222 



indulgence to my negroes ; and my endeavouring 

 to obtain either redress or pardon for those belong- 

 ing to other estates, who occasionally appeal to 

 me for protection : while " dangerous doctrines " 

 alludes to my being of opinion, that the evidence 

 of negroes ought at least to be heard against white 

 persons ; the jury always making proportionable 

 abatements of belief, from bearing in mind the bad 

 habits of most negroes, their general want of pro- 

 bity and good faith in every respect, and their 

 total ignorance of the nature of religious obliga- 

 tions. At the same time, these defects may be 

 counterbalanced by the respectable character of the 

 particular negro ; by the strength of corroborating 

 circumstances ; and, finally, by the irresistible con- 

 viction which his evidence may leave upon the 

 minds of the jury. They are not obliged to believe 

 a negro witness, but I maintain that he ought to 

 be heard, and then let the jury give their verdict 

 according to their conscience. But this, in the 

 opinion of the bench at Montego Bay, it seems, is 

 " dangerous doctrine ! " At least, the venom of my 

 doctrines is circumscribed within very narrow 

 limits; for as I have made a point of never stirring 

 off my own estate, nobody could possibly be cor- 

 rupted by them, except those who were at the 

 trouble of walking into my house for the express 

 purpose of being corrupted. 



At all events, if I really am the person to whom 

 Mr. Stewart alluded, I must consider his speech as 



