6s globe Although these poor people were FREQ and


Ssy a. this
s quite certain that men like the planters, The
lny Christian spirit towards the negro any
than they likely TO do towards those in the
usration Of what probably the Of feeling in
America among many, they would find II in the recent
no WAS NOW " & en since
cumsances wholly different from those which led to its
abolition in America II was not done voluntarily by
the planters OF jamaica but 1t was done TRANQUILITY and
under tho operat ion imperial act OF Parliament
and by consideration Of the rights OF the planters
and by very considerable compensation being offered
and paid to them But Notwithstanding that the abo
ton was by law, and that compensation was paid was
quito clear that from that period down TO this hour
the ruling whites Of tho island had never really in
an honest, kindly and jnst spirit accepted the
changed condition OF the negro During the whole time,
had been proved that tho laws of most unjust and
tniquous character that taxes had been isved most
unfairly and oppressvey that there had been through
out the island total absence OF anything like honest
and honorable distribution ci justice; that the negro
Sncc cIthcr TO the man who committed tho grievance
upon him or else TO some man so connected with him
that justice was entirely hopeless and finally, they also
that during the whole OF the period the had
boon denied that portion OF their political power
which their constitution would have granted to thcm,
and thn there had been various alterations in tho cleo
Eve franchise which shut them out: that notwith-
standing that the population Of tho island was 450 000
was that only 500 voted for the members Of
che Lees.atu The whole thing had eliminated the
horrors and the atrocities which had lately transpired
there, and which be obliged 10 believe had thrown
disccd upon the English government and the English
character IN every other country IN the world But in
the United States the planter had not the negro
liberated IN the tranquil OF the law had ho
received sxpence OF compensation for being deprived
OF his property IN his save the contrary he had seen
his slave wrestod from him by the most terrific and widc
spread vioenceviocnce II was true OF his own inviting
but not the less violence and no; the less
70 him. and instead OF getting any compensatioh al
most kind OF property which he had was In tho
rourso OF this political hurricane swept away There
fore, every that there In Jamaica why there
should be i-fecling between the planters and ths
negro seemed might exist Increased degree
n the United States The only thing to DO set against
Sanu.,,,n e'as s,san, ~ msu,ors Srocd9 Of nswsns
pcs freedom Of the PLATFORM and freedom Of schools,
and IN the North people who he believed were resolved
70 complete In peace what had been begun In war But
this he felt that the negro would yet be
subjected TO many difhcnlties ut the hand:
they could only hope tho moderation and jus.
uce which could not be absent from some minds
% would tend some degree to corrcc. this and that
cvitable and Ind that justice and fair dealing really
the only powers by which the South could gain any
pcnsaton Tor the missres OF the past Some persons
argued, and not without show reason that the
North were themsew~ able TO do all that necessary
FOR tho south After the tremendous cxcrtons they had
made II would be rash say they were not able
but there were still tho strongest why English
the negro should give their help In the restoration or
rather the creation, OF the prosperity OF the
During the last sI uys yss's me feeling Of many hero



sble nor Just, and there no doubt thorc had
been great exasperaton 10 the uni,cd states at
what they considered unkind and unbrotherly
duct Canada had acted In the ssmc way wo had,
and now the states had abolished their reciprocity OF
commercial treaty with tho country, thus showing that
these acts OF injusicc between nation aud nation pro-
duced widely extended and long lasting evils Bat II
shey found that this lfeelns might be modified and TO
some extent removed and thus brotherly kindness
might be restored and that great good might be done 1T
The same nme In helping noble army OF mon
and women in the Nor:h TO improve the con-
dIuon Of the negro, surely there mover was q
proposition made 20 any portion OF tho people
Of England more entirely calling for thor cordial
suppor than that which made 10 them, and 70
which he hoped they would heartily respond No doubt
there would s, be crueties and hardshps for The no
goss 70 bear but he believed that the plapscrs would
soou md that although they not nov 50 absolutely
0ppfeme on their own estates they bad hitherto been
yes The estates would ba more productive and they
uoah themselves feel that whatever they got from tho
bsusy the sot the beauty Of the climate, and the
SaAon of uetf vorkDeoue ompcnsated foe by fsf