n beseiged by an enemy than any thing
else. This is the reward which the colored men have received for their
loyalty, and the readiness with which they turned out to train, and no
doubt would if the country required their services. This is a most
painful occurrence, and must have been originated by some very ignorant
persons. How any man possessing the common feelings of humanity, to say
nothing of loyalty, could needlessly offer insult to so many men, so
cheerfully turning out in obedience to the laws of the country, exceeds
belief, if it were not a matter of fact. Too much credit cannot be given
to those worthy citizens who used their best efforts to restrain the
excitement, and prevented any further blood-shedding."

But here we have testimony of a later date. Hon. Colonel Prince, member
of the Canadian Parliament in 1857, had resided among the colored people
of the Western District; and, like other humane men, had sympathized
with them, at the outset, and shown them many favors. Time and
observation changed his views, and, in the course of his parliamentary
duties, we find him taking a stand adverse to the further increase of
the negro population in Canada. Hear him, as reported at the time:

"On the order of the day for the third reading of the emigrants' law
amendment bill being called, Hon. Col. Prince said he was wishful to
move a rider to the measure. The black people who infested the land were
the greatest curse to the Province. The lives of the people of the West
were made wretched by the inundation of these animals, and many of the
largest farmers in the county of Kent have been compelled to leave their
beautiful farms, because of the pestilential swarthy swarms.--What were
these wretches fit for? Nothing. They cooked our victuals and shampooned
us; but who would not rather that these duties should be performed by
white men? The blacks were a worthless, useless, thriftless set of
beings--they were too indolent, lazy and ignorant to work, too proud to
be taught; and not only that, if the criminal calendars of the country
were examined, it would be found that they were a majority of the
criminals. They were so detestable that unless some method were adopted
of preventing their influx into this country by the "underground rail
road," the people of the West would be obliged to drive them out by open
violence. The bill before the House imposed a capitation tax upon
emigrants from Europe, and the object of his mot