xx.
APPENDIX.
SECTION
III.
T H E L A T E G O V E R N O R . — W e h a v e h a d occasion in t h e precedi n g p a g e s , t o speak in t e r m s of p r a i s e of Sir E V A N M A C G H E G O U , a n d it is o u r grateful t a s k t o record h e r e , t h a t t h o s e in D o m i n i c a i n t e r e s t e d in t h e welfare of t h e a p p r e n t i c e s , a t t r i b u t e t h e a c c o m p l i s h m e n t of some good, a n d t h e p r e v e n t i o n of m u c h mischief, t o h i s brief residence a m o n g t h e m a s G o v e r n o r . I n h i s farewell a d d r e s s t o t h e L e g i s l a t u r e , o n h i s d e p a r t u r e to a s s u m e t h e G o v e r n m e n t of t h e W i n d w a r d I s l a n d s , h e r e c o m m e n d e d t h e A b o l i t i o n of t h e A p p r e n t i c e s h i p in 1 8 3 8 . W e w o u l d gladly w r i t e n o t h i n g b u t eulogy of t h e a u t h o r of so b e n e v o l e n t a p r o p o s i t i o n , b u t a sense of w h a t is due t o i m p a r t i a l i t y , c o m p e l s u s to notice t w o a c t s w h i c h disfigure h i s a d m i n i s t r a t i o n . F i r s t , a n a t t e m p t t o i n t r o d u c e comptilsory t a s k w o r k , in i m i t a t i o n of Sir L I O N E L S M I T H , a n d in o p p o sition t o a n express e n a c t m e n t of t h e A p p r e n t i c e s h i p L a w . Secondly, his decisions, o n a n u m b e r of c h a r g e s preferred by J O S E P H F A D E L L E a g a i n s t c e r t a i n individuals, h i g h in office, in D o m i n i c a . W e h a v e before u s a p a m p h l e t , w h i c h m a y be c o n sidered to c o n t a i n a n eœ parte view of t h i s subject in favor of Sir E V A N M A C GREGOR. Since it consists entirely of h i s o w n s t a t e m e n t of t h e several c h a r g e s , h i s references t o t h e evidence, h i s c i t a t i o n s a n d i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s of t h e L a w s , h i s decisions on t h e s e p a r a t e c h a r g e s , a n d h i s c o n c l u d i n g " g e n e r a l r e m a r k s . " A careful p e r u s a l of it h a s b r o u g h t u s t o t h e c o n c l u s i o n , t h a t h i s i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s of t h e A b o l i t i o n L a w are destructive of t h e spirit a n d i n t e n t i o n o f t h e E n g l i s h A c t , a n d t h a t h i s decisions a n d " R e m a r k s " d i s p l a y a s t r o n g bias in favor of t h e accused p a r t i e s . Sir E V A N t h u s s p e a k s in h i s " G e n e r a l R e m a r k s " of t h e success likely to a t t e n d efi'orts t o p r o t e c t t h e a p p r e n t i c e s b y t h e exposure of t h e o p p r e s s i o n s t o w h i c h t h e y are subjected. " U n l e s s through the k i n d n e s s a n d favor of t h e i r m a s t e r s , w h o m t h e y o u g h t r a t h e r t o be e n c o u r a g e d to p r o p i t i a t e b y s u b m i s s i o n , t h a n goaded t o e x a s p e r a t e , b y i m p o t e n t r e s i s t a n c e , t h e a p p r e n t i c e d l a b o r e r s m a y look in vain, for an a m e l i o r a t i o n of t h e i r l o t . " T h i s s t r i k i n g p a s s a g e explains w h a t is t h e a c t u a l c o n d i t i o n , in l a w a n d fact, of t h e a p p r e n t i c e d l a b o r e r s . T h e y have n o r i g h t s , w h i c h t h e y c a n effectually m a i n t a i n in opposition t o t h e despotic will of t h e i r o w n e r s . The A b o l i t i o n L a w so far from b e i n g largely i n t e r p r e t e d in t h e i r favor, a s a n A c t i n t e n d e d for t h e i r benefit, a n d on t h e t h e o r y , t h a t s u b j e c t to certain well defined r e s t r i c t i o n s , t h e y a r e free m e n , is i n t e r p r e t e d largely in favor of t h e i r m a s t e r s , a n d o n t h e t h e o r y t h a t with certain ill-defined immunities, they are still slaves.
SECTION
IV.
C O M P A R A T I V E C O N D I T I O N OF T H E A P P R E N T I C E S . — I t
appears
evident that the negros in this Colony have gained nothing by the