Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

delicate terms, the necessity I had been under of placing the account near £200, in his hands to be sued. In reply, he got for answer, some objection as to the prices charged, but finally promising payment in a few weeks. Shortly after, Sir Joshua sent one of his lawyer's clerks to me, with cash in hand, stating that if I would take off twenty per cent.from the account, he would pay it, but not otherwise. I refused to do so, so the money was taken back to him, and by his scheming and halfmade—but never fulfilled-promises, he managed to evade that Court from being sued.

On my part, I was unable to settle up Messrs. Tory and Co.'s account, but promised them payment as soon as I received payment from Sir Joshua;, they, however, insisted upon an admission of judgment, and, in order to prevent a public exposure, I was compelled to grant it them. In the meanwhile, time flew on, and Sir Joshua made no payment, but was known to do every thing in his power to injure our establishment.

On one particular occasion, towards the end of this year, the honorable Samuel M. Barrett drove up to our establishment, with Sir Joshua, and having entered our ware-rooms and given some orders, he told us, that his present visit was, in consequence of the high recommendation he received from Lord Seaford respecting us. Not long after, I believe next morning, we received a countermanding order from this honorable gentleman, he having gone, the same day, with Sir Joshua Rowe, to another establishment, and there given the like orders, and I heard from a friend, that it was in consequence of the solicitations of Sir Joshua that he did so.

Time flew on, Sir Joshua's hatred became generally known, and another full year passed away, but still no payment was made to me by Sir Joshua. January, 1834, arrived, and my creditors became pressing for their accounts; but no solicitations on my part could induce this unreasonable man to settle up his account, unless a large deduction was made, and this I would not, because I could not afford so to do. I had discovered that he had done me an exceeding deal of mischief amongst many popular characters; my partner thought proper to pick a quarrel with me: and I at once determined to get quit of my business for, although lucrative, it was destroying my own and family's peace of mind, and I foresaw would make me a world of ene mies. I had attempted to shake off my connexion, as regards the partnership once or twice before, but found that impossible to do, in consequence of the awful sacrifice that I should be compelled to make; but now that things had arrived at snch a climax as the present, I determined upon doing so honorably, however great the sacrifice, and not allow my enemies to triumph.

Early in February, having come to that fixed determination, I sent a circular round to all my firm's creditors, every one of whom resided in Kingston, and a meeting was convened of them the next morning. My books being up to date, and a full schedule of the stock on hand, with all other assets being delivered over, assignees were appointed, and a deed of release ordered to be immediately prepared; this done, I at once handed over my keys, books, stock, and assets to the assignees appointed, who were Isaac Jones, John Nethersole, and Thomas M. Whinney, Esquires, to the tune of £4457, to cover only £2877 of debts, being nearly double the amount of what we were owing; at all events it was more than 30s. to the pound, and amongst the assets was the debt so long due to us by Sir Joshua Rowe. The schedule and release being upon the public records, in Spanish Town, will speak for the truth of the foregoing statement to all who are curious enough to wish to see it.

I was now, I considered, clear from all the attempts that Sir Joshua Rowe could make to injure me, but his subsequent not-to-be-mistaken conduct, followed up against me, in all the unfortunate actions recorded in this volume, which I was compelled to carry into his court, in self defence, and in order to work a general public good, but too clearly shews how much I was mistaken; and I flatter myself that the foregoing narration will be sufficient to convince my readers that my charges, however grave and deeply it may inflict punishment on his already wounded conscience, by this public exposure, are not unfounded.

66

To the curious, I would say, read G. F. Wilkinson's Newgate Calendar" of notorious convicted characters,-say volume 3, page 487, and there they will find this very Most Noble THE MARQUIS OF SLIGO, tried and convicted at the Old Bailey, under date 16th December, 1812.

And the sentence then passed upon him, by Sir William Scott was, that his Lordship should pay a fine to the King of £5,000, and be imprisoned four months in Newgate..

His Lordship bowed, and was conducted by the keepers through the private door to the gaol.

Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still, Slavery, said 3, still thou art a bitter draught; and though thousands in all ages have been made to drink of thee, thou art no less bitter on that account.

Tis thou, thrice sweet and gracious goddess, addressing myself to LIBERTY, whom all in public or in private worship, whose taste is grateful, and ever will be so, till nature herself shall change. No tint of words can spot thy snowy mantle, or chymic power turn thy sceptre into iron-with thee to smile upon him as eats his crust, the swain is happier than the monarch, from whose court thou art exiled. Gracious Heaven! cried I, kneeling down upon the last step but one in my ascent, grant me but health thou great bestower of it, and give me but this fair goddess as my companion, and shower down thy mitres, if it seems good unto thy divine providence, upon those heads which are aching for them."-Sterne's Sentimental Journey.

