Volume II Part 15 (1/2)
He said he had at different periods been stationed in Antigua, Anguilla, Tortola, and some other islands. He said that the negroes in the other islands in which he had preached, were as intelligent as those in Antigua, and in every respect as well prepared for freedom. He was in Anguilla when emanc.i.p.ation took place. The negroes there were kept at work on the very _day that freedom came!_ They worked as orderly as on any other day. The Sabbath following, he preached to them on their new state, explaining the apprentices.h.i.+p to them. He said the whole congregation were in a state of high excitement, weeping and shouting.
One man sprang to his feet, and exclaimed, 'Me never forget G.o.d and King William.' This same man was so full that he went out of the chapel, and burst into loud weeping.
The preaching of the missionaries, during their stay in Antigua, was full of allusions to the abolition of slavery in the West Indies, and especially to the entire emanc.i.p.ation in Antigua. Indeed, we rarely attended a meeting in Antigua, of any kind, in which the late emanc.i.p.ation was not in some way alluded to with feelings of grat.i.tude and exultation. In the ordinary services of the Sabbath, this subject was almost uniformly introduced, either in the prayer or sermon.
Whenever thanksgiving was rendered to G.o.d for favors, _freedom_ was among the number.
The meeting of the district afforded an opportunity for holding a number of anniversary meetings. We notice them here, believing that they will present the most accurate view that can be given of the religious and moral condition of Antigua.
On the evening of the 1st of February, the first anniversary of the Antigua Temperance Society was held in the Wesleyan chapel. We had been invited to attend and take a part in the exercises. The chapel was crowded with a congregation of all grades and complexions. Colored and white gentlemen appeared together on the platform. We intimated to a member of the committee, that we could not conscientiously speak without advocating _total abstinence_, which doctrine, we concluded from the nature of the pledge, (which only included ardent spirits,) would not be well received. We were a.s.sured that we might use the most perfect freedom in avowing our sentiments.
The speakers on this occasion were two planters, a Wesleyan missionary, and ourselves. All advocated the doctrine of total abstinence. The first speaker, a planter, concluded by saying, that it was commonly believed that wine and malt were rendered absolutely indispensable in the West Indies, by the exhausting nature of the climate. But facts disprove the truth of this notion. ”I am happy to say that I can now present this large a.s.sembly with ocular demonstration of the fallacy of the popular opinion. I need only point you to the worthy occupants of this platform.
Who are the healthiest among them? _The cold water drinkers--the teetotallers_! We can a.s.sure you that we have not lost a pound of flesh, by abandoning our cups. We have tried the cold water experiment faithfully, and we can testify that since we became cold water men, _we work better, we eat better, we sleep better, and we do every thing better than before_.” The next speaker, a planter also, dwelt on the inconsistency of using wine and malt, and at the same time calling upon the poor to give up ardent spirits. He said this inconsistency had been cast in his teeth by his negroes. He never could prevail upon them to stop drinking rum, until he threw away his wine and porter. Now he and all his people were teetotallists. There were two other planters who had taken the same course. He stated, as the result of a careful calculation which he had made, that he and the two planters referred to, had been in the habit of giving to their people not less than _one thousand gallons of rum annually_. The whole of this was now withheld, and mola.s.ses and sugar were given instead. The missionary who followed them was not a whit behind in boldness and zeal, and between them, they left us little to say in our turn on the subject of total abstinence.
On the following evening the anniversary of the Bible Society was held in the Moravian school-room. During the day we received a note from the Secretary of the Society, politely requesting us to be present. The s.p.a.cious school-room was filled, and the broad platform crowded with church clergymen, Moravian ministers, and Wesleyan missionaries, colored and white. The Secretary, a Moravian minister, read the twenty-first annual report. It spoke emphatically of 'the joyful event of emanc.i.p.ation', and in allusion to an individual in England, of whom it spoke in terms of high commendation, it designated him, as one ”who was distinguished for his efforts in the abolition of slavery.” The adoption of the report was moved by one of the Wesleyan missionaries, who spoke at some length. He commenced by speaking of ”the peculiar emotions with which he always arose to address an a.s.sembly of the free people of Antigua.” It had been his lot for a year past to labor in a colony[A]
where slavery still reigned, and he could not but thank G.o.d for the happiness of setting his foot once more on the free soil of an emanc.i.p.ated island.
