Press enter after choosing selection

Effects Of Emancipation In Jamaca

Effects Of Emancipation In Jamaca image Effects Of Emancipation In Jamaca image
Parent Issue
Day
2
Month
June
Year
1841
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

lst. It has grcally increascd the valur f alllcinds of property. Land, to the anount of sixiy or scventy acres near vhere I reside, in Jamaca, has recently een so!d for $60 par acre, and bad there een ten times as much for sale, it wotild lave sold readily at that price. This uid was purchased, a short time beforo mancipalion for $15 per aero. I know 'f much land which is now leasing for nore money yearly thau it would havo oldfor during slavery. 2d . It. haspromotedthe peace and safey of the Island. Previous io emancipaion it was thought necessary to keep six igimeni3 of soldicrs to keep ihe slaves .n subjection, and to secure the saietyof he whites; and also the malitia met month iy in each parish. Since freedom was deilared, one half of the soldiers have been removed, and in the parish where I live, ihe malilia have ceased entirely to mus:er. 3d. It has diminished crime. Previous 0 emaneipiuion, jails and houses of corection were generally filled and often -rowded; since then they have had very ew tenanls. In one parrish that I visited 1 short time since, there was but one perón in ibe jail or house of correction, and ie a white man, and the keeper was unler half pay because he had so little to do. lately visited the Jáil and house of corection in the parish where I reside, and hough pvevious to freedom they had sworns of convicts, yet 1 could fiad only threo r four there; at presenta part of the remises are converted into a parish hos-, liiiil, and tbe cogs of the bloody old tread nill were encrusted with rust. I have ravelled in various parts of the Island by iay and by night, and was never insulted v disturbed by the blacks in any way. 4th. It has made the laboring populaio7i f ar more induslrious. A gentleman vho has been a plnnter in Jamaca for the ast twenly years, told me nctjong since hat there is undoubtedly far more work lone in that island now than ever beforend any one can see that such is the case.. rVherever you look abroad,you see foresta pving place togardens, provisión groands, ind cernfields, andbehold numbers ofcom oriable houses growing up under the ïand of industry and perseverence. In nany cases they have buik villages since ;mancipatiop.: I know of one where there ire one thousand inhabilants, and others hat are smaller which have been built enirely since freedom,. and by those wh. vere formerïy slaves..It has calïedforth a spirit of invention nd improvemcnt. During slavery, plouhs were seldom used in Jamaica, and it ost filteen dollare to dig up and prepare n acre of land for planting sugar-cane. ince emanciparon the plough is coming, uto use. An overseer told me he wa ben ploughing land and preparingen fot anes for $1,75 per acre, instead o? payu ig $15 to have it dug up. The followíg improvemenl8 now going on there, ocur to iny mind :- A stage has been starid from Kingston to Spanish Town. loads and streefs are being Al'Adamised. . steam mili bakery at Kingston is now aking from sixty to sixty five bárrela of our per day. Many new markets aro omging upin different partsof thecouny. At Kingston there is now a market very day, while in the days of síavery lere was one per veek, and that on tha ibbath. Agncultural societies are foriing. Societies for the promotion of civil id religious Iiberty, temperence societies, e-total" socicties, and many abolitionso eties, with planters, attorneys, and over:ers for presidens, vice presidenta, &c, 6th. Emancipation has created an uni'rsaldesircforknowlcdge. - Here I could ve a host of faets, but two or three mu3t iflice. In several instances the people wna distance offifiecn and someof more an twenty miles, have met and commie3ned some two or three, or four, of their iniber (o go n search of a teacher and eacher, and they have come to me and ead with an eloquence that noChristian'a art cotild resist. They would siiy, 'Miner, do come and see we, - we are ignoat, and so much big pickaniney that dont ov nothing.' 'Do try to get we teacher we take care of him - and nll try for irn something about we poor aoui." - me break out Jilee this, "We wonl live no longer." Such appeals, wilh tha rful eye and earnest luok, have always ;rcome me; and I hove gone hilher and her to six or eight different places; and en for any cause I did not go to them he appointed time, a man or boy we ied with presente of fruits, vegetable, !s, &c. di., and sont, perlup3 barefootfiftee or twenty miles down the moui - is to sec what was tho matter of"M[ r." In one case, when I had to pass rogh a toll gate, tho people, as I was ving them gave me a paper roiled up, ere, minieter," said they, is soino mo' to pay your loli cate. " When I opened paper, I found six dollars to pay twent ive cenia. O who would not rejoice t the oppressed go free ia this.countr#fH "