The READER will, no doubt, have noticed at page 54, in my last address to his EXCELLENCY, the Most Noble the Marquis of Sligo, Governor of Jamaica, &c. &c., mention made by me of an affidavit and communication of mine, forwarded to his Majesty's Attorney-General of Jamaica, under date 9th June, 1835, touching an inquest which was held on the body of a female apprentice (late slave) in the parish of St. George's house of correction, on Tuesday, the 26th of May, 1835.

This being a subject of vital importance for the well-being and happiness of hundreds of thousands of our fellow-beings, but lately immersed from slavery, (in name only as yet) through the bountiful liberality of the British empire, who, it must be said, have, for ages back, enriched her coffers by the sweatnay, by the blood and sinews of her black brethren, these still unfortunate bondsmen in foreign climes.

It behoves every zealous advocate, for free and nnobstructed liberty of conscience, in these enlightened days in which we live, to come forward boldly, and lend his feeble aid to remedy the mighty evils that still exist, and to put down oppression, wherever it be found.

Who, then, so powerful, for such a mighty undertaking (under Heaven's all-wise guidance) but those zealous sons and daughters in the British empire, whose voices have of late years been constantly uplifted in the cause, and by whose means the rich coffers of the nation were at length thrown open, and from whence twenty millions of solid gold have been most nobly drawn, to her never fading honour-For what? You say for the redeeming of our kindred from slavery. But what shall I reply; first I lay before you the sentiments of one of your most admired pensmen, in the person of my own near relation, the Rev. LAURENCE STERNE, and his sentiments are but the sentiments of millions. Yea, they must be the sentiments of every feeling heart, when he recorded those emphatic words, SLAVERY, thou art a bitter draught.

But my reply now is-APPRENTICESHIP! oh, thou mockery of freedom—a mask for baser matter—a second slavery -thou art, indeed a bitter draught-thou art most truly poison to the taste—oh, thou deceitful tempter—thou promised to be sweet and joyous—to knock off the chains and trammels of a life of misery—but alas, thou lingerest; thou art sickening to the soul; thy promises are deceitful; and thy end is DEATH.

Having thus prepared the way, and pictured to your fancy the solemn realities of truth. I shall now proceed to lay before

you a few stubborn facts, to bear me out in this most horrid picture. And to you, my brethren, do I now appeal-whose eyes may chance to stumble on these pages-whose souls may melt at this sad spectacle, and whose hearts and hands would voluntarily arise indignant to join the writer, who has hitherta stood forward single-handed, in this dread conflict, to the entire ruin of his fortune, and without your now generous aid, to the entire destitution of his family.

So now to my promised work on— -APPRENTICESHIPlate SLAVERY-but now DEATH.

Myreader must now be made acquainted, that through the liberality of the British nation, in giving her twenty millionsSlavery was to have been totally abolished, and blotted out from every portion of her empire, on the 1st of August, 1834. This long-looked for happy day-a new æra in the western world arrived. I, my reader, was one of those who ardently prayed, and looked for its accomplishment; and, being an inhabitant in a land of slavery, for more than twenty years, can vouch for facts. And whilst a heated and mischievous press, kept up a terrible apprehension in the minds of thousands-that fire, blood, and anarchy, would be the result of LIBERTY. I ●an, with safety and joy at the recollection, declare, that I looked forward for, and contended would follow-peace, joy, love, happiness, and grace.

And I do most solemnly assert, that, notwithstanding the vile calumnies which have been attempted from time to time, to be cast on our unfortunate black brethren, that they have richly merited the great and noble boon conferred upon them.

On the first of August, 1834, and until very lately, I was an inhabitant of a populous Country parish, viz. Saint George's. This parish has been noted in the annals of Jamaica for what is, out there, termed rebellion. Of this, then, most rebellious parish, do I now speak, from a lengthy, personal knowledge and observation.

1

Being present, I can truly declare, that, instead of this terrible 1st of August being ushered in by fire, blood, and anarchy, owing to a band of herded savages being let loose from the trammels of slavery, my most ardent desires were fully realized, by peace, joy, and happiness abounding. Our little parish Church, at Buff Bay, was crammed almost to suffocation, with clean, well dressed, joyous looking, peaceful, liberated bondsmen, all vieing with one another, in offering up their grateful acknowledgments to our common AlmightyFuther, for his merciful interposition in their favor. And not only was the inside of the church crammed, but thousands surrounded it, in the open air;

« ZurückWeiter »