The Day, News of yesterday publishes a remarkable letter from
a negro clergyman of Kingston, Jamaica, and the head of Weimer's Grammar School, a Mr. Robert Gordon. This gentle- man asserts that he is himself profoundly loyal, and believes the island in general to be so too, but says the administration of local justice has been very partial and bad, and gave great provocation to many of the negroes,—that the riots, criminal as they were, were not uncaused, and not, he believes, premeditated,—that the only " atrocity " of the negroes was the cutting off of Baron Kettelhodt's fingers,—that Mr. Herschel's tongue was never cut out, and Baron Kettelhodt's brains were never mingled with rum and drunk, —(his head having indeed been uninjured),—and this he proves on the evidence of one of the sufferers who was present, and wounded, but escaped ; and finally he asserts that " at least 3,000, including infants and children, who could not possibly have had anything to do with the riot," were slaughtered in revenge. The letter is, on the whole, soberly written, exceedingly loyal in tone, and will produce a considerable effect.
Previous page
