NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. OUR pages are open to communications bearing THE REV. S. Holt's letter is received. No statement could be more false than this. He adds The Evangelical party in the Church o England, and the Dissenters, to whom the greater part of the credit of abolition is du had a much higher opinion of the negro, the to suppose him capable of going upon the "spree." They had been led to believe from the reports of missionaries that the poor slave were devotedly pious, that they were for the most part members of christian churches, and having once become convinced that this wa a fact, they gave no credit to the persons whe stated anything to the contrary. They coul The Freed-Man.r JUNE, 1867. THE PRESENT STATE OF THE believe in Uncle Tom, if that preposteron WEST INDIES. Let not our readers imagine that we are about to trouble them with an elaborate, statistical, political, or social disquisition on the condition of our West India possessions. We intend nothing of the kind. But under the above heading there appeared after our last number went to press a series of articles worthy of notice in a London paper called The Day, whose day proved to be a brief one, for it has now for some time ceased to exist. These articles are curious as they are written entirely from the white West India stand point, abounding in that peculiar bombast, ignorance and utter absence of all sense of "the becoming" which certainly as the rule, does not characterise all Englishmen resident out of the mother country. The writer sneers at those who advocated West India emancipa tion. He says romance had been published at the time, but they could not believe the reports of eye witnesses, of those who had resided in the West Indies for years, even for their lives. The cool impudence of this statement needs no comment of ours. It is simply asking us to believe what the wolf would say of the lamb. We prefer to take the testimony of the ministers of Christ to that of the ruined, insolent exslaveholders. Notwithstanding the largeness of the negro love for a "spree" and his fondness for rum, he seems to be making his way in Jamaica, for the writer says The feelings of the pure whites towards the blacks are not of the most cordial kind. An old and impoverished aristocracy never feels very affectionately towards rich parvenus. The aversion of these impoverished aristocrats to the negro, is put by this writer with great force and an amusing unconsciousness of its injustice. It That negroes on their release from slavery goes far to explain the Jamaica troubles should have a sort of "spree"-that they and cruelties. The writer says— should for a few weeks insist on doing nothing No aristocracy in Europe carries about with except getting drunk on rum-would have it such distinctive marks of birth and race as been perfectly intelligible to the British public, who would have expected them as a matter of course to return to work, penitent and shakey, after a greater or less interval, the white man does in the West Indies. The slightest tinge of coloured blood, the faintest "dash of the tar brush," is known and regis tered, and the coloured man, however good his June 1, 1867 "Thank education` may be, or however great his education and christian principle would wealth, however high his official position, be to knock the mean varlet down, who must for ever feel a rankling envy of the should dare upbraid us in words of carepoorest man of pure white descent. fully studied contempt either on account of the place of our birth, or the colour of our complexion. Would our readers like to know how coloured people of position are treated in the West Indies. God," said a gentleman of dark complexion, an Italian by descent, "thank God, I have not a drop of African blood in my veins; if I had I'd blow my brains out." The writer, evidently a West India white, thinking he had not said enough adds The bitter hatred entertained towards the negroes by many whites who have suffered personally by emancipation can hardly be understood by Europeans. The Jamaica correspondent of the defunct Day will tell you. In social intercourse these feelings show themselves most strongly. The two races meet at public balls, such as those given by or to the Governor, but they do not mix. The whites form quadrilles amongst themselves, dance with each other, and keep up an invisible but well-understood barrier between themselves and the coloured people. A short time ago the writer was dancing a quadrille at a ball given by the Governor of one of the West India Islands, where he was a comparative stranger. He joined a set already formed, and, to his astonishment, a coloured man, almost a pure negro, took his place at one of the sides. Such an occurrence is so rare that it was much remarked on. writer's partner refused to take the hand of Quite so; the writer no doubt is correct. Nothing but viperous slavery scotched and killed could have spawned this base infernal hate against any of God's creatures. We greatly fear that the West India whites hate the Evil One himself, less than they do a man born of African descent. Comment upon such a state of feeling is superfluous. The pure West Indian white would not condescend to bandy words at length with an African, not even an octoroon, the negro in the last figure. Three times he but the writer tells us, perhaps