Part 2

In the mean time certain letters which Mr. Carbery had previously written to his friends in Guiana, giving an account of the numbers and the condition of the free colored people in the United States, had excited great attention and sympathy there. A public meeting was held in Georgetown the capital; an "Immigration Society" was established, and a very large sum of money was at once subscribed to form a fund for paying the expenses of all such immigrants as may choose to go to that colony. Of this sum, a considerable amount has been already remitted to Mr. Carbery, who is appointed Agent of the Society for the United States, to be applied towards the outfit of emigrants,--the Society undertaking to pay the charter or passage money on the arrival of the vessels, and to make all necessary arrangements for the entertainment and comfort of the immigrants, until such time, as they may select some regular employment. Mr. Carbery is assured that should the colored people of the United States or any part of them, be induced to accept the offer he now makes, any amount necessary to carry his proposals into effect, will be furnished as it may be needed.

As the agent of the above society Mr. Carbery offers to transport, from the United States to British Guiana, free of any expense to themselves, together with their baggage, all such sober and industrious free colored people as shall see fit to embrace this opportunity, so rare and extraordinary, of at once relieving themselves from the great disabilities and disadvantages under which they now labor, and of securing not only a comfortable subsistence, and perhaps wealth, but what is of far greater importance, both for themselves and their children,--a full participation in all the rights, privileges and immunities of freemen, and a standing and consideration in society, which at present is wholly beyond their reach.

_Mr. Carbery is also authorized by the society to guarantee to all emigrants, who may accept his offers, maintenance at the colonial expense, and comfortable and commodious lodgings, until they shall succeed in obtaining such employment as they may prefer._

Transferred to a country which opens a vast field to labor, and to all sorts of enterprise, relieved from a weight of prejudice which now rests so heavily upon them, the free colored people of the United States would have an opportunity which they do not now enjoy, of proving, that when allowed to share the same moral and social advantages, they are able successfully to compete with the white man. It is indeed difficult to realize the effect often produced upon a man's conduct and character, when he is removed from the withering effect of the distinction of caste, and raised to an equality of political and social privileges. Persons, who if they remain in the United States, will be confined all their lives to menial and obscure stations, by emigrating to British Guiana, which they may do in twenty days, and without spending a cent, will alter the whole course and prospect of their lives. With industry, application, and sobriety, they will have a moral certainty of rising to a comfortable competency if not to wealth, and of filling with pleasure to themselves and benefit to the community, a respectable station in society. Surely these considerations ought to have great weight with all,--but more especially with the young, who are just coming forward, and with those fathers and mothers who have families of children growing up about them.

There is now opened to the free colored people of the United States, a city of refuge in Guiana, of which it is to be hoped they will not fail to avail themselves; and Mr. Carbery has reason to anticipate, should the free colored people of the United States, and those persons upon whose advice and opinions they most confidently rely, be led to take the same view of the matter which he does, that his visit to the United States may result in great good to a large body of his fellow men, who at present are cut off from many of the chief benefits of society, and by the unfortunate operation of circumstances over which they have no control, are subjected to influences which crush their energies, break their spirits, and prevent them from rising to affluence or consideration. Relieved from these impediments, transferred to a country where they will be secured in the enjoyment of equal social and political rights, they will become new creatures, and many of them will display talents and capacity of which they are not now suspected.

Mr. Carbery, however, has no desire to induce any colored person, to emigrate to Guiana, who is not well satisfied, and whose friends are not also satisfied, that it will be for his benefit to go. Deeply impressed as he is with the manifold advantages which the free colored people of the United States may derive from closing with his proposals, he submits them to the candid consideration of those concerned, expressly desiring that before being adopted by any body, they may be subjected to the closest scrutiny, and most rigorous investigation.

VII. DIRECTIONS TO PERSONS WISHING TO EMIGRATE.

Mr. Carbery is now in Boston, but intends to proceed immediately to New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, for the purpose of establishing Committees of Emigration in each of those cities, whence persons desirous of emigrating may obtain all necessary information. The address of those Committees will be published in the principal newspapers, and due notice will be given of the intended sailing of vessels with emigrants. Persons with families desiring to emigrate will meet with particular encouragement, but no person of good character will be refused a free passage.

BOSTON, Feb. 1st, 1840.

APPENDIX.

No. I.

COPY OF A LETTER FROM MR. EDWARD CARBERY, TO MR. GREENE, CHAIRMAN OF THE BALTIMORE COMMITTEE OF EMIGRATION.

