BLACKS.-JAMAICA.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 224, 5 March 1866, Page 3

BLACKS.- JAMAICA.

(From the Times, Not. 22.) Our impression of yesterday contained a document of no slight interest at the present moment. This was nothitig less than the actual letter to which the .Governor of Jamaica attributed, "in a great degree," the recent insurrection of negroe3 in that island. It was written in January last by Dr. Edward Underbill, the Secretary of the Baptist Missionary Society, though he is at the pains to inform us that he wrote it, not in his official capacity, but simply as " a private person interested in Jamaica." Nevertheless, he addressed this epistle to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and his present defence is that, as it was thus addressed, and not to the people of Jamaica, is not accountable for the impression which it ultimately produced. This argument can be very soon disposed of. Dr. Underbill's letter insinuated grave charges against the Legislature of Jamaica, and ascribed to partial law, unjust taxation, and other iujuries inflicted on the black population, the poverty and distress under which it was represented as suffering. Of course Mr. Cardwell forwarded this letter to Governor Eyre, with instructions to report upon it in reply. Of course also G-overnor Eyre published the letter in the island, and addressed a circular to the authorities and clergy of all denominations asking for the information required. But these steps were the necessary consequences of Dr. Underbill's communication to the Minister. The Minister could only - act upon it by referring it to the Governor, and the Governor could only reply to it by the means wich he adopted. That is the course taken on all such occasions ; and when Dr. Underhili laid such a statement as he did before the Colonial Secretary, there was no alternative between leaving it without notice or sending it to the island for consideration and answer. Governor Eyre, too, was perfectly justified in speaking of the " inuendoes " contained in this letter. After describing the impoverished condition of the negroes in the island, Dr. Underhili continues: " I shall say nothing of the course taken by the Jamaica Legislature, of their abortive immigration Bills, of their unjust taxation of the colored population, of their refusal of just tribunals, of their denial of political rights to the emancipated negroes." But in these words, while professing to say nothing, he really says everything that is bad to the Government of the colony, and while pretending to pass over the subject without remark, leaves the gravest of accusations to produce their effect. Dr. Underhili, too, must be well aware that these topics were no new topics in Jamaica. They were the topics upon which certain persons, and especially persons of the Baptist persuasion, loved to expatiate; but Dr. Underbill's address to the Colonial Secretary gave the subject an urgency which it had not possessed before. Its necessary effect was to put the authorities of the island on their defence, while the blacks and their partisans knew it. ISTow, at last, the case of the negro had been brought fairly before the Imperial Government, and the colonial rulers had to justify themselves. The consequences Governor Eyre impressively describes to us. Meetings were held in connection with Dr. Underbill's letter, " where the people were told that they were tyrannised over and ill-treated ; were over-taxed ; were denied political rights ; had unjsut tribunals." This is little but a repetition of the allegations which Dr. Underhili advanced, nor can we feel the least surprise at hearing that the speakers on these occasions carried their views alittle further, used " language of the most exciting and seditious kind," and told the people "plainly to right themselves, to be up and doing, to put their shoulders to the wheel," and "to do as the Haytians had done." Dr. Underhili had deliberately, and in the character of a well-informed and interested correspondent, brought before the Colonial Secretary such charges against the Legislature of Jamaica as must needs be communicated to those authorities, and the inevitable notoriety of the proceeding increased the agitation prevailing already.