6

working on Sundays, to save them selves being punished. Is this a lesson of obedience? You are fools to work for the sake of a few lashes.' Was this intended to raise in their minds a respect for their masters, or to make them look on his indignation as a thing to be dreaded? No, they were told to despise it. And, shall the man who acts thus, shelter himself behind such an excuse, as his preaching up at other times obedience to their owners?

"The very nature of the punishment which he inflicted upon the delinquents for Sunday work, was such as to make them look on their masters as beings under the curse of heaven. "The working voluntarily on a Sunday, was considered such a crime, as to render the negro unworthy of partaking of the Sacrament. In what light must the masters have been held! And, is not this in accordance with the statement of Romeo-work if your masters force you for they will have to answer for it. Could this lowering of the master in the eye of the slaves be intended to make them more obedient? Were they more like ly to be submissive to men whom they believed exposed to the wrath of God?

"The negroes had been told, as Bristol and Manuel prove, that the enemy the Jews fought against and conquered, meant the men that did not believe in, or fear God-that Jerusalem was to be destroyed, because the men of that city did not believe in God. Was any good point to be gained by representing their masters as of much the same character ?"

It was afterwards observed"Of all the negro population of this extensive colony, there are, perhaps, none who have fewer difficulties to contend with, than the negroes of the east coast; there are but few sugarestates there, comparatively speaking,

the greater part being in cotton. With all these advantages in their favour, we find, that on the 18th August last, they rose in arms against their masters, and broke out into open rebellion. This rebellion commenced at Le Resouvenir, the residence of the prisoner, and Success, the next estate to windward; it spread up the coast for several miles, and down nearly to town; but it was confined entirely to the east coast, and to that part of the coast; it stopped on this side of Mahaica.

"To assign, as has been attempted, the late instructions from home as the sole cause of this revolt, will never bring us to the point. This is assigning a general cause for the production of a particular effect on a particular body of men. A general cause will produce a general effect; the same in all, unless there be some circumstances in the particular body of men, different from those of the rest of the community. And, therefore, if this were the proximate cause which operated on the minds of these men, there must have been something in the state of their minds very different from that of their fellow-colonists.

"Their minds must have been predisposed-they must have been ripe for rebellion before; and, therefore, the assigning this general cause only carries us a step back, but does not assist us in explaining the problem.

"If we inquire who were the rebels, we find that the principal leaders were, as nearly as I can gather from the evidence, Quamina and Jack of Success; Joseph and Telemachus of Bachelor's Adventure; Jack of Vigilance; Sandy of Nonpareil; Paul of Friendship; and Paris of Good Hope; all (save this last Paris) deacons, members, teachers, and attendants of Bethel chapel. If we carry this investigation farther, we find that the eon

gregation of Bethel chapel, previous to the revolt, went together to the middle walk of Success, and there laid their last and final plans for this rebellion; and that they were all, more or less, implicated in it. We find that plantation Success was the head-quarters of this rebellion; the estate, of which almost all the negroes attended Bethel chapel. We find, by the letter of Jack Gladstone, that all the brothers of Bethel chapel were engaged in it-in fine, go which way we will, we are brought up at last with Bethel chapel. This is almost the only bond of connexion to be traced amongst the leaders of this rebellion, their being attendants of Bethel chapel. It is a staggering fact-but it is a fact proved beyond the possibility of a doubt; and these leaders who are they? the principal tradesmen on these estates; men in the confidence and favour of their masters, who knew the hardships of slavery only by name. Be the proximate cause what it may, there must have been some predisposing cause, operating on the members of Bethel chapel-something operating on them which did not operate on the negroes of the other coast."

TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY.

24th November, 1823. The Court having most maturely and deliberately weighed and considered the evidence adduced in support of the charges preferred against the prisoner, John Smith, as well as the statements made by him in his defence, and the evidence thereon; with respect to the first charge, to wit," For that he, the said John Smith, long previous to and up to the time of a certain revolt and rebellion which broke out in this colony on or about the 18th of August, now last past, did promote, as far as in him

lay, discontent and dissatisfaction in the minds of the negro slaves towards their lawful masters, managers, and overseers, he, the said John Smith, thereby intending to excite the said negroes to break out in such open revolt and rebellion against the authority of their lawful masters, managers, and overseers, contrary to his allegiance, and against the peace of our sovereign lord the king, his crown and dignity," is of opinion, that he, the prisoner, John Smith, is guilty of thus much thereof, to wit," For that he, the said John Smith, long previous to and up to the time of a certain revolt and rebellion, which broke out in this colony on or about the 18th of August now last past, did promote discontent and dissatisfaction in the minds of the negro slaves towards their lawful masters, managers, and overseers;" but acquits him of the remainder of the said charge for want of sufficient proof in support thereof.

