Page:Substance of the speech of His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, in the House of Lords.djvu/49

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Britain; and the Caribs, previous to this cession to England, having had communication with the French, maintained it during the whole of the peace. The island was consequently captured last war with the assistance of the Caribs; and this war, at the instigation of the French, the Caribs began a new rupture with the British inhabitants of St. Vincent's. Hostilities were fortunately concluded, and the Caribs, since that time, have been removed off the island. During this war, the slaves upon the different estates have remained steady and quiet, and still continue loyal and dutiful to their masters.

The third and last event was, I confess, an insurrection of slaves in the Island of Grenada; but, my Lords, it was an insurrection of French slaves belonging to French masters, tainted with French principles; for even at that time, the slaves belonging to the British never joined in the revolt, but remained quiet upon the plantations of their owners.