Proudcwity : West Indian Fables by J. A. Froude. Explained
by J. J. Thomas. (Fisher Unwin.)—The author of this criticism of Mr. Froude's " English in the West Indies " died shortly after its publication, owing it is said, to the unfriendly climate of this country, in which he compelled himself to stay to see the book through the press. Mr. Thomas believed, and attempted to prove, that Mr. Fronde was guilty of " the circulation of malevolent writings whereby the equilibrium of sympathy between good men of different races is sought to be destroyed through misleading appeals to the weaknesses and prejudices of readers." A critic of " Oceans." said that Mr. Froude described the Colonies "from the standpoint of champagne-lunches ;" and Mr. Thomas shows that he testified concerning Negroes from no personal intercourse with them, but mainly "through having gazed at them from balconies, decks of steamers, and the seats of moving carriages." His main thesis was, that if the Negroes were to obtain political power, they would persecute the white minority; but this volume proves that the majority of the Whites in the West Indies have no such fear of their coloured brethren (which Mr. Froude seems to have imbibed from a certain section of the official or planter community), but consider rather that the interests of the two races are identical ; and in support of this view the case of Trinidad is quoted, where the agitation for reform is entirely led by white men. We do not wonder that Mr. Thomas, himself a cultivated negro, could not restrain his anger against a writer who seems to regret the abolition of slavery. The anger was natural, but it spoiled the effect of his book in some degree, when it led him to use extravagant language. Probably he has made no severer statements than Mr. Fronde him- self, but, unfortunately, he could not veil them in the same literary garb. Mr. Froude hit hard with velvet gloves, but his assailant discarded all gloves. We have no space to discuss auy of the detailed statements of Mr. Froude which are controverted, generally, we think, with much force ; and we will only notice, in conclusion, that one of the main propositions that Mr. Thomas satisfactorily proves is that the circumstances and character of the Negroes in the British Colonies are so different from those in Hayti, that there is very little ground for Mr. Froude's gloomy prognostications that they would imitate their Haytian brethren, if ever they got the upper hand, by lapsing into barbarism and revenging themselves on the descendants of their old oppressors.
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