This society was organized in 1815. The _first proposal_ came from a few _little colored girls_, who, after hearing a sermon on the blessedness of doing good, wanted to know whether they might not have a society for raising money to give to the poor.
This Juvenile a.s.sociation has, since its organization, raised the sum of _fourteen hundred dollars_! Even this little a.s.sociation has experienced a great impulse from the free system. From a table of the annual receipts since 1815, we found that the amount raised the two last years, is nearly equal to that received during any three years before.
DR. DANIELL--WEATHERILL ESTATE.
On our return from Thibou Jarvis"s estate, we called at Weatherill"s; but the manager, Dr. Daniell, not being at home, we left our names, with an intimation of the object of our visit. Dr. D. called soon after at our lodgings. As authority, he is unquestionable. Before retiring from the practice of medicine, he stood at the head of his profession in the island. He is now a member of the council, is proprietor of an estate, manager of another, and attorney for six.
The fact that such men as Dr. D., but yesterday large slaveholders, and still holding high civil and political stations, should most cheerfully facilitate our anti-slavery investigations, manifesting a solicitude to furnish us with all the information in their power, is of itself the highest eulogy of the new system. The testimony of Dr. D. will be found mainly in a subsequent part of the work. We state, in pa.s.sing, a few incidentals. He was satisfied that immediate emanc.i.p.ation was better policy than a temporary apprenticeship. The apprenticeship was a middle state--kept the negroes in suspense--vexed and harra.s.sed them--_fed them on a starved hope_; and therefore they would not be so likely, when they ultimately obtained freedom, to feel grateful, and conduct themselves properly. The reflection that they had been cheated out of their liberty for six years would _sour their minds_. The planters in Antigua, by giving immediate freedom, had secured the attachment of their people.
The Doctor said he did not expect to make more than two thirds of his average crop; but he a.s.sured us that this was owing solely to the want of rain. There had been no deficiency of labor. The crops were _in_, in season, throughout the island, and the estates were never under better cultivation than at the present time. Nothing was wanting but RAIN--RAIN.
He said that the West India planters were very anxious to _retain_ the services of the negro population.
Dr. D. made some inquiries as to the extent of slavery in the United States, and what was doing for its abolition. He thought that emanc.i.p.ation in our country would not be the result of a slow process.
The anti-slavery feeling of the civilized world had become too strong to wait for a long course of "preparations" and "ameliorations." And besides, continued he, "the arbitrary control of a master can never be a preparation for freedom;--_sound and wholesome legal restraints are the only preparative_."
The Doctor also spoke of the absurdity and wickedness of the caste of color which prevailed in the United States. It was the offspring of slavery, and it must disappear when slavery is abolished.
CONVERSATION WITH A NEGRO.
We had a conversation one morning with a boatman, while he was rowing us across the harbor of St. John"s. He was a young negro man. Said he was a slave until emanc.i.p.ation. We inquired whether he heard any thing about emanc.i.p.ation before it took place. He said, yes--the slaves heard of it, but it was talked about so long that many of them lost all _believement_ in it, got tired waiting, and bought their freedom; but he had more patience, and got his for nothing. We inquired of him, what the negroes did on the first of August, 1834. He said they all went to church and chapel. "Dare was more _religious_ on dat day dan you could tire of."
Speaking of the _law_, he said it was his _friend_. If there was no law to take his part, a man, who was stronger than he, might step up and knock him down. But now no one dare do so; all were afraid of the _law_,--the law would never hurt any body who behaved well; but a master would _slash a fellow, let him do his best_.
VISIT TO NEWFIELD.
Drove out to Newfield, a Moravian station, about eight miles from St.
John"s. The Rev. Mr. Morrish, the missionary at that station, has under his charge two thousand people. Connected with the station is a day school for children, and a night school for adults twice in each week.
We looked in upon the day school, and found one hundred and fifteen children. The teacher and a.s.sistant were colored persons. Mr. M.
superintends. He was just dismissing the school, by singing and prayer, and the children marched out to the music of one of their little songs.
