Nicholas M. Williams IM enor Ethnological Collection’ { Boston College Library tae O UG Hoye ‘ AND Se EFON Ti ME NN Ge ON THE a siyaes eae : i » SE ne uy tt a en ero mak sit) ts tate ela Tae | THOUGHTS anp SENTIMENTS | ON THE EVIL san wickED TRAFFIC - OF THE SLAVERY anp COMMERCE OF THE | HUMAN SPECIES, \ HUMBLY SUBMITTED TO “The Innazrrants of GREAT-BRITAIN, BY OTTOBAH CUGOANQO, A Native of 4FRICA. He that flealeth a man and felleth him, or maketh merchane r i dize of him, or if he be found in his hand: then that thief | me frall die. LAW OF GOD, : | : a bo D OR: ; {if : Wy aie ey oy | hi PRINTED IN THE YEAR ‘| _M.DCC.LXXXVIL. By j Hh | TAL TA IAG | { eae: TA Ee gE Sa oy Sas SRY Mit VIG i THOUGHTS ano SENTIMENTS ON THE EVIL of. SLAVERY. One law, and one manner fhall be for you, and for the frranger that fojourneth with you; and there- fore, all things whatfoever ye would that men foould do to you, do ye even fo to them. Numb. xv. 16.—Math. vii. 12. S feveral learned gentlemen of diftinguifhed abilities, as well as eminent for their great humanity, liberality: and candour, have written various effays againft that infamous traffic of the African Slave Trade, carried on with the Weft- India planters and merchants, to the great fhame and difgrace of all Chriftian nations wherever it is admitted in any of their territories, or in any place or fituation amongft them; it cannot be . amifs that I fhould thankfully acknowledge thefe truly worthy and humane gentlemen with the warmett fenfe of gratitude, for their beneficent and laudable endeavours towards a total fuppref- fion of that infamous and iniquitous traffic of ftealing, kid-napping, buying, ielling, and cruel- ly enflaving men! re, es Thofe De a sail eos a Pe ncasa “ 2 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS Thofe who have endeavoured to reftore to their fellow-creatures the common rights of nature, of which efpecially the poor unfortitnate Black Peo- ple have been fs unjuftly deprived, cannot. fail in meeting with the applaufe of all good men, and the approbation of that which will for ever 1e- dound to their honor; they have the warrant of that which is divine: Open thy mouth, judge right- coufly, plead the caufe of the poor and needy; for the liberal devifeth liberal things, and by liberal things foeall fiand._ And they can fay with the pious Job, Did not I weep for bim that was in trouble; was not my foul grieved for ihe poor ? The kind. exertions of many. benevolent and humane gentlemen, againft the iniquitous traffic of flavery and oppreffion; has been attended with much good to many, and. muft redound with great honor to themfelves, to humanity and their country ;. their-laudable endeavours have been productive of the moft beneficent effects in pre- venting that favage barbarity from taking place in free countries at-home. In this, as well as in many other refpects, there is one clafs of people (whofe virtues of probity and humanity are well known) who are worthy of univerfal approbation and imitation, becaufe, like men of honor «and humanity, they have jointly agreed to carry on no flavery and favage barbarity among them; and,. fince the laft war, fome mitigation of flavery has been obtained in fome refpective diftriéts of Ame- rica, though not in proportion to their own vaunt- ed claims of freedom ; but it is to be hoped; that they will yet go on to make a further and greater reformation. However, notwithftanding all that has been done and written againft it, that brutifh barbarity, and unparalelled injuftice, is fill care! ried ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. 3. tied on toa very great extent in the colonies, and with an avidity as infidious, cruel and oppreffive as ever.. The longer that. men: continue in the practice of evil and wickednefs, they grow the . more abandoned ; for nothing in hiftory can equal. the barbarity and cruelty of the tortures and mur- ders committed under various pretences in’ mo= dern flavery, except the annals of the Inquifition and the bloody ediéts of.Popith maffacres. It is therefore manifeft, that fomething elfe ' ought yet to be done; and what’ is required, is evidently the incumbent duty of all men of en- lightened underftanding, and of every man. that, has any claim or affinity to the name-of Chrittian,, that the bafe treatment which the African Slaves - undergo, ought to be abolifhed ; and it is more- over evident, that the whole, or any part of that iniquitous traffic of flavery, can no where, or in any degree, be admitted, but among thofe who muft eventually refign their own claim to any de- gree of fenfibility and humanity, for that of. bars barians and ruffans. But it would be needlefs. to arrange an hiftory of all the bafe treatment which the African Slaves are fubjected to, in order to thew the exceeding wickednefs and evil of that infidious traffic, as the whole may ecafily appear in every part, and at every view, to be wholly and totally inimical to every idea of juftice, equity, reafon and huma- nity. What I intend to advance againft that evil, criminal and wicked traffic of enflaving men, are only