“Our negroes, and I presume other negroes too, are very little less sensible to the force of those motives which lead to the peace, order, and welfare of society, than any other set of people.”

“The general conduct of the negroes has been worthy of much praise, especially considering the sudden transition from slavery to unrestricted freedom.  Their demeanor is peaceable and orderly.”

Ralph Higinbothom, U. S. Consul.

As we mingled with the missionaries, both in town and country, they all bore witness to the security of their persons and families.  They, equally with the planters, were surprised that we should make any inquiries about insurrections.  A question on this subject generally excited a smile, a look of astonishment, or some exclamation, such as “Insurrection! my dear sirs, we do not think of such a thing;” or, “Rebellion indeed! why, what should they rebel for now, since they have got their liberty!”

Physicians informed us that they were in the habit of riding into the country at all hours of the night, and though they were constantly passing negroes, both singly and in companies, they never had experienced any rudeness, nor even so much as an insolent word.  They could go by night or day, into any part of the island where their professional duties called them, without the slightest sense of danger.

A residence of nine weeks in the island gave us no small opportunity of testing the reality of its boasted security.  The hospitality of planters and missionaries, of which we have recorded so many instances in a previous part of this work, gave us free access to their houses in every part of the island.  In many cases we were constrained to spend the night with them, and thus enjoyed, in the intimacies of the domestic circle, and in the unguarded moments of social intercourse, every opportunity of detecting any lurking fears of violence, if such there had been; but we saw no evidence of it, either in the arrangements of the houses or in the conduct of the inmates[A].

[Footnote A:  In addition to the evidence derived from Antigua, we would mention the following fact: 

A planter, who is also an attorney, informed us that on the neighboring little island of Barbuda, (which is leased from the English government by Sir Christopher Coddrington,) there are five hundred negroes and only three white men.  The negroes are entirely free, yet the whites continue to live among them without any fear of having their throats cut.  The island is cultivated in sugar.—­Barbuda is under the government of Antigua, and accordingly the act of entire emancipation extended to that island.]