_Tremont House, Boston, Dec. 11, 1839._

Dear Sir, Being fully aware that you take a great interest in any subject connected with the welfare of the class to which you belong, I venture to trouble you with this communication the object of which is to bring to your notice the proceedings at a public meeting of the Inhabitants of British Guiana, which took place in Georgetown, on the tenth of October last, and a full report of which is contained in the Guiana Chronicle of the following day. I regret it is not in my power to forward you the paper containing the report, as I only borrowed it from a gentleman in this city who received it a few days ago. The Extracts in question, go far to corroborate the statements I made to you and your friends relative to the advantages which the free-colored people of this country would derive from emigration to British Guiana, and they will at least prove that these statements were not exaggerated. The respectability of the parties in question, no less than the publicity of the whole proceedings entitle their statements to the fullest confidence.

The High Sheriff having taken the Chair, said,--"I cannot better open the proceedings on this occasion at which you have done me the honor to call me to the chair, than by referring to the requisition on which I judged it proper and necessary to convene this public meeting, and thus directing your attention to the object for which we are assembled,--to wit: In the words of the requisition 'for the purpose of giving expression to the general feeling in favor of immediate measures being taken for the promotion of Immigration to this Colony, and for taking into consideration by what means this important object can most speedily be carried into effect.'"

The Hon. Peter Rose, a member of the Colonial Legislature, and Proprietor of a Sugar Plantation called _Lima_, moved the first resolution, which was as follows.

"That a consideration of the present state of the colony, with its limited number of agricultural laborers, leads this meeting to the irresistible conclusion that unless immediate immigration on a large scale takes place, the exportable produce of the Colony already diminished to an alarming extent, will yet further decrease."

Mr. Rose then proceeded to address the meeting, and in the course of his speech, when alluding to the causes of the decreased production of British Guiana and the rate of wages, he observed--

"Eight or nine dollars per month, is the common rate, but it is the custom to estimate the day's labor by the old tariff, 7 1-2 hours, and it is well known that an industrious man can in that time perform considerably more than double the quantity of labor laid down by that tariff. I have myself paid to a man cutting canes, 1 1-2 dollars for work that did not occupy him more than eight hours. When we take it into consideration that the laborer is provided with a house and medical attendance, it is clear that he can support himself for a week by one day's labor, and with this in our knowledge, can we wonder that his labor and industry are unsteady?" Mr. Rose, in another part of his speech, speaking of the decrease that had taken place in the number of laborers on most estates since the Emancipation, observed, "of those who have left estates, some have purchased land, paying for it sometimes as much as £200 sterling."

The Hon. D. C. Cameron, also a member of the Colonial Legislature and proprietor of several estates, moved the second resolution which was of similar import to the first, and the following is an extract from the able and temperate address he delivered. "But I have pleasure in bearing my humble testimony that the cause of decrease in our crops has not proceeded from that which was most dreaded, the insubordination of the freemen of 1838, but from causes which operate in every country where the soil is rich and the laborers few. Many of our peasantry have already amassed funds which have enabled them to purchase land of their own, and are industriously improving it for their own benefit. They are no longer hired servants; they are owners of houses and lands which yield them sufficient to supply their wants, and as yet their ambition extends no further. But the misfortune is, that although they maintain themselves and families by their industry in this way, they are unprofitable to the colony. They produce no taxable articles either for this or the home market. I for one do not complain of this system;--but on the contrary, believe it will be beneficial to society in the end, and wait its progress. Hence the necessity for immigration to fill up the blank occasioned by the independence and comfort of our former servants. In this colony, sir, every laboring man of ordinary capacity may, in a few years, become proprietor of land sufficient to supply all his wants, by laboring upon it for thirty hours in the week. I am persuaded that it is only necessary to make the capabilities of our magnificent colony known, to insure us a large influx of emigrants."

Many other speeches were also made declaratory of the anxiety of the proprietory body to encourage Immigration. But as this communication has already exceeded the ordinary limits of a letter, I will not trespass longer on your patience, nor will I detain you by making any observations on the foregoing extracts. I offer them to you and your friends as evidence in support of the declaration I publicly made at Baltimore, that the free colored people of America will derive great and substantial advantages by emigrating to British Guiana. I am, dear sir, your most obedient servant,

EDWARD CARBERY.