from his own experience, how to admonish the sorry galled jade by a ring of the withers: listen! Of course no gentleman chooses to have a quarrel with one of these fellows: but there is a retort, a very dangerous one, which piques them to the very uttermost, and which it is difficult to avoid giving. Call the man a "nigger;" say, "Ah! just like a nigger!" and the fury of rage they break out into is frightful. But a white man who makes much use of this weapon had better have a plentiful stock of others, for assuredly his life would be in jeopardy. The offered it, and three times she rejected it. The fourth time he saw what was intended, and did not put out his hand. The lady said as she walked away, "Do you think I would have taken that negro's hand? Never! I'd have died first!" It was rather a painful scene. On enquiry it was found that the delinquent was a member of the highest branch of the Legislature, and was invited in his official capacity. The rebuff served him right for venturing into a quadrille composed entirely of white people. The estimate of the negro who has capacity enough according to the correspondent to grow rich, to get learning We think this quite possible. For and to win political distinction is thus our own part, the first impulse upon put with all the circumstantiality that receiving an opprobrious, insolent Pope's Martinus Scriblerus runs through epithet, an impulse only restrained by the categories. Psalmist to the occasion, Mr. Gordon replied My heart was hot within me; while I was musing the fire of devotion burned. The fire is here in my heart: and now, dear friends, come, let us have a prayer meeting." A glorious prayer meeting, Mr. Fletcher says they had, and a gracious outpouring of the spirit was enjoyed, while a wonderful work of revival commenced that morning in Bath, when hundreds were converted, including one of the ministers in the neighbourhood, whom I knew well." "I shall never forget a Sabbath which I spent with him in his own peculiar 'work of faith and labour of love' accompanied by Mr. Gordon and Mr. Vinen. We started on horseback, after attending an early prayer meeting, and had nearly twenty miles to ride to the station at which I was engaged to preach, but the whole intervening range was studded with intermediate stations which required hasty visits. We galloped our horses on at almost Jehu speed, from station to station, alighting at some of them for a few minutes while Mr. Gordon inspected his Sabbath schools, &c.; and after several abrupt but kind enquiries as to attendance and other matters, he would address a few words of approbation to some, encouragement or perhaps reproof to others, and then we rode off to another and another station, till at length dear Mr. Gordon's attendants kept on "the even tenor of their way" and allowed him to canter over his by-paths alone, through rivers and rocks and mud and jungle, to his sub-stations, but he made up to us before we reached the end of our journey, for he was by habit and repute the fleetest rider in Jamaica. The day was now far spent; and oh! the terrible heat of the sun! I felt more fit for lying down to rest than for preaching to that sweltering congregation. But after having preached and dismissed the large assembly, the work of the day was not nearly finished. "Mr. Gordon had his Bethesda pools to visit, where impotent folk, halt, withered, aged, sick, bereaved, destitute, dying ones, were anxiously awaiting his angelic visits to trouble the waters of charity, patience, resignation, and comfort. His head, his heart, his hands and his purse were there harmoniously united in the Christ-like mission of alleviating human woe," Mr. Gordon was as active in correspondence as in his visits and preaching. From a large number of letters Mr. Fletcher gives the following as a specimen : "My dear brother, "Rhine Estate, St. Thomas-in-the East. "May 23rd, 1862. Although here, I am busy and have but a few moments to spare; grandma' and Mr. Vinen are also with me-we all unite in kindest love and remembrances to you all, our dear brother and sister, and two dear boys. Our visit here is twofold: first, to open a mission station at Bath and Spring, both of which have been done, thanks be to God, under circumstances which call for devout thankfulness. "On Sunday, the 18th, services were held at the Missionary Bethel, a temporary place of worship, and it was indeed a refreshing season. At five o'clock on Monday morning we also had worship; on Monday evening also, and Tuesday, so it has been quite an interesting time, and we trust much good is already done. Mr. Warren, late of America, one of those seeking a rest here, is the temporary pastor, and he seems just the right man in the right place, under present circumstances. We need an assistant teacher, bibles, tracts, hymn books, and school books. We have determined on three principal stations, two of which are already established in St. Thomas-in-the-East; this has been a neglected and dark part. May the Lord impart light and life, and to His name shall be great glory. The St. Andrew's Mission is doing well, you will be glad to hear. "We have been praying for you, and for the success of missions, and for the Divine blessing on all the present meetings (the May meetings) in England, as well as for the success of truth in America. We are sure that our God hears and answers prayers, and we will call on Him continually. 