[Footnote A: St. Martin's]
Perhaps the most interesting meeting in the series, was the anniversary of the Wesleyan Missionary Society of Antigua. Both parts of the day were devoted to this anniversary. The meetings were held in the Wesleyan chapel, which was filled above and below, with the usual commixture of white, colored, and black. We saw, as on former occasions, several colored gentlemen seated among the ministers. After the usual introductory exercises of singing and prayer, the annual report was read by the Secretary, Rev. E. Fraser, the colored minister already mentioned. It was terse, direct, and business like. The meeting was then addressed by a Moravian missionary. He dwelt upon the decrease of the sectarian spirit, and hailed the coming of Christian charity and brotherly communion. He opened his Bible, and read about the middle wall of part.i.tion being broken down. ”Yes, brother,” said Mr. Horne, ”and every other wall.” ”The rest are but paper walls,” responded the speaker, ”and when once the middle wall is removed, these will soon be burned up by the fire of Christian love.”
The next speaker was a Wesleyan missionary of Nevis. He spoke of the various instrumentalities which were now employed for the conversion of the world. ”We welcome,” said he, ”the co-operation of America, and with all our hearts do we rejoice that she is now beginning to put away from her that vile system of oppression which has. .h.i.therto crippled her moral energy and her religious enterprise.” Then turning and addressing himself to us, he said, ”We hail you, dear brethren, as co-workers with us. Go forward in your blessed undertaking. Be not dismayed with the huge dimensions of that vice which you are laboring to overthrow! Be not disheartened by the violence and menaces of your enemies! Go forward.
Proclaim to the church and to your countrymen the sinfulness of slavery, and be a.s.sured that soon the fire of truth will melt down the ma.s.sy chains of oppression.” He then urged upon the people of Antigua _their_ peculiar obligations to extend the gospel to other lands. It was the _Bible_ that made them free, and he begged them to bear in mind that there were millions of their countrymen _still in the chains of slavery_. This appeal was received with great enthusiasm.
We then spoke on a resolution which had been handed us by the Secretary, and which affirmed ”that the increasing and acknowledged usefulness of Christian missions was a subject of congratulation.” We spoke of the increase of missionary operations in our own country, and of the spirit of self-denial which was widely spreading, particularly among young Christians. We spoke of that accursed thing in our midst, which not only tended greatly to kill the spirit of missions in the church, but which directly withheld _many_ young men from foreign missionary fields. It had made more than two millions of heathen in our country; and so long as the cries of these _heathen at home_ entered the ears of our young men and young women, they could not, dare not, go abroad. How could they go to Ceylon, to Burmah, or to Hindostan, with the cry of their _country's heathen_ ringing their ears! How could they tear themselves away from famished millions kneeling at their feet in chains and begging for the bread of life, and roam afar to China or the South Sea Islands!
Increasing numbers filed with a missionary spirit felt that their obligations were at home, and they were resolved that if they could not carry the gospel _forthwith_ to the slaves, they would labor for the overthrow of that system which made it a crime punishable with death to preach salvation to the poor. In conclusion, the hope was expressed that the people of Antigua--so highly favored with freedom, education, and religion, would never forget that in the nation whence we came, there were _two millions and a half of heathen_, who, instead of bread, received stones and scorpions; instead of the Bible, bolts and bars; instead of the gospel, chains and scourgings; instead of the hope of salvation thick darkness and despair. They were entreated to remember that in the gloomy dungeon, from which they had lately escaped there were deeper and more dismal cells, _yet filled_ with millions of their countrymen. The state of feeling produced by this reference to slavery, was such as might be antic.i.p.ated in an audience, a portion of which were once slaves, and still remembered freshly the horrors of their late condition.