fome Thoughts and Sentiments which occur to me, as being obvious from the Scrip- tures of Divine Truth, or fuch arguments as are chiefly deduced from thence, with other fuch ob- fervations as I have been able to collect. Some B 2 ; of 4. THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS of thefe obfervations may lead into a larger field of confideration, than that of the African Slave . Trade alone; but thofe caufes from wherever they originate; and become the production of flavery, the evil effects produced by it, muft thew that its origin and fource is of a wicked and cri- minal nature. , No neceffity, or any fituation of men, however poor, pitiful and wretched they may be, can war- rant them to rob others, or oblige them to be- come thieves, becaufe they are poor, miferable and wretched: But the robbers of men, the kid- nappers, enfnarers and flave-holders, who take away the common rights and privileges of others to fupport and enrich themfelves, are univerfally thofe pitiful and deteftable wretches ; for the en- fnaring of others, and taking away their liberty by flavery and oppreffion, is the worft kind of robbery, as moft oppofite to every precept and injunction of the Divine Law, and contrary to that command which enjoins that a// men fbould love their neighbours as themfelves, and that they foould do unto others, as they would that men Jbould do to them. As to any other laws that flave- holders may make among themfelves, as refpect- ing flaves, they can be of no better kind, nor give them any better character, than what is implied in the common report—that there may be fome honefty among thieves. This may feem a harfh comparifon, but the parallel is fo coincident that, I muft fay, I can find no other way of expref- fing my Thoughts and Sentiments, without ma- king ufe of fome harfh words and comparifons againft the carriers on of fuch abandoned wicked- nefs. But, in this little undertaking, I muft humbly hope the impartial reader will excufe fuch defects ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. defects as may arife from want of better educa- tion; and as to the refentment of thofe who can lay their cruel lafh upon the backs of .thoufands, for a thoufand times lefs crimes than writing againft their enormous wickednefs and_ brutal avarice, is what I may be fure to meet with. However, it cannot but be very. difcouraging to aman of my complexion in fuch an attempt as this, to meet with the evil afperfions of fome men, who fay, “ That an African is not entitled “< to any competent degree of knowledge, or ca- *‘ pable of imbibing any fentiments of probity; “‘ and that nature defigned him for fome inferior “¢ link in the chain, fitted only to be a flave.” But when I meet with thofe who make no {cruple to deal with the human fpecies, as with the beaits of the earth, I muft think them not only brutith, but wicked and bafe; and that their afperfions are infidious and falfe; Andif fuch men can boatt of greater degrees of knowledge, than any African is entitled to, I fhall let them enjoy all the ad- vantages of it unenvied, as-I fear it confifts only in a greater fhare of infidelity, and that of a blacker kind than only fkin deep. And if their complexion be not what I may fuppofe, it is at leaft the neareft in refemblance to an infernal hue. A good man will neither fpeak nor do as a bad man will; but if a man is bad. it makes no dif- ference whether he be a black or a white devil. By fome of fuch complexion, as whether black or white it matters not, I was early fnatched away from my native country, with about eighteen or twenty more boys and girls, as we were playing ina field. We lived but a few days journey from the coaft where we were kid-napped, and as we were decoyed and drove along, we were foon con- B 3 ducted 6 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS ducted to a factory, and from thence, in the fa- fhionable way of traffic, configned to Grenada. Perhaps it may not be amifs to give a few re- marks, as fome account of myfelf, sn this tranf- pofition of captivity. ; I was born in the city of Agimaque, on the coaft of Fantyn; my father was a companion to the chief in that part of the country of Fantee, and when the old king died I was left in his houfe with his family ; foon after I was fent for by his ‘nephew, Ambro Accafa, who fucceeded the old king in the chiefdom of that part of Fantee known by the name of Agimaque and Affinee. I lived with his children, enjoying peace and tran- quillity, about twenty moons, which, according to their way of reckoning time, is two years. J] was fent for to vifit an uncle, who lived at a con- _ fiderable diftance from Agimaque. The firft day after we fet out we arrived at Affinee, and the ‘third day at my uncle’s habitation, where I lived about three months, and was then thinking of re- turning to my father and young companion at Agimaque; but by this time I had got well ac- quainted with fome of the children of my uncle’s hundreds of relations, and we were fome days too venturfome in going into the woods to gather fruit and catch birds, and fuch amufements as pleafed us. One day I refufed to go with the reft, being rather apprehenfive that fomething might happen to us; till one of my play-fellows faid to, me, becaufe you belong to the great men, you are afraid to venture your carcafe, or elfe of the bounfam, which is the devil. ‘This enraged me fo much, that I fet a refolution to join the reft, and we went into the woods as ufual; but we had not been above two hours before our troubles began, when “ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. 