During the afternoon, Mr. Favey, manager of a neighboring estate, (Lavicount"s,) called on us.
He spoke of the tranquillity of the late Christmas holidays. They ended Tuesday evening, and his people were all in the field at work on Wednesday morning--there were no stragglers. Being asked to specify the chief advantages of the new system over slavery, he stated at once the following things: 1st. It (free labor) is less _expensive_. 2d. It costs a planter far less _trouble_ to manage free laborers, than it did to manage slaves. 3d. It had _removed all danger of insurrection, conflagration, and conspiracies_.
ADULT SCHOOL.
In the evening, Mr. Morrish"s adult school for women was held. About thirty women a.s.sembled from different estates--some walking several miles. Most of them were just beginning to read. They had just begun to learn something about figures, and it was no small effort to add 4 and 2 together. They were incredibly ignorant about the simplest matters. When they first came to the school, they could not tell which was their right arm or their right side, and they had scarcely mastered that secret, after repeated showing. We were astonished to observe that when Mr. M.
asked them to point to their cheeks, they laid their finger upon their chins. They were much pleased with the evolutions of a dumb clock, which Mr. M. exhibited, but none of them could tell the time of day by it.
Such is a specimen of the intelligence of the Antigua negroes. Mr. M.
told us that they were a pretty fair sample of the country negroes generally. It surely cannot be said that they were uncommonly well prepared for freedom; yet with all their ignorance, and with the merest infantile state of intellect, they prove the peaceable subjects of law.
That they have a great desire to learn, is manifest from their coming such distances, after working in the field all day. The school which they attend has been established since the abolition of slavery.
The next morning, we visited the day school. It was opened with singing and prayer. The children knelt and repeated the Lord"s Prayer after Mr.
M. They then formed into a line and marched around the room, singing and keeping the step. A tiny little one, just beginning to walk, occasionally straggled out of the line. The next child, not a little displeased with such disorderly movements, repeatedly seized the straggler by the frock, and pulled her into the ranks; but finally despaired of reducing her to subordination. When the children had taken their seats, Mr. M., at our request, asked all those who were free before August, 1834, to rise. Only one girl arose, and she was in no way distinguishable from a white child. The first exercise, was an examination of a pa.s.sage of scripture. The children were then questioned on the simple rules of addition and subtraction, and their answers were prompt and accurate.
DR. NUGENT.
The hour having arrived when we were to visit a neighboring estate, Mr.
M. kindly accompanied us to Lyon"s, the estate upon which Dr. Nugent resides. In respect to general intelligence, scientific acquirements, and agricultural knowledge, no man in Antigua stands higher than Dr.
Nugent. He has long been speaker of the house of a.s.sembly, and is favorably known in Europe as a geologist and man of science. He is manager of the estate on which he resides, and proprietor of another.
The Doctor informed us that the crop on his estate had almost totally failed, on account of the drought--being reduced from one hundred and fifty hogsheads, the average crop, to _fifteen_! His provision grounds had yielded almost nothing. The same soil which ordinarily produced ten cart-loads of yams to the acre--the present season barely averaged _one load to ten acres_! Yams were reduced from the dimensions of a man"s head, to the size of a radish. The _cattle were dying_ from want of water and gra.s.s. He had himself lost _five oxen_ within the past week.
Previous to emanc.i.p.ation, said the Doctor, no man in the island dared to avow anti-slavery sentiments, if he wished to maintain a respectable standing. Planters might have their hopes and aspirations; but they could not make them public without incurring general odium, and being denounced as the enemies of their country.
In allusion to the motives which prompted the legislature to reject the apprenticeship and adopt immediate emanc.i.p.ation, Dr. N. said, "When we saw that abolition was _inevitable_, we began, to inquire what would be the safest course for getting rid of slavery. _We wished to let ourselves down in the easiest manner possible_--THEREFORE WE CHOSE IMMEDIATE EMANc.i.p.aTION!" These were his words.
