a lover of poetry, and though your beautiful quotation sufficiently substantiates your claim to erudition, I have at times regretted your not writing the whole panegyric in versc. "Poets succeed the best in fictions," said Waller to Charles the Second. You had it in your power to prove that poetry can add charms to the dignity of truth itself.

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"Virtue is its own reward." No doubt you have been prompted by this philosophical principle. It is clear to me, that the self-satisfaction of such a praise-worthy deed is the only reward you have looked for; while others maintain that you have already received something more substantial. Nay, Sir, it is even whispered that you are about to reside in this Colony, and that your paragraph is merely intended, like a letter of introduction, to insure you a good reception. To all these insinuations, your words are sufficiently apposite. Unfortunately, the best of men' are not exempt from the attacks of slander!"

How much is it to be lamented that you have said sq little, where so much might have been said! "The worthy characters of Trinidad" speak but in general terms of him whom they voluntarily step forward to vindicate. Why did not you enlarge on the varied excellencies which they pass over so lightly? His unaffected modesty, no doubt, deterred you. The sensitive plant shrinks not more from the truth than he! But you ought to have been strenuous in forcing those virtues into open day, which he industriously endeavours to conceal from his dearest friends.

Alas, you have never experienced the happiness of living under a government like his! His unwearied exertions to conciliate the interest and affections of all parties, ―his condescension and politeness, on all occasions, more

especially to strangers, the sweetness of his disposition, was never known to have been betrayed into passion, his exemplary forbearance, which suspends all opinion until both sides of the question are impartially discussed,— slowness to convict until confirination, strong as proofs, of holy writ, leave no doubt, the god-like manner with which he mingles mercy in all his judgments, the jealousy and vigour with which he watches over and preservés the PRIVILEGES OF BRITONS,-his total disregard of all pecuniary emolument (for it is supposed he will quit his government poorer than when he entered upon it),→→ unequalled address in the introduction of laws, formed on the model of ENGLISH FREEDOM, whenever he finds an opportunity, and his decided preference to the cONSTITUTION OF THE MOTHER COUNTRY, above all other forms of government upon earth. These and a thousand other qualities, presented a noble field for you to have expatiated upon. You might have held him up (not as a military governor was held up) as an example to governors, and an important lesson to mankind!-The guardian of orphans, the protector of the widow, the poor man's friend, and the munificent patron of all.

I should far exceed the limits of a letter were I to enter fully into a detail of those virtues which it was your duty to have enlarged upon. But there is one so eminently conspicuous, that I cannot, in justice, omit it. Knowing, that a "certain well known set" have adopted. means to carry on a prosecution against him, (strange. that such virtue cannot escape the eye of public scruti-. ny,) he asks no one to vindicate his conduct; he will not even permit those to attest their high veneration of his character, whose over anxious zeal has twice prompted them to do so unknown to him, and at the hazard of his displeasure:-Conscious of his own integrity, he stands,

firmly and alone, on the broad basis of a well-earned· reputation! Even now, while writing, it is more than probable, that this letter will be a source of uneasiness to him ;--but what should deter me from the performance of my duty?

Permit me now, to give you a word of advice. I have an opportunity of hearing both sides of the question;— Alas, I fear this has not been your case. The service of your distinguished friend calls on you to arm in his defence. -I fear the cause is losing groand. Several of the "worthy characters” half express an unavailing wish that they had never signed any public paper but the LOYAL ADDRESS TO HIS MAJESTY! Nay, one or two have declared they signed without reading, and were confounded when their names appeared in public. However, when next you resume your pen, in defence of virtue, be as sparing as you can in your reflections, even on vice it-> self:-Let the direct accusations of falsehood and malice appear as rarely as possible; more especially, if you should not be able to prove what you assert. You and I may agree in our opinions on this subject, but there are others (and I fear a great and powerful majority), who think and speak in a different manner. And, when I hear gentlemen of honor, respectability, and good sense, express their sentiments in the following manner :—“ I · heartily wish you had left the epithet ignorance out of your paragraph. We know not, nor is it worth the enquiry, who is the author of the contemptible paragraph of February 17th, in the St. Vincent Chronicle: but whoever he is, we would advise him to recollect, that those whom he denominates" a certain well known set" are ENGLISHMEN, unused to submit to oppression, and born under a government that will not suffer the proudest connections to insult them with impunity-NOLUMUS

LEGIS ANGLIE MUTARI is their motto, and their creed is the GLORIOUS BILL OF RIGHTS." For the avowal of these principles they have suffered abuse, menace, imprisonment and defamation! But they feel such violence to be as despicable as their sentiments and claims are dignified and noble :-Revering and loving the constitution of their native country, they look to that country alone, for redress; and they will accept of no vindication but the unbought concurrence of a BRITISH PUBLIC, and the unbiased, and just decision of a BRITISH JURY!

Trinidad, March 24, 1802.

A LOOKER ON.

U u

APPENDIX.

No. II.

HORRORS OF WEST INDIA SLAVERY.

DURING the season of 1804, the following extract of a letter from Lord Seaforth, the Governor of Barbadoes, to Lord Hobart, dated at Barbadoes, the 18th of March, 1802, was laid on the table of the House of Commons.

"Your Lordship will observe, in the last day's proceedings of the Assembly, that the majority of the House had taken considerable offence at a message of mine, recommending an act to be passed to make the murder of a slave felony. At present the fine for the crime is only fifteen pounds currency, or ELEVEN POUNDS FOUR

SHILLINGS STERLING."

People in general would think it scarcely possible that a stronger proof could be adduced of the deplorably unprotected condition to which the Negroes are placed in Barbadoes, the oldest and most civilized of our Slave Colonies, than was furnished in the above official document. In a community where even the life of a Negro Slave is valued at so cheap a rate, it would argue an utter ignorance of the nature of man, and of the principles by which his conduct is usually regulated, to expect that