CURRENT LITERATURE.
The Tragedy of Morant Bay. By E. B. Underhill, LL.D. (Alexander and Shepheard.)—Dr. Underhill has employed part of his leisure since quitting his active and useful life as Secretary of the Baptist Mission Society, in putting together all the facts connected with the rising in a corner of Jamaica, and its violent repression by Governor Eyre. It is not a pleasant story to recall. The Tragedy of Morant Bay is the worst instance in modern times of that blind fury to which the rising of an inferior race some- times provokes our countrymen, as it also provokes Americans and Germans. Dr. Underhill has related the story with strong feeling, but with a visible endeavour to be accurate and im- partial; and he seems to us, who remember the whole affair only too well, substantially fair. It was a dark page in our Colonial history, and our only question is whether it was worth while to revive it. Dr. Underhill, however, evidently considers it due to the negro race to place the facts on permanent record, and thus help to preserve them from any repetition of such a misuse of the extreme powers which, of course, must always remain at the disposal of any Government which intends to continue existing. He has peculiar experience and knowledge of the negro colonies, and we cannot dispute his judgment.
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