On returning to the hospitable mansion of Mr. Morrish, we had an opportunity of witnessing a custom peculiar to the Moravians. It is called "speaking." All the members of the church are required to call on the missionary once a month, and particular days are appropriated to it.
They come singly or in small companies, and the minister converses with each individual.
Mr. M. manifested great faithfulness in this duty. He was affectionate in manner--entered into all the minutiae of individual and family affairs, and advised with them as a father with his children. We had an opportunity of conversing with some of those who came. We asked one old man what he did on the "First of August?"[A] His reply was, "Ma.s.sa, we went to church, and tank de Lord for make a we all free."
[Footnote A: By this phrase the freed people always understand the 1st of August, 1834, when slavery was abolished.]
An aged infirm woman said to us, among other things, "Since de _free_ come de ma.s.sa give me no--no, nothing to eat--gets all from my cousins." We next conversed with two men, who were masons on an estate.
Being asked how they liked liberty, they replied, "O, it very comfortable, Sir--very comfortable indeed." They said, "that on the day when freedom came, they were as happy, as though they had just been going to heaven." They said, now they had got free, they never would be slaves again. They were asked if they would not be willing to sell themselves to a man who would treat them well. They replied immediately that they would be very willing to _serve_ such a man, but they would not _sell themselves_ to the best person in the world! What fine logicians a slave"s experience had made these men! Without any effort they struck out a distinction, which has puzzled learned men in church and state, the difference between _serving_ a man and _being his property_.
Being asked how they conducted themselves on the 1st of August they said they had no frolicking, but they all went to church to "_tank G.o.d for make a we free_." They said, they were very desirous to have their children learn all they could while they were young. We asked them if they did not fear that their children would become lazy if they went to school all the time. One said, shrewdly, "Eh! nebber mind--dey _come to_ by"m by--_belly "blige "em_ to work."
In the evening Mr. M. held a religious meeting in the chapel; the weekly meeting for exhortation. He stated to the people the object of our visit, and requested one of us to say a few words. Accordingly, a short time was occupied in stating the number of slaves in America, and in explaining their condition, physical, moral, and spiritual; and the congregation were urged to pray for the deliverance of the millions of our bondmen. They manifested much sympathy, and promised repeatedly to pray that they might be "free like we." At the close of the meeting they pressed around us to say "howdy, ma.s.sa;" and when we left the chapel, they showered a thousand blessings upon us. Several of them, men and women, gathered about Mr. M."s door after we went in, and wished to talk with us. The men were mechanics, foremen, and watchmen; the women were nurses. During our interview, which lasted nearly an hour, these persons remained standing.
When we asked them how they liked freedom, and whether it was better than slavery, they answered with a significant _umph_ and a shrug of the shoulders, as though they would say, "Why you ask dat question, ma.s.sa?"
They said, "all the people went to chapel on the first of August, to tank G.o.d for make such poor undeserving sinners as we free; we no nebber expect to hab it. But it please de Lord to gib we free, and we tank him good Lord for it."
We asked them if they thought the wages they got (a shilling per day, or about eleven cents,) was enough for them. They said it seemed to be very small, and it was as much as they could do to get along with it; but they could not get any more, and they had to be "satify and conten."
As it grew late and the good people had far to walk, we shook hands with them, and bade them good bye, telling them we hoped to meet them again in a world where all would be free. The next morning Mr. M. accompanied us to the residence of the Rev. Mr. Jones, the rector of St. Phillip"s.
Mr. J. informed us that the planters in that part of the island were gratified with the working of the new system. He alluded to the prejudices of some against having the children educated, lest it should foster indolence. But, said Mr. J., the planters have always been opposed to improvements, until they were effected, and their good results began to be manifest. They first insisted that the abolition of the slave-trade would ruin the colonies--next the _abolition of slavery_ was to be the certain destruction of the islands--and now the education of children is deprecated as fraught with disastrous consequences.
