justice cannot sleep forever," and "that the Almighty has no
attribute that can take sides with us in such a contest," viz., "an
exchange of situation" [with the slaves,] are the well-known words of
Jefferson.

In 1832, a general insurrection of the slaves occurred in Jamaica,
when between two and three thousand slaves were killed, and a large
number of whites. The loss occasioned by the rebellion was estimated
at five millions of dollars, a part of which was occasioned by the
burning of one hundred and fifty plantations. _Now,_ the British West
Indies are forever exempted from all danger of insurrection, while
the danger of a servile war in America will, until slavery is
abolished, every year increase.

In the month of June, 1839, a vessel, called the Amistad, Ramon
Ferrer, Captain, sailed from Havana for Principe, about one hundred
leagues distant, with fifty-four negroes and two white passengers,
(Spaniards,) viz., Pedro Montez and Jose Ruiz, one of whom claimed to
be the owner of the negroes, who were all natives of Africa. While on
board, they "suffered much from hunger and thirst." In addition to
this, there was much whipping, and "the cook told them that, when
they reached land, they would all be eaten." This "made their hearts
burn." To avoid being eaten, and to escape the bad treatment, they
rose upon the crew with the design of returning to Africa. This was
on June 27th, four days after leaving Havana. After killing the
captain and the cook, and permitting the crew to escape, they under
command of Cinque, who compelled Montez to steer the ship for Africa,
which he did in the day time, because the negroes could tell his
course by the sun, but put the vessel about in the night. In this
manner, the vessel drifted about till August 26th, when she was taken