130] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1797. 
it is much to be lamented. They 
both deserved equally well of the 
communityof Jamaicaandthe British 
empire at large. Such, however, I 
am sorry to say, was the fact, and 
therefore the governor, very pro- 
perly, left the whole to the deter- 
mination of the assembly. Sir, the 
first. conditions on whichtheMaroons 
were to surrender, were these; Ist. 
that they should, on a day appoint- 
ed, give up their arms, and surren- 
der all the fugitive enslaved negroes 
who had joined them. 2d. That 
they shouldask the king’s pardonon 
tbeir knees. On these terms theirlives 
were to be spared, and permission 
granted them to remain inthe coun- 
try. Now, sir, it isafact, not to be 
denied, that they did not surrender 
on the day fixed; and that they 
did not, then or on any day after- 
wards, give np the fugitive negroes. 
Ido not believe that colonel Wal- 
pole avers that they did. Colonel 
Walpole, sir, who is not less distin- 
guished for his humanity than his 
bravery, thinks, I believe, that it 
would have been generous in the as- 
sembly to have imputed their not 
surrendering im time to their igno- 
rance, rather than to any wilful de- 
lay, and politic to have let them re- 
main in the country ; but I do not 
conceive that he charges, either 
theearl of Balcarras or theassembly 
withtreachery. ‘Fleassembly,how- ’ 
ever, thought differently from colo- 
nel Walpole, and that men who had 
yiolated their allegiance, and enter- 
edinto a bloody and cruel war,with- 
out provocation, were unfit to remain 
in the island; yet, in the disposal 
of these people they manifested a 
degree of generosity and tender~ 
ness, Which is without example. 
Sir, after providing with fit and 
proper clothing for a change of cli- 
mate, ‘the assembly sent them to 
America, and appointed three gen- 
tlemen to accompany them thither, 
with a sum of 25,0001. to purchase 
lands for their future settlement, 
and for their maintenance for the 
first year, after which it is hoped the, 
example of the white people, with 
whom they are settled, and being 
removed from the former wild and 
savage way of life, they may become 
an useful body of yeomanry. I will 
add only one wordmore. Sir, there 
is now agentleman inthis town, who 
conversed with the Maroons the 
night before they sailed,andwho as- 
sures me that they expressed them= 
selves wellsatisfied withthe conduct 
of the assembly towards them ; and 
declared that having conversed with 
some American negroes, concerning 
the country to which they were go-= 
ing, they said they were content to 
go. 1 hope, therefore, we shall hear. 
no more of the business. 
Mr. Wilberforce observedthat the 
Maroons had been for one hundred 
and forty years on the island of Ja- 
maica, and he conceived that, if not. 
fit subjects of lenity, they were yet 
fit subjects of instruction, They 
had been British subjects. But he 
was yet to learn, whether any steps 
had been taken to instruct them, 
or to bring them to a true know- 
led geof the blessings of Christianity. 
Hedid not stand up as the advocate 
of the conduct of the Maroons, but 
he thought the necessary “means 
had not been taken to make them 
acquainted with habits of virtue. 
Mr. Edwards, in reply, said, 
when he took the liberty of an- 
swering the charge of the right he- 
vourable member over the way, 
{alludiny to Mr. Fox) respecting 
the faith of the -country” hav 
ing been broken; he did so, be. 
: cause 
