Mrs. Lanaghan - Antigua and the Antiguans (Vol. 1&2)

The year 1828 will be remembered by many Antiguans, as that in which the “Dandy Fever” prevailed. This most distressing and painful illness took its name from the strange gestures into which its excruciating agonies threw the unfortunate sufferers, and who, in their awkward attempts at walking, were likened by some facetious spirit to that nondescript race of men​—​the dandies!

The year 1831 was the scene of an insurrection among the negroes. The cause of this disaffection among the black population was, the suppression of the Sunday markets, and the omission, on the part of the authorities of the island, to provide a day instead of the Sabbath, in which the negroes might bring the produce of their gardens and poultry yards into the capital to sell.

The Sunday markets were indeed a nuisance most properly got rid of, for they engendered all kinds of dissipation among the lower classes on the Lord’s day; yet is it to be wondered at that the negroes felt aggrieved in having the only day they could call their own taken from them, as it were, and no other portion of the week allotted to them?

From muttered threats, and sullen looks of discontent, the negroes proceeded to acts of open violence. Incendiarism raged to a great extent; no sooner was one fire extinguished, than another was discovered in an opposite quarter. Martial law was in force; and the officers of the militia had then ample opportunities of shewing forth their valour, and winning laurels in the field of Mars.

Great were the marchings and counter-marchings upon this occasion; mysterious the signs and counter-signs! Then there was such buckling on of spurs, and bracing on of swords​—​such displays of epaulets and aiguillettes, as would have surprised any one not accustomed to West Indian militia “turn outs.” Generals galloped here, and colonels there; at one moment a party of gallant dragoons, armed to the teeth, and mounted​—​some on gaunt steeds of sixteen hands high, and others on diminutive ponies, dashed along the streets; at another, the governor and his brilliant staff might be seen hurrying forward as fresh intelligence arrived of other fires breaking out.

At length something like order was restored. Many of the negroes were apprehended; and the supposed ringleader, after being brought to trial, was condemned and executed. He met his fate with resignation, but protested to the very last that he died innocent of the offence (arson) imputed to him; the other culprits were punished by public floggings and imprisonments. Thus was the insurrection of 1831 quelled, and peace once more established. Saturday was appointed for the principal market day; and the planters agreed to allow their people to visit the capital every, or every other week, to vend their little wares.

In 1832, Sir Evan Murray McGregor was appointed to the government of the Leeward Islands, including Dominica. Sir Evan was a member of the McGregor family, so celebrated in Scottish history, and of which the redoubted Rob Roy was a chieftain. His excellency was a man of the strictest political principles, and of a most enlightened mind. He saw and felt the degradations laid upon the coloured people; and as far as lay in his power he mitigated their sufferings. It was not until his administration that coloured persons served as jurors.

His kind feelings towards this portion of his majesty’s subjects were not altogether agreeable to many of the self-constituted “exclusives;” and various were the schemes and projects to turn him from his purpose of rewarding the merits of the coloured class. But Sir Evan possessed an inflexible spirit, and neither frowns nor caresses could prevent him from dispensing justice to all, be their colour what it might.

Acting upon these principles, his excellency, in 1834, appointed Mr. Loving, a gentleman of colour, chief of police, with a salary of 600 l. per annum. This dreadful innovation of the governor’s met with the strongest resistance from those persons who were led to look upon a man’s merit as inseparably connected with his white descent; and no efforts were spared upon their part to endeavour to persuade Sir Evan to rescind the appointment. This, however, was not to be effected, and many a breast burned with secret indignation against the man who had dared to throw down the partition wall between the immaculate whites, and a descendant of Afric’s despised children!

But it was not colour alone that formed the grand objection to this gentleman’s appointment. Mr. Loving had been for some time the editor of a paper, and in such capacity had raised his voice against the system of slavery, and advocated in a firm, but mild spirit, the cause of emancipation, in a country where nearly all its principal inhabitants were slave-holders. Upon the strength of the old adage, “What can’t be cured must be endured ,” Mr. Loving was allowed to remain quietly in his situation, until time brought about mighty changes, and made the Antiguan slave-holders, like himself, friends to freedom.

The following year, 1833, was noted for the severe shocks of earthquake felt at Antigua, as well as at most of the other islands throughout the chain. These earthquakes were followed by a season of dry weather, which crushed the hopes of the planters, and rendered in great measure the fertile little island a barren waste.

1834 is celebrated throughout the British West Indies as the year of the abolition of slavery, and more particularly by the Antiguans, who, laying aside all claims to apprenticeship, gave their negroes immediate freedom . For this consummation had many worthy men toiled and sighed​—​for this had Sharpe, Clayton, Wilberforce, Buxton, Lushington, and many others, written and spoken, until wearied nature had often sunk, almost exhausted​—​and now the bright day of liberty had arrived, and the great and glorious triumph, which for so many years had been as a beacon before the minds of philanthropic men, had been achieved; but alas! of those who would have sung jubilee on the fulfilment of their wishes, many had yielded up their noble spirits, and passed to the silent tomb.

The year following emancipation (1835) was the scene of a violent hurricane, which raging with extreme fury throughout the greater part of the night, caused great loss to many of the inhabitants. Soon after the hurricane, the yellow fever broke out with great malignancy, and hurried many a young and gifted one from the family circle.

During the period Sir Evan McGregor administered the government, he endeavoured to restore the custom of holding a general council and assembly, to convene at certain times, at one of the several islands within his jurisdiction; and also to make the island of Dominica head-quarters. His excellency’s view and wishes upon this subject were, however, overruled by the home government; although it was permitted him to make Dominica his place of residence should such be his desire. Soon after his removal to the latter colony, he received the higher appointment of Governor of Barbados, to which seat of government he repaired, leaving Antigua to a kind of interregnum, which was filled up by the president of the island.

During his excellency’s administration, he also recommended the legislature to enact a law to govern elections​—​a deficiency in the laws of Antigua complained of by a large portion of the inhabitants; the qualifications of voters being entirely governed by resolutions of the house, as best suited the purposes of its members. In contested elections, freeholders, it is said, were frequently left to unconstitutional resolutions of the assembly, who, paying no attention to former precedents, adopted such measures as would best secure the interests of their own party. 57There are, however, laws for the protective privileges of freeholders for other distinctive purposes, such as exemptions from arrest, &c.