With respect to the second charge, namely, " For that be, the said John Smith, having, about the 17th day of August last, and on divers other days and times theretofore preceding, advised, consulted, and corresponded with a certain negro named Quamina, touching and concerning a certain intended revolt and rebellion of the negro slaves within these colonies of Demerara and Essequibo; and, farther, after such revolt and rebellion had actually commenced, and was in a course of prosecution, he, the said John Smith, did farther aid and assist in such rebellion, by advising, consulting, and corresponding touching the same, with the said negro Quamina, to wit, on the 19th and 20th August last past, he, the said John Smith, then well knowing such revolt and rebellion to be in progress, and the said negro Quamina to be an insurgent engaged therein," the

Court is of opinion, that he, the prisoner, John Smith, is guilty of so much thereof as follows, viz." For that he, the said John Smith, having, about the 17th day of August last, and on one day theretofore preceding, advised, consulted, and corresponded with a certain negro named Quamina, concerning and touching a certain intended revolt and rebellion of the negro slaves within these colonies of Demerara and Essequibo; and, farther, after such revolt and rebellion had actually commenced, and was in a course of prosecution, he, the said John Smith, did farther aid and assist in such rebellion, by advising, consulting, and corresponding, touching the same, with the said negro Quamina, to wit, on the 20th August last past, he, the said John Smith, then well knowing such revolt and rebellion to be in progress, and the said negro Quamina to be an insurgent engaged therein;" and acquits him of the remainder of the said charge.

With respect to the third charge, "For that he, the said John Smith, on the 17th August last past, and for a certain period of time thereto preceding, having come to the knowledge of a certain revolt and rebellion intended to take place within this colony, did not make known the same to the proper authorities; which revolt and rebellion did subsequently take place, to wit, on or about the 18th of August now last past ;" the Court is of opinion that he, the prisoner, John Smith, is guilty thereof.

With respect to the fourth charge, viz.-"For that he, the said John Smith, after such revolt and rebellion had taken place, and during the existence thereof, to wit, on or about Tuesday and Wednesday the 19th and 20th August now last past, was at plantation Le Resouvenir, in presence of, and held communication

with Quamina, a negro of plantation Success, he, the said John Smith, then well knowing the said Quamina to be an insurgent engaged therein; and that he, the said John Smith, did not use his utmost endeavours to suppress the same, by securing or detaining the said insurgent Quamina as a prisoner, or by giving information to the proper authorities or otherwise; but, on the contrary, permitted the said insurgent Quamina to go at large, and depart without attempting to seize and detain him, and without giving any information respecting him to the proper authorities, against

the

peace of our Sovereign Lord the King, his crown and dignity, and against the laws in force in this colony, and in defiance of the proclamation of martial law issued by his excellency the lieutenant-governor ;" the Court is of opinion, that he, the prisoner, John Smith, is guilty of so much thereof as follows, namely, "For that he, the said John Smith, after such revolt and rebellion had taken place, and during the existence thereof, to wit, on Wednesday the 20th of August now last past, was at plantation Le Resouvenir in presence of, and held communication with Quamina, a negro of plantation Success, he, the said John Smith, then well knowing the said Quamina to be an insurgent engaged therein; and that he, the said John Smith, did not use his utmost endeavours to suppress the same, by giving information to the proper authorities, but, on the contrary, permitted the said insurgent Quamina to go at large, and depart without giving any mation respecting him to the proper authorities, against the peace of our Sovereign Lord the King, his crown and dignity, and against the laws in force in this colony, and in defiance of the proclamation of martial law is

sued by his excellency the lieutenantgovernor," and acquits him of the remainder of the said charge.

The Court having thus found the prisoner, John Smith, guilty, as above specified, does therefore sentence him, the prisoner, John Smith, to be hanged by the neck until dead, at such time and place as his excellency the lieutenant governor and commander-in-chief may think fit to diBut the Court, under all the circumstances of the case, begs humbly to recommend the prisoner, John Smith, to mercy.

rect.

(Signed) S. A. GOODMAN, Lt. Col. and Pres.

(Signed) J. L. SMITH, Jun.

Assist. Judge-Advocate.

mained there about a quarter of an hour before the gang came up stairs. They endeavoured to force open the door, but could not; they broke through the partition to make a wider entrance. They instantly rushed in, and dragged me down stairs; there were so many, that I could not exactly discover who they were; they dragged me across the yard, till they got me to the stocks. This man Louis was very active, and assisted in putting me in the stocks. I told him to be careful what he was doing; he said he must do it, or they would do worse with him; I do not recollect if he was armed. There were about forty or fifty persons; some of them had cutlasses. I knew the prisoner before I am sure he was one who assisted to put me in the stocks. The head driver of Plaisance was there; I could not say if he was a leader; his name is Tilla or Silla.

Cross-examined by the prisoner.When the negroes brought you into the sick-house, with cutlasses in their

Plantation Plaisance.

(Court sworn-Ordinary charge.Plea, Not Guilty.)

Thomas Blake examined by the Judge-Advocate.-I am manager of plantation Better Hope, and reside there. On Monday night, the 18th instant, about nine o'clock, a gang of men came up to the door of my dwelling-house; they wanted to enter the house. The Better Hope negroes kept them from entering for some time; they went away a little bit, blew a shell, and called in another gang of negroes, who overpowered the negroes belonging to our estate. They then began to break all the windows. As soon as I found this, I went up stairs into the chamber, and I locked the door. I re

doing you any injury?—No.

When you were brought into the sick-house, did you not ask me if the negroes were going to kill you, and did I not answer-No, they will only put you in the stocks?—I do not recollect.

When you were in the stocks, did you not ask me for some water to drink, and did I not bring a basin of water to you?--Yes, you did.

When they were marching you to the stocks, did you not observe me behind you preventing their cutting you with cutlasses?—I cannot say you did.

Did you look behind you at the time? No, I don't know that I did.

When I went afterwards into the sick-house to see my wife, who was sick there, did you not say, Louis, will you do me the favour to release