xiv.
APPENDIX.
giving t h e m a n y p r o t e c t i o n even in h i s s e l f - i n t e r e s t , — a s t a t e w h i c h exposed t h e m to t h e exactions of slavery w i t h o u t its slender i n d u l - j gences, t o its w o r s t h o r r o r s , w i t h o u t a n y of its m i t i g a t i o n s . I U p o n o u r Colonial G o v e r n m e n t h a s devolved t h e s u p e r i n t e n d e n c e j of t h e m o s t i n t e r e s t i n g political e x p e r i m e n t , recorded in t h e h i s t o r y ' of o u r c o u n t r y , a n d w h a t r e s p o n s i b i l i t y can be m o r e sacred, t h a n • t h a t of p r e v e n t i n g t h e y o u n g liberties of a s u d d e n l y e m a n c i p a t e d : people from d e g e n e r a t i n g into license, a n d of p r o t e c t i n g t h e m o n t h e o t h e r h a n d from t h e e n c r o a c h m e n t s of s u p e r i o r p o w e r a n d i n t e l ligence ? W e w o u l d ask w h e t h e r G o v e r n m e n t h a s d i s c h a r g e d its high d u t i e s w o r t h i l y , a n d in s u c h a w a y a s t o secure t h a t c o m p l e t e E m a n c i p a t i o n for w h i c h t h e E n g l i s h people h a v e so e a r n e s t l y c o n t e n d e d , a n d for w h i c h t h e y h a v e m a d e so costly a sacrifice ? D o n o t t h e l a w s , p a s s e d in t h i s a n d o t h e r Colonies since t h e I m p e r i a l | A c t for t h e Abolition of Slavery, a n d sanctioned b y R o y a l o r d e r s in C o u n c i l , b e a r w i t n e s s , t h a t t h e Colonial D e p a r t m e n t is not a t t h e p r e s e n t m o m e n t , filled w i t h m e n t o w h o m t h e sacred i n t e r e s t s of n e g r o liberty can be safely i n t r u s t e d , w i t h o u t t h e exercise of i n creased vigilance on t h e p a r t of t h e public ? T h e r e is n o t h i n g in j t h e s i t u a t i o n of t h e C o l o n i e s , or in t h e c h a r a c t e r of t h e i r p o p u l a t i o n , to w a r r a n t even t e m p o r a r y deviations from a s o u n d , l e g i t i m a t e a n d e q u a l legislation. T h e g r e a t p r i n c i p l e s of political e c o n o m y j are a s applicable t o t h e m , a t t h e p r e s e n t crisis, as t h e y are to t h e S m o t h e r c o u n t r y ; a n d a n y w i d e d e p a r t u r e from t h o s e p r i n c i p l e s , \ will n o t o n l y inflict m u c h p r e s e n t evil, b u t create serious difficulties for t h e f u t u r e . SECTION
VI.
T H E A B O L I T I O N A C T . — T h e d e b a t e s of t h e A s s e m b l y a n d C o u n cil, a s r e p o r t e d in t h e I s l a n d n e w s p a p e r s d u r i n g t h e sessions of 1 8 3 3 — 4 , a n d 5, c a n n o t be said t o exhibit t h e e n t i r e b o d y of A n t i g u a L e g i s l a t o r s in t h e c h a r a c t e r of h i g h m i n d e d a n d d i s i n t e r ested p h i l a n t h r o p i s t s . T h e p a s s i n g of t h e E m a n c i p a t i o n A c t , w a s b a r e l y secured b y t h e u n w e a r i e d efforts of a s m a l l , b u t benevolent a n d e n l i g h t e n e d , m a j o r i t y ; t o w h o m also is o w i n g t h e defeat of s u b s e q u e n t m e a s u r e s , w h i c h w o u l d h a v e v i r t u a l l y u n d o n e all t h a t t h e Bill professed t o effect. T h e first A c t w a s rejected b y t h e H o m e G o v e r n m e n t , in c o n s e q u e n c e of its c o n t a i n i n g a clause r e p e a l i n g t h e four a n d a h a l f p e r c e n t d u t i e s . A second w a s i n t r o d u c e d in a remodelled form ; a n d u l t i m a t e l y carried b y a casting v o t e . T h e G o v e r n o r , Sir E V A N M A C G R E G O R , t o o k t h e w a r m e s t i n t e r e s t in t h e m e a s u r e , a n d e m p l o y e d all h i s legitimate influence t o effect its p a s s i n g . H e was undoubtedly the means, under Pro vidence, of d e t e r m i n i n g t h e nicely b a l a n c e d scales of liberty a n d a p p r e n t i c e s h i p in favor of t h e former. SECTION
j ' j ;j \ \
\ :
VII.
T H E F O U R A N D A H A L F P E R C E N T D V I I E S , — I t is t o be r e g r e t t e d \