ys of the negro as a happy
fellow. The genial novelist does not mince matters when he speaks of
oppression on board ship, and it is not to be supposed that he would go
out of his way to screen the planters.

Some of the colonies passed laws against indiscriminate manumissions,
and these were declaimed against as tyranny. Yet their wisdom was so
patent that, under the system, they could only be heartily approved by
every one competent to judge. There is one little fact that stands out
most prominently as a redeeming point, if such a thing be
possible--under slavery there was no poverty--there were no tramps nor
beggars. The owner of the plantation had to feed his people in sickness
and in health, in childhood and old age. If manumissions could be given
by the mere stroke of a pen, many a poor sick or broken-down creature
would have been cast adrift to become a burden upon the community. Now
and again we yet hear some old woman complain that if this were slavery
time, she would not be half-starved as she is to-day, notwithstanding
the poor relief.

It may perhaps be thought that we are attempting the defence of slavery;
we only wish to show that it was not quite so black as it has been
painted. It had its dark side; but, on the other hand, many a bright
gleam can be perceived by those who have seen some who were born into
servitude and heard their stories. They were well fed, had as much
clothing as they really required, were as a matter of policy well
treated as a rule, and were quite as happy as they are to-day.
Magistrates, policemen, and gaols were almost unknown; the planter gave
the negro a slight flogging now and then, and this ended the tale of
his misdemeanours. A bad master might be cruel as a bad husband may be
also, but we should not condemn marriage on account of its abuses. The
great argument against slavery was the degradation it produced on the
minds of both parties. However, we are not writing the history of
slavery, but the story of the West Indies, and must apologise for the
digression.

In 1823 the House of Commons, on a motion of Fowell Buxton, "that the
state of slavery is repugnant to the principles of the British
Constitution, and of the Christian religion," resolved to ameliorate the
condition of the slave by giving him civil rights and privileges. As a
result of this, orders were sent out to abolish the flogging of women,
and discontinue the use of the whip in the field.

Already the West In