Part 65 (2/2)
where slavery still reigned, and he could not but thank G.o.d for the happiness of setting his foot once more on the free soil of an emanc.i.p.ated island.
[Footnote A: St. Martin's]
Perhaps the most interesting meeting in the series, was the anniversary of the Wesleyan Missionary Society of Antigua. Both parts of the day were devoted to this anniversary. The meetings were held in the Wesleyan chapel, which was filled above and below, with the usual commixture of white, colored, and black. We saw, as on former occasions, several colored gentlemen seated among the ministers. After the usual introductory exercises of singing and prayer, the annual report was read by the Secretary, Rev. E. Fraser, the colored minister already mentioned. It was terse, direct, and business like. The meeting was then addressed by a Moravian missionary. He dwelt upon the decrease of the sectarian spirit, and hailed the coming of Christian charity and brotherly communion. He opened his Bible, and read about the middle wall of part.i.tion being broken down. ”Yes, brother,” said Mr. Horne, ”and every other wall.” ”The rest are but paper walls,” responded the speaker, ”and when once the middle wall is removed, these will soon be burned up by the fire of Christian love.”
The next speaker was a Wesleyan missionary of Nevis. He spoke of the various instrumentalities which were now employed for the conversion of the world. ”We welcome,” said he, ”the co-operation of America, and with all our hearts do we rejoice that she is now beginning to put away from her that vile system of oppression which has. .h.i.therto crippled her moral energy and her religious enterprise.” Then turning and addressing himself to us, he said, ”We hail you, dear brethren, as co-workers with us. Go forward in your blessed undertaking. Be not dismayed with the huge dimensions of that vice which you are laboring to overthrow! Be not disheartened by the violence and menaces of your enemies! Go forward.
Proclaim to the church and to your countrymen the sinfulness of slavery, and be a.s.sured that soon the fire of truth will melt down the ma.s.sy chains of oppression.” He then urged upon the people of Antigua _their_ peculiar obligations to extend the gospel to other lands. It was the _Bible_ that made them free, and he begged them to bear in mind that there were millions of their countrymen _still in the chains of slavery_. This appeal was received with great enthusiasm.
We then spoke on a resolution which had been handed us by the Secretary, and which affirmed ”that the increasing and acknowledged usefulness of Christian missions was a subject of congratulation.” We spoke of the increase of missionary operations in our own country, and of the spirit of self-denial which was widely spreading, particularly among young Christians. We spoke of that accursed thing in our midst, which not only tended greatly to kill the spirit of missions in the church, but which directly withheld _many_ young men from foreign missionary fields. It had made more than two millions of heathen in our country; and so long as the cries of these _heathen at home_ entered the ears of our young men and young women, they could not, dare not, go abroad. How could they go to Ceylon, to Burmah, or to Hindostan, with the cry of their _country's heathen_ ringing their ears! How could they tear themselves away from famished millions kneeling at their feet in chains and begging for the bread of life, and roam afar to China or the South Sea Islands!
Increasing numbers filed with a missionary spirit felt that their obligations were at home, and they were resolved that if they could not carry the gospel _forthwith_ to the slaves, they would labor for the overthrow of that system which made it a crime punishable with death to preach salvation to the poor. In conclusion, the hope was expressed that the people of Antigua--so highly favored with freedom, education, and religion, would never forget that in the nation whence we came, there were _two millions and a half of heathen_, who, instead of bread, received stones and scorpions; instead of the Bible, bolts and bars; instead of the gospel, chains and scourgings; instead of the hope of salvation thick darkness and despair. They were entreated to remember that in the gloomy dungeon, from which they had lately escaped there were deeper and more dismal cells, _yet filled_ with millions of their countrymen. The state of feeling produced by this reference to slavery, was such as might be antic.i.p.ated in an audience, a portion of which were once slaves, and still remembered freshly the horrors of their late condition.
The meeting was concluded after a sitting of more than four hours. The attendance in the evening was larger than on any former occasion. Many were unable to get within the chapel. We were again favored with an opportunity of urging a variety of considerations touching the general cause, as well as those drawn from the condition of our own country, and the special objects of our mission.
The Rev. Mr. Horne spoke very pointedly on the subject of slavery. He began by saying that he had been _so long accustomed_ to speak cautiously about slavery that he was even now almost afraid of his own voice when he alluded to it. [General laughter.] But he would remember that he was in a _free island_, and that he spoke to _freemen_, and therefore he had nothing to fear.
He said the peace and prosperity of these colonies is a matter of great moment in itself considered, but it was only when viewed as an example to the rest of the slaveholding world that its real magnitude and importance was perceived. The influence of abolition, and especially of entire emanc.i.p.ation in Antigua, must be very great. The eyes of the world were fixed upon her. The great nation of America must now soon _toll the knell_ of slavery, and this event will be hastened by the happy operation of freedom here.
Mr. H. proceeded to say, that during the agitation of the slavery question at home, he had been suspected of not being a friend to emanc.i.p.ation; and it would probably be remembered by some present that his name appeared in the report of the committee of the House of Commons, where it stood in _no enviable society_. But whatever might be thought of his course at that time, he felt a.s.sumed that the day was not far distant when he should be able to clear up every thing connected with it. It was not a little gratifying to us to see that the time had come in the West Indies, when the suspicion of having been opposed to emanc.i.p.ation is a stain upon the memory from which a public man is glad to vindicate himself.
RESOLUTION OF THE MEETING.