7 when feveral great ruffans came upon us fudden- ly, and faid we had committed a fault againft their lord, and we muft go and anfwer for it our- felves before him. Some of us attempted in vain to run away, but piftols and cutlaffes were foon introduced, threat- ening, that if we offered to ftir we fhould all lie dead on the fpot. One of them pretended to be more friendly than the reft, and faid, that he would fpeak to their lord to get us clear, and de- fired that we fhould follow him; we were then immediately divided into different, parties, and drove after him. We were foon led out of the way which we knew, and towards the evening, as we came in fight of a town, they told us that this great man of theirs lived there, but pretended it was too late to go and fee him that night. Next morning there came three other men, whofe lan- guage differed from ours, and {poke to fome of thofe who watched us all the night, but he that pretended to be our friend with the great man, and fome others, were gone away. We afked our keepers what thefe men had been faying to them, and they anfwered, that they had been afking them, and us together, to go and feaft with them that day, and that we muft put off feeing the great man till after; little thinking that our doom was fo nigh, or that thefe villains meant to feaft on us as their prey. We went with them again about half a day’s journey, and came to a great multitude of people, having different mufic playing ; and all the day after we got there, we were very merry with the mufic, dancing and finging. Towards the evening, we were again perfuaded that we could not get back to where the great man lived till next day ; and when bed- : time | : 8 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS time came,,we were feparated into different houfes. ‘ with different people. When the next morning came, I afked for the men that brought me there, | -and for the reft of my companions; and I was told that they were gone to the fea fide to bring : home fome rum, guns and powder, and that fome | of my companions were gone with them, and that fome were gone to, the fields to do fomething 4 or other. This gave me ftrong fufpicion that | there was fome treachery in the cafe, and] began d to think that my hopes of returning home again i were all over. I foon became very uneafy, not | knowing what to do, and refufed to eat or drink ' for whole days together, till the man of the houfe told me that he would do all in his power to get > me back to my uncle; then I eat a little fruit with him, and had fome thoughts that I fhould be hy fought after, as I would be then miffing at home a about five or fix days. J enquired every day if : the men had come back, and for the reft of my companions, but could get no anfwer of any fatis- t faction. I was kept about fix days at this man’s houfe, and in the evening there was another man came and talked with him a good while, and I heard the one fay to the other he muft go, and the other faid the fooner the better ; that man came out and told me that he knew my relations at Agimaque, and that we mutt fet out to-morrow morning, and he would convey me there. . Ac- v cordingly we fet out next day, and travelled tll dark, when we came to a place where we had fome fupper and flept. He carried a large bag | with fome gold duft, which he faid he had to buy ‘i fome goods at the ‘fea fide to take with him to Ny Agimaque. Next day we travelled on, and in 7 the evening came to a town, where | faw feveral te white I, | ies Cy ee. ae . ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. ‘ defects as may arife from want of better educa- tion; and as to the refentment of thofe who can lay their cruel lafh upon the backs of thoufands, for a thoufand times lefs crimes than writing againft their enormous wickednefs and_ brutal avarice, is what I may be fure to meet with. However, it cannot but be very. difcouraging to aman of my complexion in fuch an attempt as this, to meet with the evil afperfions of fome men, who fay, “ That an African is not entitled ** to any competent degree of knowledge, ,or ca- ** pable of imbibing any fentiments of probity; ** and that nature defigned him for fome inferior ‘* link in the chain, fitted only to be a flave.” But when I meet with thofe who make no {cruple to deal with the human fpecies, as with the beafts of the earth, I muft think them not only brutith, but wicked and bafe; and that their afperfions are infidious and falfe; Andif fuch men can boatt- of greater degrees of knowledge, than any African is entitled to, I fhall let them enjoy all the ad- vantages of it