MR. GREENE, CHAIRMAN, &c. _Baltimore._

No. II.

On the fourteenth page of the preceding pamphlet is an extract from the _Birbice Advertiser_, giving an account of the purchase of _Northbroke_ by a number of emancipated laborers. The _Guiana Chronicle_ of Monday, Dec. 9th, just received, contains additional particulars of that purchase, which appears to have been made not by a dozen persons as stated in the _Birbice_ paper, but by about _seventy_.

The following are extracts from an address presented by the purchasers to the Governor of the Colony.

_To His Excellency_ HENRY LIGHT, _Esquire, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over the Colony of British Guiana_.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY,

SIR,-- * * * * * *

On the 7th day of this month we jointly purchased, from the Executors of the late Hugh Rogers, Esquire, for the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars, his Plantation called "Northbroke," containing about 500 acres of land; and as we have been enabled to pay the purchase money principally from out of our savings since we obtained our freedom, we cannot refrain from expressing how thankful, how grateful we are, how indebted we ever shall be, to all those noble-minded individuals who were mainly instrumental in procuring and giving us that freedom.

* * * * * * *

We know that to the individual act of her Majesty, we owe the happiness of having you here, as our Ruler and Governor, in her name. Your Excellency is too exalted in station to listen to praise and commendation, and _we_ too humble to offer them; but we may be allowed to state, with thankfulness, that every act of your Excellency's administration, with reference to us, and to the body to which we belong, has been marked with kindness, benevolence, liberality and justice. And we humbly pray The Almighty Ruler of all Men, that your Excellency may be long spared to us, to afford us your protection.

* * * * * * *

We know the blessings of Freedom, and we endeavor to deserve them. We are peaceable in disposition--industrious by habit--loyal and faithful by nature--gratitude to our Sovereign, and to your Excellency, will make us doubly vigilant and circumspect.

We further respectfully represent to your Excellency, that it is not our intention to settle down upon our Plantation, and lead a life of Idleness. Our views and wishes are to have the Land divided into equal portions among us. Individually rent our cottages upon our respective plots of ground, and thereon, in our leisure hours, cultivate our Vegetables and Provisions; but our firm determination, as a body, is to continue to labor daily, as now, upon the several Plantations where we are employed.

* * * * * * *

We further respectfully represent to your Excellency, that it is our intention to establish upon our Plantation, a School-House and Church, (and there is a new, large Building on the Estate, well adapted to these purposes); in the former, our Children will be taught to read their Bible, and learn their several duties to Society at large, whilst in the latter, as each revolving Sabbath appears, we shall assemble together, and there offer up to the Almighty, our humble thanks for the great and wonderful benefits which, under Divine Providence, have been conferred upon us.

Praying your Excellency's favorable consideration and Patronage,

We have the honor to be, sir,

Your Excellency's most obedient humble servants.

(Signed) John Sertima, William Lewis, Thomas Badlie, James M'Crae, Frank Baillie, Samuel Burton, Romeo Isaac, Daniell Isaac, Thomas Colin, Martin, Martin Menarmy, Simon Hanover, Simon Scott, Thomas Hercules, John Lewis, Wm. Gamell Reaves, Jas. Handy, John Wheeler, Vollove Robert, John Mileel, Michael James, Simson Tate, Sampson Cooper, Isaac Chapman, Primus Samuel, Cupidore Hopkinson, Quashie Porter, Cornwall Porter, Cæsar Solomon, Hall Porter, Quammie Adam, Hamlet Cato, Simon Spencer, Melville Porter, Quashie Bard, Quacco Hamilton, Medlin Hamilton, John Lion, Cross Sumner, Marlborough Sam, Pollodore Bentick, Ceciro Hercules, Jillis Cumming, Gambry James, Moses Hopkinson, Bill Williams, Blackwell Lancaster, Scipio Samuel, Pat Murphy, Ned Mackay, William Negaeley, Alexand Porter, William Smart, Catherine Loud, Kenneth Jarrich, Hannah Porter, Sammy Knight, Hannah Porter, Adam Grant, Maria Grant, Collin M'Crea, John Tiddell, Simon King, Bellender Hopkinson.

Signed in my presence, this 30th day of November, 1839.

(Signed) C. H. STRUTT, Stip. Magistrate.

Witness to the several signatures,

(Signed) MARY STRUTT.

TRUE COPY,

C. R. WHINFIELD, Act. Gov. Secretary.