The meeting was concluded after a sitting of more than four hours. The attendance in the evening was larger than on any former occasion. Many were unable to get within the chapel. We were again favored with an opportunity of urging a variety of considerations touching the general cause, as well as those drawn from the condition of our own country, and the special objects of our mission.
The Rev. Mr. Horne spoke very pointedly on the subject of slavery. He began by saying that he had been _so long accustomed_ to speak cautiously about slavery that he was even now almost afraid of his own voice when he alluded to it. [General laughter.] But he would remember that he was in a _free island_, and that he spoke to _freemen_, and therefore he had nothing to fear.
He said the peace and prosperity of these colonies is a matter of great moment in itself considered, but it was only when viewed as an example to the rest of the slaveholding world that its real magnitude and importance was perceived. The influence of abolition, and especially of entire emanc.i.p.ation in Antigua, must be very great. The eyes of the world were fixed upon her. The great nation of America must now soon _toll the knell_ of slavery, and this event will be hastened by the happy operation of freedom here.
Mr. H. proceeded to say, that during the agitation of the slavery question at home, he had been suspected of not being a friend to emanc.i.p.ation; and it would probably be remembered by some present that his name appeared in the report of the committee of the House of Commons, where it stood in _no enviable society_. But whatever might be thought of his course at that time, he felt a.s.sumed that the day was not far distant when he should be able to clear up every thing connected with it. It was not a little gratifying to us to see that the time had come in the West Indies, when the suspicion of having been opposed to emanc.i.p.ation is a stain upon the memory from which a public man is glad to vindicate himself.
RESOLUTION OF THE MEETING.
After a few other addresses were delivered, and just previous to the dismission of the a.s.sembly, Rev. Mr. c.o.x, Chairman of the District, arose and said, that as this was the last of the anniversary meetings, he begged to move a resolution which he had no doubt would meet with the hearty and unanimous approval of that large a.s.sembly. He then read the following resolution, which we insert here as an ill.u.s.tration of the universal sympathy in the objects of our mission. As the resolution is not easily divisible, we insert the whole of it, making no ado on the score of modesty.
”Resolved, that this meeting is deeply impressed with the importance of the services rendered this day to the cause of missions by the acceptable addresses of Mr. ----, from America, and begs especially to express to him and his friend Mr. ----, the a.s.surance of their sincere sympathy in the object of their visit to Antigua.”
Mr. C. said he would make no remarks in support of the resolution he had just read for he did not deem them necessary. He would therefore propose at once that the vote be taken by rising. The Chairman read the resolution accordingly, and requested those who were in favor of adopting it, to rise. Not an individual in the crowded congregation kept his seat. The masters and the slaves of yesterday--all rose together--a phalanx of freemen, to testify ”their sincere sympathy” in the efforts and objects of American abolitionists.
After the congregation had resumed their seats, the worthy Chairman addressed us briefly in behalf of the congregation, saying, that it was inc.u.mbent on him to convey to us the unanimous expression of sympathy on the part of this numerous a.s.sembly in the object of our visit to the island. We might regard it as an unfeigned a.s.surance that we were welcomed among them, and that the cause which we were laboring to promote was dear to the hearts of the people of Antigua.
This was the testimonial of an a.s.sembly, many of whom, only three years before, were themselves slaveholders. It was not given at a meeting specially concerted and called for the purpose, but grew up unexpectedly and spontaneously out of the feelings of the occasion, a free-will offering, the cheerful impulsive gush of _free_ sympathies. We returned our acknowledgments in the best manner that our excited emotions permitted.
LAYING THE CORNER STONE OF A WESLEYAN CHAPEL.