unenvied, as_I fear it confifts only ina greater fhare of infidelity, and that of a blacker kind than only fkin deep. And if their _ complexion be not what I may fuppofe, it is at leaft the neareft in refemblance to an infernal hue. A good man will neither fpeak nor do as a bad man will; but ifa man is bad. it makes no dif- ference whether he be a black or a white devil. By fome of fuch complexion, as whether black or white it matters not, I was early fnatched away from my native courtry, with about eighteen or twenty more boys and girls, as we were playing ina field, We lived but a few days journey from the coaft where we were kid-napped, and as we were decoyed and drove along, we were foon con- . B 3 ducted ‘A } 40 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS we continued feveral days in fight of our native Jand; but I could find no good perfon to give any information of my fituation to Accafa at Agima- que. And when we found ourfelves at laft taken away, death was more preferable than life, and a plan was concerted amongft us, that we might burn and blow up the fhip, and to perifh all to- gether in the flames; but we were betrayed by one of our own countrywomen, who flept with fome of the head men of the fhip, for it was com- mon for the dirty filthy failors to take the African women and lie upon their bodies; but the men were chained and pent up in holes. It was the women and boys which were to burn the fhip, with the approbation and groans of the reft; though that was prevented, the difcovery was likewife a cruel bloody f{cene. But it would be needlefs to give a defcription of all the horrible fcenes which we faw,.and the bafe treatment which we met with in this dread- ful captive fituation, as the fimilar cafes of thou- fands, which fuffer by this infernal traffic, are well known. Let it fuffice to fay, that I was thus loft. to my dear indulgent parents and relations, and they tome. All my help was cries and tears, and thefe could not avail; nor fuffered long, till one fucceeding woe, and dread, {welled up another. Brought from a ftate of innocence and freedom, and, in a barbarous and cruel manner, conveyed to a itate of horror and flavery: This abandoned fituation may be eafier conceived than defcribed. From the time that I was kid-napped and con- ducted to a faétory, and from thence in the brut- ifh, bafe, but fafhionable way of traffic, confign- ed to Grenada, the grievous thoughts which I then felt, ftill pant in my heart; thotgh-my fears Np and “ON. THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. 7 when feveral great ruffians came upon us fudden- ly, and faid we had committed a fault againft their lord, and we muft go and anfwer for it our- felves before him. Some of us attempted in vain to run away, but piftols and cutlaffes were foon introduced, threat- ening, that if we offered to ftir we fhould all lie dead on the fpot. One of them pretended to be more friendly than the reft, and faid, that he would fpeak to their lord to get us clear, and de- fired that we fhould follow him; we were then immediately divided into different. parties, and drove after him. We were foon led out of the way which we knew, and towards the evening, as we came in fight of a town, they told us that this great man of theirs lived there, but pretended it was too late to go and fee him that night. Next morning there came three other men, whofe lan- guage differed from ours, and fpoke to fome of thofe who watched us all the night, but he that pretended to be our friend with the great man, and fome others, were gone away. We afked our keepers what thefe men had been faying to them, and they anfwered, that they had been afking them, and us together, to go and feaft with them that day, and that we muft put off feeing the great man till after; little thinking that our doom was fo nigh, or that thefe villains meant to feaft on us as their prey. We went with them again about half a day’s journey, and came to a great multitude of people, having different mufic playing ; and all the day after we got there, we were very merry with the mufic, dancing and finging. Towards the evening, we were again perfuaded that we could not get back to where the great man lived till next day ; and when bed- it : time I2 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS in this pitiful, diftreffed and horrible fituation, o with all the brutifh bafenefs and barbarity attend- ' ing it, could not but fill my little mind with t horror and indignation. But I muft own, to the fhame of my own countrymen, that I was firft kid-napped and betrayed by fome of my own complexion, who were the firft caufe of my exile and flavery ; but if there were no buyers there would be no fellers. So far as I can remember, fome of the Africans in my country keep flaves, which they take in war, or for debt; but thofe which they keep are well fed, and sood care taken -of them, and treated well; SGA. as to their cloathing, they differ according to the cuftom of the country. But I may fafely fay, that all the poverty and mifery that any of the inhabitants of Africa meet with among themfelves, is far inferior to thofe inhofpitable regions of mifery which they meet with in the Weft-Indies, where their hard- hearted overfeers have neither regard to the laws of God, nor the life of their fellow-men. _ Thanks be to Ged, I was delivered from Gre- nada, and ' that horrid brutal flavery.