66 Secondly, I have been also actively engaged in parochial and private business, we trust rendered more solid by our entire dependence on the Divine blessing. You know what I have to contend with, and yet I don't grow weary nor lose courage. The Lord sustains his most tried pilgrim, and he must press onward, doing good in the midst of evil. The harvest is great. O, may the Lord of the harvest send forth labourers into the harvest. At Rural Hill and Manchioneal, and Linstead, the people are left in a melancholy state; they rest much on my mind at present. I have had a world of trouble to go through; I am yet fighting. Wave after wave rolls over me, yet why should a living man complain? You know I have dealt much in faith, and I have found the Lord faithful, so I trust have you, therefore fail not. Look in what a community I move; think of the wiles and fiery darts of Satan, and then pray for me. O, I never felt the want of prayer so much as at present. I have to implore the mercy of my offended Heavenly Father. He will correct me, and purge me, but he will not forsake me. Love to dear sister, may the Lord increase her faith. "With love, and affectionate remembrances to Mrs. F. and the dear little ones, Believe me, my dear brother, Yours in the best bonds, G. W. GORDON." Mr. Gordon was a man of boundless hospitality; his house was the home and resting-place of the sick and weariel missionary. We are indebted to one who received his kind intentions for the following discriminating estimate of his character. The Rev. H. Renton, of Kelso, says, "The first time I met him (Mr. Gordon) was at the close of forenoon worship in the Rev. W. Watson's church, Kingston (United Presbyterian), on the first Lord's day of May, 1855, when I was introduced to him and Mrs. Gordon, Mr. and Mrs. Roxburg, Mr. W. W. Anderson, and others of similar standing, who, with Mrs. Watson and To our coloured friends and fellow. countrymen in Jamaica, many of whom will read these lines, we would say, that sentiments such as those we have cited are hateful to every true bar. Sensual, lazy, lying, thievish, excessively the grim statements of the writer wh irritable in temper, fiendishly cruel when their had occupied so large a space we anger is aroused, caring nothing for the conjugal relationship, very little for the parental perhaps deemed injurious and diabolical one, without the slightest wish or desire to improve themselves either intellectually, morally or socially, abominably vain and conceited, and only desirous of earning money in order that they may bask in idleness, and wear fine clothes, they form about the worst race that could possibly be intrusted with uncorrupted Englishman. There is freedom on a fertile soil and in a tropical climate. Within the next few years the question will have to be decided whether the West Indies are, or are not, to be given up your dwellings, do something every entirely to these people. party, no rank in the mother country but would denounce such oppression. Friends, cultivate self-respect, improve day to improve your temporal condition Do our readers require more? We value education, "Fear God and honour think not. We have in a second article the Queen," for the day of your redemp nearly three columns from which we tion draweth nigh. The man whe could quote similar choice extracts. writes from Jamaica has some conHow many more articles this demon in nexion with those who spilled the blood human form penned we do not know, of your oppressed people, but the days as only two have reached our hand. of all such are numbered. They al It is not improbable that if we could ready behold the portents of ther unearth this fox, he would be found to doom. When your lovely isle is have had some connexion with those glorious as Eden, and your who plaited the piano wire to scourge happy as unsinful innocence, these men and flay poor naked and unoffending shall lie hidden in eternal oblivion. women. We can only say that our FLORIDA. children of heart sickens at such ghastly senti- EDUCATION OF THE FREED-MEN IN ments. If Jamaica is peopled by such ▲ correspondent of the New York Observer, a race of whites the day of doom for writing from St. Augustine, says: The State of such can not be distant. God grant it Florida is in advance of all those lately in may not come by violent methods. rebellion in having a system of public schools The journal called The Day in which for the education of the Freed-men. Though this Jamaica correspondence appeared, it must be acknowledged that the passage as we have already stated, no longer this bill by the first provisional Legislature was the work of a northern man, Chaplain endures. Night and pale shadows Hobbs, who was appointed by Governor have gathered around it. We therefore at liberty to mention a fact. Only a few days before the sun of The Day set, we received a communication from the office to furnish materials for a true statement in relation to the coloured people of Jamaica, suggesting that are Walker, Superintendent of Education. Unfortunately, while on a visit north, to collect funds to start the work, there being no money to carry out the project, he was brought before the Congressional Investigating Committee, and told the truth about the abuses and sufferings of the Freed-men in this State. For this crime, Gov. Walker, straightway |