CHAPTER XIV.

FACTS DEMONSTRATING THE SAFETY OF IMMEDIATE AND UNCONDITIONAL

EMANCIPATION.

To say that immediate emancipation is not safe, is to say that it is not safe for human beings to obey their Creator.

To deny the safety of immediate emancipation, is to doubt the first principles of common sense-the operations of moral cause and effect-and the testimony of universal experience and history. The writings of Clarkson and Stewart have triumphantly established this point, and the world has been challenged in vain to produce an instance of starvation or bloodshed, in consequence of emancipation.

To say that immediate emaucipation is not safe, is to say that it is not safe for human beings to be free! It is to say, what the despots of all ages and nations have said, and still say that the laboring classes of mankind are incapable of self-government, and ought to be kept under the control of their superiors!—R. I. A. Convention.

St. Domingo.

A civil war broke out in this Island, in June, 1793, between the republicans and planters. The latter called in the aid of Great Britain; upon which the republicans proclaimed immediate freedom to about six hundred thousand slaves, and armed them against their foes. No evil consequence followed; every thing went on prosperously till eight years afterwards, when the French planters attempted to reduce the blacks again to slavery.

Gaudaloupe.

In 1794, eigthy-five thousand slaves were set free in this Island, where there was a population of only thirteen thousand whites. No disasters followed.

Republic of Colombia.

All the slaves who had fought for this republic were emancipated in 1821.

Slavery was abolished in Mexico in 1829. No insurrection followed as the consequence.

Cape Colony.

Thirty thousand Hottentots were emancipated here in 1823, with perfect safety.

British West Indies.

It would much exceed our limits to give a minute account of emancipation in each of these islands. On the 1st of August, 1834, the British Parliament emancipated eight hundred thousand slaves in the dependencies of that government. In each of the islands except Antigua and Bermuda, a system of apprenticeship was adopted: but in these, thirtyfour thousand six hundred and fifty slaves were set instantly and unconditionally free, and not the slightest difficulty has followed.

In the other islands, which adopted a gradual system of emancipation, the slaves have not done as well as those who were set unconditionally free, but in no island has any thing occurred to confirm the fears entertained by the slaveholders on setting their slaves free. And hence we may boldly affirm, that the experiment which has now been tried for three years in the West India Islands, demonstrates to the civilized world, the duty, the safety of immediate, unconditional, and universal emancipation.

Testimony of twenty-four Wesleyan Missionaries. Resolutions passed at a meeting of the Wesleyan Missionaries of the Antigua District, assembled at St. Johns,Antigua, Feb. 7, 1837.

1. That the emancipation of the slaves of the West Indies, while it was an act of undoubted justice to that

oppressed people, has operated most favorably in furthering the triumphs of the gospel, by removing one prolific source of unmerited suspicion of religious teachers, and thus opening a door to their more extensive labors and usefulness-by furnishing a greater portion of time for the service of the negro, and thus preventing the continuance of unavoidable Sabbath desecrations, in labor and neglect of the means of grace—and in its operations as a stimulus to proprietors and other influential gentlemen, to encourage religious education and the wide dissemination of the Scriptures, as an incentive to industry and good order.

2. That while the above statements are true with reference to all the islands, even where the system of apprenticeship prevails, they are especially applicable to Autigua, where the results of the great measure of entire freedom, so humanely and judiciously granted by the legislature, cannot be contemplated without the most devout thanksgivings to almighty God.

(Signed)

JAMES COX, Chairman,
And twenty-four others.

CHAPTER XV.

FACTS DEMONSTRATING THE DANGER OF CONTINUED SLAVERY.

1712. Insurrection in New York.

1. In 1712, a plot was formed by a number of slaves in New York, to obtain their liberty by massacreing the whites. They killed a number of persons, and eighteen of them were put to death for rebellion.

1720. Murder in South Carolina.

2. A Mr. Cottle, a negro boy, and a white woman were murdered, in South Carolina, in 1720. Three slaves suffered death as the consequence.

1728. Insurrection in Savannah.

3. An insurrection in Savannah, Ga., in 1718, by the slaves. They were fired upon twice. Their design was to destroy all the whites in order to obtain their liberty..

1729. Insurrection in Antigua.

4. A plot was formed in 1729, by the slaves in Antigua, to destroy the whites. Three of the conspirators were taken and burnt alive.

1730. Insurrection in Virginia.

5. An insurrection of the slaves occurred in Virgina, in 1730. Five counties were in arms with orders to kill all the blacks who refused to submit.

1730. Insurrection in South Carolina.

6. In August of the same year the slaves in South Carolina, conspired to destroy all the whites, in order to obtain their liberty.

1737. Murder on shipboard.

7. In 1731, three of the crew of a Capt. Scott, of R. I. were murdered on board the ship in which they were returning from Guinea with a cargo of slaves.

1732. Murder on shipboard.

8. The next year a Capt. Major of N. H., was murdered with the whole of his crew, by the slaves which he had on board.

1734. Insurrection in Pennsylvania.

9. In 1784, an insurrection broke out among the slaves in Burlington, Pa.

1735. Ship Dolphin blown up.

10. The ship Dolphin, of London, was blown up in 1735, by the slaves on board: the whole on board perished.

1739. Three Insurrections in South Carolina.

11. Three bloody insurrections occurred in S. Carolina, in the year 1739. In one of them which took place in September, twenty-five whites and thirty-four slaves were killed, and others gibbetted alive.

1740. Insurrection in South Carolina.

12. The next year another insurrection occur red in the same place, and twenty persons were killed.

1741. Dreadful insurrection in New York.

13. In 1741, a dreadful insurrection broke out among the slaves in the state of New York. Of the conspirators, thirteen were burned alive, eighteen hung, and eighty colonized, in the West Indies.

1747. Murders committed on shipboard.

14. In 1747, the Captain and all the crew, except two, of a slave ship belonging to R. Island, were murdered by the slaves on board. Their de sire was freedom.

1754. Two women burned alive in South Carolina.

15. In June, 1754, two women were burnt alive in Charleston, S. C., for setting fire to a building, Their object was to obtain their freedom.

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