colony he was taken prisoner, and after the negroes had been tried
and sentenced, his case was brought before a court-martial. He was
charged with promoting discontent among the slaves, conspiring to bring
about a revolt, knowing of the plot the day before and not reporting it,
and holding communication with one of the leaders after it had broken
out without attempting to capture him. The case created a great stir,
public opinion being universal that he was the prime mover in the whole
affair.

His trial lasted over a month, at the end of which he was found guilty
and sentenced to be hanged. This sentence, however, seems to have been
given to satisfy the people; it was not published, nor was it intended
to be executed without reference to the home Government. This is proved
by the report in the "Royal Gazette" of the colony, which stated that
the trial was over, but the nature of the proceedings was such as to
render it imperative on the Governor to transmit them for His Majesty's
consideration. The public were not informed of the verdict, but it is
not to be supposed that they were ignorant of the result of the trial;
on the contrary, the sentence met with their approval, and they
complained of the delay in carrying it out, as compared with the hasty
executions of the negroes. Mr. Smith was ultimately reprieved, on the
understanding that he removed himself from the West Indies, and engaged
never to come back to Guiana or go to any of the islands. But the poor
missionary was sick, and under treatment before the insurrection, and it
may be presumed that the worry of the trial hastened his end. He died in
prison before the king's answer arrived, and was buried at night to
prevent a hostile demonstration.

We have been thus particular in giving the facts of the Demerara East
Coast Insurrection, because it made such an impression in England. The
anti-slavery party used the case of the "Martyr" Smith as a watchword,
and it was a prime factor in hurrying on emancipation. The immediate
result was an Order in Council to enable slaves to contract legal
marriage, to hold property, to buy their freedom on a valuation by
disinterested parties, and to put them under a Protector, whose duty was
to see that their rights were not infringed. They were now citizens,
their only civil disabilities being compulsory labour and a tie to the
plantation or their masters.

This, however, did not satisfy the anti-slavery party, and they went on