After a few other addresses were delivered, and just previous to the dismission of the a.s.sembly, Rev. Mr. c.o.x, Chairman of the District, arose and said, that as this was the last of the anniversary meetings, he begged to move a resolution which he had no doubt would meet with the hearty and unanimous approval of that large a.s.sembly. He then read the following resolution, which we insert here as an ill.u.s.tration of the universal sympathy in the objects of our mission. As the resolution is not easily divisible, we insert the whole of it, making no ado on the score of modesty.
”Resolved, that this meeting is deeply impressed with the importance of the services rendered this day to the cause of missions by the acceptable addresses of Mr. ----, from America, and begs especially to express to him and his friend Mr. ----, the a.s.surance of their sincere sympathy in the object of their visit to Antigua.”
Mr. C. said he would make no remarks in support of the resolution he had just read for he did not deem them necessary. He would therefore propose at once that the vote be taken by rising. The Chairman read the resolution accordingly, and requested those who were in favor of adopting it, to rise. Not an individual in the crowded congregation kept his seat. The masters and the slaves of yesterday--all rose together--a phalanx of freemen, to testify ”their sincere sympathy” in the efforts and objects of American abolitionists.
After the congregation had resumed their seats, the worthy Chairman addressed us briefly in behalf of the congregation, saying, that it was inc.u.mbent on him to convey to us the unanimous expression of sympathy on the part of this numerous a.s.sembly in the object of our visit to the island. We might regard it as an unfeigned a.s.surance that we were welcomed among them, and that the cause which we were laboring to promote was dear to the hearts of the people of Antigua.
This was the testimonial of an a.s.sembly, many of whom, only three years before, were themselves slaveholders. It was not given at a meeting specially concerted and called for the purpose, but grew up unexpectedly and spontaneously out of the feelings of the occasion, a free-will offering, the cheerful impulsive gush of _free_ sympathies. We returned our acknowledgments in the best manner that our excited emotions permitted.
LAYING THE CORNER STONE OF A WESLEYAN CHAPEL.
The corner stone of a new Wesleyan Chapel was laid in St. John's, during the district meeting. The concourse of spectators was immense. At eleven o'clock religious exercises were held in the old chapel. At the close of the service a procession was formed, composed of Wesleyan missionaries, Moravian ministers, clergymen of the church, members of the council and of the a.s.sembly, planters, merchants, and other gentlemen, and the children of the Sunday and infant schools, connected with the Wesleyan Chapel.
As the procession moved to the new site, a hymn was sung, in which the whole procession united. Our position in the procession, to which we were a.s.signed by the marshal, and much to our satisfaction, was at either side of two colored gentlemen, with whom we walked, four abreast.
On one side of the foundation a gallery had been raised, which was covered with an awning, and was occupied by a dense ma.s.s of white and colored ladies. On another side the gentlemen of the procession stood.
The other sides were thronged with a promiscuous mult.i.tude of all colors. After singing and prayer, the Hon. Nicholas Nugent, speaker of the house of a.s.sembly, descended from the platform by a flight of stairs into the cellar, escorted by two missionaries. The sealed phial was then placed in his hand, and Mr. P., a Wesleyan missionary, read from a paper the inscription written on the parchment within the phial. The closing words of the inscription alluded to the present condition of the island, thus: ”The demand for a new and larger place of wors.h.i.+p was pressing, and the progress of public liberality advancing on a scale highly creditable to this FREE, enlightened, and evangelized colony.” The Speaker then placed the phial in the cavity of the rock. When it was properly secured, and the corner stone lowered down by pullies to its place, he struck three blows upon it with a mallet, and then returned to the platform. The most eager curiosity was exhibited on every side to witness the ceremony.
At the conclusion of it, several addresses were delivered. The speakers were, Rev. Messrs. Horne and Harvey, and D.B. Garling, Esq. Mr. Horne, after enumerating several things which were deserving of praise, and worthy of imitation, exclaimed, ”The grand crowning glory of all--that which places Antigua above all her sister colonies--was the magnanimous measure of the legislature in entirely abolis.h.i.+ng slavery.” It was estimated that there were more than two thousand persons a.s.sembled on this occasion. The _order_ which prevailed among such a concourse was highly creditable to the island. It was pleasing to see the perfect intermixture of colors and conditions; not less so to observe the kindly bearing of the high toward the low.[A] After the exercises were finished, the numerous a.s.sembly dispersed quietly. Not an instance of drunkenness, quarrelling, or anger, fell under our notice during the day.
[Footnote A: During Mr. Home's address, we observed Mr. A., a planter, send his umbrella to a negro man who stood at the corner-stone, exposed to the sun.]
RESOLUTIONS OF THE MISSIONARIES.
Toward the close of the district meeting, we received a kind note from the chairman, inviting us to attend the meeting, and receive in person, a set of resolutions which had been drawn up at our request, and signed by all the missionaries. At the hour appointed, we repaired to the chapel. The missionaries all arose as we entered, and gave us a brotherly salutation. We were invited to take our seats at the right hand of the chairman. He then, in the presence of the meeting, read to us the subjoined resolutions; we briefly expressed, in behalf of ourselves and our cause, the high sense we had of the value of the testimony, which the meeting had been pleased to give us. The venerable father Horne then prayed with us, commending our cause to the blessing of the Head of the church, and ourselves to the protection and guidance of our heavenly Father. After which we shook hands with the brethren, severally, receiving their warmest a.s.surances of affectionate regard, and withdrew.
_”Resolutions pa.s.sed at the meeting of the Wesleyan Missionaries of the Antigua District, a.s.sembled at St. John's, Antigua, February 7th, 1837._
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