1830.] Fate of the Colonies. 421 



the Creoles ? The West Indians may expect to be assailed by every 

 weapon that the most inveterate malice of the unscrupulous anti-colo- 

 nial party can wield against them.* They and the clergymen of the esta- 

 blished church may be prepared for slanderous misrepresentations, and to 

 see their exertions undervalued and derided by this party, who have in- 

 deed already gone tolerable lengths. Let the following extract from 

 a recent publication, avowedly by the Anti-Slavery Society, serve as a 

 specimen. After abusing almost every respectable man who has dared 

 to raise his voice in defence of the Colonies, it proceeds thus: "Look 

 at the island of Jamaica, with Mr. Barret as their organ ; at the Ba- 

 hamas, with their governor at their head ; at Bermuda ; at Nevis ; at 

 Grenada. Look, again, at the planters of St. Lucia ; of Berbice ; of 

 the Mauritius : nay, look at the collective wisdom of the whole West 

 India body, as exemplified in its writings, which have recently ap- 

 peared in this very city. And, as if there were no exception to the 

 influence of this contagious infatuation, wherever slavery enters as an 

 element, look, in the last place, to the many excellent men who 

 compose the governors of the Christian Societies for converting the Negro 

 Slaves, and for propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts. And we 

 shall see even these venerated individuals, when they come in contact 

 with the Antilles, at once yielding up, to their Creole or Creolized 

 agents, the keeping, as it were, of their consciences, and the guidance 

 and control of their reason; and ranging themselves, unwittingly, on 

 the side of falsehood, imposture, irreligion, and impiety ! ! !" This, our 

 readers will admit, is tolerably well for a beginning. 



Although, for the reasons already stated, we object to the domination 

 of missionaries over the negroes, let it not be supposed that we are 

 enemies to the propagation of the gospel, or that we are advocates for 

 the perpetuation of slavery, or are biassed by any other considerations than 

 a native hatred of injustice, and a contempt and disdain of cant and hypo- 

 crisy. We repeat that we would wish to see the negro made free the 

 instant he is capable of appreciating the benefits of freedom ; but we do 

 not approve of exertions likely to end in the Haitian manner, nor of 

 that feeling which goes to destroy the exercise of Christian charity at 

 home, and which takes the bread from our own starving poor, to waste 

 it on fruitless, because indiscreet, experiments upon Africans. " The 

 whole country," says Dr. Channing, " is thrown into excitement, to 

 support missions. The rich are taxed and the poor burdened. We do 

 not say that they are burdened without object ; for Christianity is so 

 infinite a blessing that we consent to any honest method of sending it 

 abroad. But what is the amount of good effected? A few mis- 

 sionaries, we know not the precise number, are supported, of whom most 

 have hitherto brought little to pass. We fear that the error is spreading 

 of exalting human devices above our natural relations. We have heard 

 that that delicate kindness which once flowed from the more prosperous 

 to the less prosperous members of a large family, and which bound 

 society together by that love which is worth all bonds, is diminished 



* Although it is evident that the destruction of our West Indian Colonies would deprive 

 this country of a direct revenue of about seven millions per annum, and would add, 

 perhaps, an equal sum to our annual expenditure as a remuneration to the planters for the 

 loss of their property yet candidates, during the late election, have not scrupled to 

 pledge themselves to abolish slavery and reduce taxation ! and the sectaries denounced, 

 even from the pulpit, those candidates who refused to pledge themselves to these incon- 

 sistencies ! 