—A gentle- man coming to England, took me for his fervant, and brought me away, where I foon found my fituation become more agreeable. After coming had a ftrong defire to learn, and getting what ale fiftance I could, I applied myfelf to learn reading and writing, which foon became my recreation, pleafure, and delight ; and when my. mafter per- ceived that i could write fome, he fent me to a to England, and feeing others write and read, I i proper {chool for that purpofe to learn. Since, | i> have endeavoured to improve my mind in read- ing, and have fought to get all the intelligence I Soul in my fituation of life, towards the ftate of , a f my ee? eee oe EES, cae IG LOE ere ON THE EVIL.OF SLAVERY. .9 white people, which made me afraid that they would eat me, according to our notion as children in the inland parts ot the country. This made me reft very uneafy all the night, and next morn- ing I had fome victuals brought, defiring me to eat and make hafte, as my guide and kid-napper told me that he had to go to the caftle with fome company that were going there, as he had told me before, to get fome goods. After I was ordered out, the horrors I foon faw and felt, cannot be well defcribed; I faw many of my miferable coun- trymen chained two and two, fome hand-cuffed, and fome with their hands tied behind. We were conducted along by a guard, and when we arrived at the caftle, I afked my guide what I was brought there for, he told me to learn the ways of the browfow, that is the white faced people. I faw _ him take a gun, a piece of cloth, and fome lead for me, and then he told me that he muft now leave me there, and went off. This made mecry bitterly, but I was foon conduéted to a prifon, for three days, where I heard the groans and cries of many, and faw fome of my fellow-captives. But when q veffel arrived to conduct us away to the fhip, it was a moft horrible fcene; there was no- thing to be heard but rattling of chains, fmack- ing of whips, and the groans and cries of our fel- low-men. Some would not ftir from the ground, when they were lafhed and beat in the moft horri- ble manner. I have forgot the name of this in- fernal fort ; but we were taken in the fhip that came for us, to another that was ready to fail from Cape Coaft. When we were put into the fhip, we {aw feveral black merchants coming on board, but we were all drove into our holes, and not fuf- fered to fpeak to any of them. In this fituation | we eens BEE ii) < OE Ip 14 THOUGHTS,AND SENTIMENTS that ineftimable compilation of books, the Bible ? And, O what a treafure to have, and one of the greateft advantages to be able to read therein, and a divine bleffing to underftand *! But, to return to my fubject, I begin with the Curfory Remarker. This man ftiles himfelf a friend to the Weft-India colonies and their inha- bitants, like Demetrius, the filverfmith, a man of fome confiderable abilities, feeing their craft in danger, a craft, however, not fo innocent and juftifiable as the making of fhrines for Diana, though that. was bafe and wicked enough to en- flave the minds of men with fuperftition and ido- latry; but his craft, and the gain of thofe craftf- men, confifts in the enflaving both foul and body to the cruel idolatry, and. moft abominable fer- vice and. flavery, to the idol of curfed avarice: And as he finds fome difcoveries of their wicked traffic held up in a light where truth and -faéts are fo clearly feen, as none but the moft defperate villain would dare to,obftruct or oppofe, he there- fore fallies forth with all the defperation of an ? * The jultly celebrated Dr. Young, in recommending this divine book of heavenly wifdom to the giddy and thoughtiefs world, in his Night Thoughts, has the following elegant lines : Perhaps thou’dft langh but at thine own expence, This counfel ftrange fhould I prefume to give; Retire and read thy Bible to be gay; There truths abound of fov’reign aid to peace. Ah, do not prize it lefs becaufe in{pired. Read and revere the facred page; a page, Where triumphs immortality ; a page, Which not the whole creation could produce ; Which not the conflagration fhall deitroy ; In nature’s ruin not one letter’s loft, *Tis printed in the mind of gods for ever, Angels and men affent to what I fing! Utopian ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. If and tears have long fince fubfided. And yet it is {till grievous to think that thoufands more have fuffered in fimilar and greater diftrefs, under the hands of barbarous robbers, and mercilefs tafk- matters ; and that many even now are fuffering in all the extreme bitternefs of erief and woe, that no language can defcribe The cries of* fome, and the fight of their mifery, may be feen and heard afar; but the deep founding groans of thoufands, and the great fadnefs of their mifery and woe, under the heavy load of oppreffions and calamities inflicted upon them, are fuch as can only be diftinétly known to the ears of Jehovah Sabaoth. ; This Lord of Hofts, in his great Providence, and in great mercy to me, made a way for my deliverance from Grenada.