FREY"S ESTATE--MR. HATLEY.
Mr. Morrish accompanied us to a neighboring estate called Frey"s, which lies on the road from Newfield to English Harbor. Mr. Hatley, the manager, showed an enthusiastic admiration of the new system. Most of his testimony will be found in Chapter III. He said, that owing to the dry weather he should not make one third of his average crop. Yet his people had acted their part well. He had been encouraged by their improved industry and efficiency, to bring into cultivation lands that had never before been tilled.
It was delightful to witness the change which had been wrought in this planter by the abolition of slavery. Although accustomed for years to command a hundred human beings with absolute authority, he could rejoice in the fact that his power was wrested from him, and when asked to specify the advantages of freedom over slavery, he named emphatically and above all others _the abolition of flogging_. Formerly, he said, it was "_whip--whip--whip--incessantly_, but now we are relieved from this disagreeable task."
THE AMERICAN CONSUL
We called on the American Consul, Mr. Higginbotham, at his country residence, about four miles from St. John"s. Shortly after we reached his elevated and picturesque seat, we were joined by Mr. Cranstoun, a planter, who had been invited to dine with us. Mr. C. is a _colored gentleman_. The Consul received him in such a manner as plainly showed that they were on terms of intimacy. Mr. C. is a gentleman of intelligence and respectability, and occupies a station of trust and honor in the island. On taking leave of us, he politely requested our company at breakfast on a following morning, saying, he would send his gig for us.
At the urgent request of Mr. Bourne, of Miller"s, we consented to address the people of his estate, on Sabbath evening. He sent in his gig for us in the afternoon, and we drove out.
At the appointed hour we went to the place of meeting. The chapel was crowded with attentive listeners. Whenever allusions were made to the grout blessings which G.o.d had conferred upon them in delivering them from bondage, the audience heartily responded in their rough but earnest way to the sentiments expressed. At the conclusion of the meeting, they gradually withdrew, bowing or courtesying as they pa.s.sed us, and dropping upon our ear their gentle "good bye, ma.s.sa." During slavery every estate had its _dungeon_ for refractory slaves. Just as we were leaving Miller"s, me asked Mr. B. what had become of these dungeons. He instantly replied, "I"ll show you one," In a few moments we stood at the door of the old prison, a small stone building, strongly built, with two cells. It was a dismal looking den, surrounded by stables, pig-styes, and cattlepens. The door was off its hinges, and the entrance partly filled up with mason work. The sheep and goats went in and out at pleasure.
We breakfasted one morning at the Villa estate, which lies within half a mile of St. John"s. The manager was less sanguine in his views of emanc.i.p.ation than the planters generally. We were disposed to think that, were it not for the force of public sentiment, he might declare himself against it. His feelings are easily accounted for. The estate is situated so near the town; that his people are a.s.sailed by a variety of temptations to leave their work; from which those on other estates are exempt. The manager admitted that the danger of insurrection was removed--crime was lessened--and the moral condition of society was rapidly improving.
A few days after, we went by invitation to a bazaar, or fair, which was held in the court-house in St. John"s. The avails were to be appropriated to the building of a new Wesleyan chapel in the town. The council chamber and the a.s.sembly"s call were given for the purpose. The former s.p.a.cious room was crowded with people of every cla.s.s and complexion. The fair was got up by the _colored_ members of the Wesleyan church; nevertheless, some of the first ladies and gentlemen in town attended it, and mingled promiscuously in the throng. Wealthy proprietors, lawyers legislators, military officers in their uniform, merchants, etc. swelled the crowd. We recognised a number of ladies whom we had previously met at a fashionable dinner in St. John"s. Colored ladies presided at the tables, and before them was spread a profusion of rich fancy articles. Among a small number of books exhibited for sale were several copies of a work ent.i.tled "COMMEMORATIVE WREATH," being a collection of poetical pieces relating to the abolition of slavery in the West Indies.