The free colored population--because it gave the death blow to the prejudice that crushed them, and opened the prospect of social, civil, and political equality with the whites.

The _slaves_--because it broke open their dungeons, led them out to liberty, and gave them, in one munificent donation, their wives, their children, their bodies, their souls--everything." In the emphatic language of the Governor, "It was _universally admitted_ that emancipation had been a great blessing to the island." In November 1837, Lord Brougham thus summed up the results of the Antigua experiment in a speech in the House of Lords:-- "It might be known to their lordships that in one most important colony the experiment of instant and entire emancipation had been tried.
Infinitely to the honor of the island of Antigua was it, that it did not wait for the period fixed by the Legislature, but had at once converted the state of slavery into one of perfect liberty.

On the 1st of August, 1834, the day fixed by act of Parliament for the commencement of a ten years' apprenticeship, the Legislature of that colony, to the immortal honor of their wisdom, their justice, and their humanity, had abolished the system of apprenticeship, and had absolutely and entirely struck the fetters off from 30,000 slaves.

Their lordships would naturally ask whether the experiment had succeeded; and whether this sudden emancipation had been wisely and politically done.

He should move for some returns which he would venture to say would prove that the experiment had entirely succeeded.