Ann’s petition plus the therefore-titled Queen’s effect on the newsprint which he edited, This new Watchman and you will People’s 100 % free Press, along with numerous proclamations that he got posted and you can marketed for the St. Ann and you will St. Regardless of the try by a number of Custos to terminate Underhill group meetings throughout the August and you can September from the banning the usage the local courtroom house, they certainly were nevertheless kept outside (Heuman 58-9). As a result to the cancellation of a single of these group meetings, arranged for 30 July, a book attributed to Gordon try published contacting his constituents so you’re able to sit in the appointment outdoors: “You who have no glucose locations to the office toward, nor are able to find other a job, i turn to one to come forward, even though you be naked, become forth and you will protest resistant to the unfair representations produced up against you by Mr Governor Eyre and his awesome number of Custodes” (Heuman 57). Which proclamation was deemed since the seditious and made use of facing Gordon at the his court-martial, but in their 1933 safeguards out-of Gordon, New Myth off Governor Eyre, Sydney Haldane, Lord Olivier, who was Colonial Assistant inside Jamaica out of 1900-1903, contended you to definitely Gordon’s “incitements to totally free-speaking and demonstration used entirely towards the plan of your fulfilling announced on handling 29 th out of July, and do not recognize to be represented since the suggesting people ulterior operations otherwise advancements subsequent to you to definitely go out” (Haldane 161, 164). From the another ones outside Underhill meetings in early September, Gordon try advertised to possess compared the challenge from Jamaica in order to that Haiti, even when the guy denied that have done so at the his court-martial, plus the report tends to be traceable to help you their political rivals (Heuman 59).
Thomas in the East, so you can remind public attendance on next conferences and protests
These types of criteria of governmental imbalance considering financial adversity, along with the effort out-of Governor Eyre and also the Jamaican judicial government, together with Colonial Office, within the adopting a keen authoritarian and paternalistic approach to the latest problems of Black colored Jamaican peasants and you can Colored political leaders equivalent, introduced an extremely erratic political and you will public state regarding months before this new Morant Bay rebellion. Gordon wasn’t a governmental revolutionary in 1840s and you can 50s; instead the guy appears to have been a loyal reformer, checking out healthcare facilities, prisons, and you can places of worship throughout Jamaica inside the character once the a justice regarding the comfort and you will promoting to own developments, also creating a statement toward most readily useful therapy is it good to date ladies from island of East Indian migrant specialists regarding the Jamaica Construction (Hart 13-14; 23-27).
not, once Eyre’s appointment while the Short-term (Acting) Lieutenant-Governor in early 1862 with his level towards the governorship when you look at the elizabeth a singing critic of Eyre’s guidelines. For the 1862, as the result of an inspection, Gordon delivered a problem on the Lawyer General about neglect and you can dirty requirements at the Morant Bay prison, reporting the latest death of an excellent pauper who had been secured during the an effective latrine towards instructions regarding a district Anglican rector. The new Colonial Place of work learned away from Eyre’s summary dismissal away from Gordon, an activity that was followed closely by Gordon’s forcible ejection out of good vestry fulfilling, however, would not intervene managed never to undermine Eyre’s authority; alternatively new Duke of Newcastle, who was Secretary away from State to your Territories, counseled Eyre to hear Gordon’s complaints (Hart 40; Haldane 105-6).
Eyre seen Gordon’s letter as an attack with the Anglican Chapel, and bought that Gordon become overlooked just like the vestryman and justice regarding the fresh peace, even after a study exhibiting you to definitely Gordon’s problem ended up being justified (Roberts thirty five; Hart 33-34)
Gordon’s popularity continued, however, and he was opted for when you look at the 1863 because the Representative to possess St. Thomas regarding Jamaica Set up, in which the guy continued in order to sound harsh criticisms out-of Eyre. During the a speech from twenty eight Oct 1863, Gordon expressed frustration from the Eyre’s societal guarantees that Jamaica is actually experience “great health” and you can an “increasing” population: “I ask, just how dare new Governor to make which statement in the event that Coolies [East Indian immigrant laborers] who were introduced listed here are dying concerning the roadways out of Kingston, when functions try refused admittance towards the social medical and tend to be leftover to help you perish on highways? I’m sure one starvation and you can agony can be found in the brand new belongings, and i be indignant your Governor is assert that there was ‘mediocre success. Hart 57-58). When you are Gordon’s criticisms had been including harsh and you will indicated with regards to Eyre’s neglect of the bad, Eyre’s period regarding the governorship try debatable, along with his character as a professional in addition to endured a great scandal inside 1863 over the useless believe and you can money off good tramway off Spanish City to help you Dated Harbour and you will Porus, which had been never complete (Haldane 53-88).