—Being in this dread- ful captivity and horrible flavery, without any hope of deliverance, for about eight or nine months, beholding the moft dreadful fcenes of mifery and cruelty, and feeing my miferable com- ' panions often cruelly lafhed, and as it were cut to pieces, for the moft trifling faults; this made me often tremble and weep, butI efcaped better than many of them. For eating a piece of fugars _ cane, fome were cruelly lafhed, or ftruck over the face to knock their teeth out. ‘Some of the ftouter ones, I fuppofe often reproved, and grown hardened and ftupid with many cruel beatings and lafhings, or perhaps faint and preffed with hunger and hard labour, were often committing trefpaffes of this kind, and when detected, they met with exemplary punifhment. Some told me they had their teeth pulled out to deter others, and to pre- vent them from eating any cane in future. Thus {eeing my miferable companions and countrymen | iN NR I a 16 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS cafe, according to the proverb, there may be fome honor among thieves; but thefe are the only peo- ple in the world that ought to fuffer fome punith- ment, imprifonment or flavery; their external complexion, whether black or white, fhould be no excufe for them to do evil. Being aware of this, perhaps he was afraid that fome of his friends, the great. and opulent banditti of flave- holders in the weftern part of the world, might be found guilty of more atrocious and complicated crimes, than even thofe of the highwaymen, the robberies and the petty larcenies committed in England. Therefore, to make the beft of this fad dilemma, he brings in a ludicrous inveétive comparifon that it would be “ an event which “would uadoubtedly furnith a new and pleafant ** compartment to that well known and moft de- *‘ letable print, call’d, The world turn’d up fide ** down, in which the cook is roafted by the pig, “the man faddled by the horfe,” &c. If he means that the complicated banditties of pirates; thieves, robbers, oppreffors and enflavers of men; are thofe cooks and men that would be roafted and faddled, it certainly would be no unpleafant fight to fee them well roafted, faddled and bri- dled too; and no matter by whom, whether he terms them pigs, horfes or affes. But there is not much likelihood of this filly monkeyifh com- parifon as yet being verified, in bringing the opu- lent pirates and thieves to condign punifhment, fo that he could very well bring it in to turn it off with a grin. However, to make ufe of his words, it would be a moft delectable fight, when thieves and robbers get the upper fide of the world, to fee them turned down; and I fhould ot interrupt his mirth, to fee him laugh at his : : own ‘ ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. ¥3 ° my brethren and countrymen in complexion, and » of the miferable firuation of thofe who are ‘bar- baroufly fold into captivity, and unlawfully held in flavery. | But, among other obfervations, one great duty F owe to Almighty God, (the thankful acknow- ledgement I would not omit for any confidera- tion) that, although I have been brought away from my native country, in that torrent of rob- bery and wickednefs, thanks be to God for his good providence towards me; I have both ob- tained liberty, and acquired the great advantages “of fome little learning, in being able to read and write, and, what is ftill infinitely of greater ad- vantage, I truft, to know fomething of Hrm who is that God whofe providence rules over all, and who is the only Potent One that rules in the nations over the children of men. It is unto Him, who is the Prince of the Kings of the earth, that I would give all thanks. And, in fome manner, I may fay with Jofeph, as he did with refpe& to the evil intention of his brethren, when they fold him into Egypt, that whatever evil intentions and bad motives thofe infidious robbers had in carrying — me away from my native country and friends, I truft, was what the Lord intended for my good, In this refpect, 1 am highly indebted to many of the good people of England for learning and prin- ciples unknown to the people of my native coun- try. But, above all, what have I obtained from the Lord Ged of Hofts, the God of the Chrifti- ans! in that divine revelation of the only true God, and the Saviour of men, what a treafure of wifdom and blefflings are involved? How won- derful is the divine goodnefs difplayed in thofe invaluable books the Old and New Teftaments, that ¥8 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS perior to that of beafts; and, in like manner, whatever circumftances poor freemen may be in, their fituation is much fuperior, beyond any pro- portion, to that of the hardfhips and cruelty of modern flavery. But where can the fituation of ‘any freeman be fo bad as that of a flave; or, _ could fuch be found, or even worfe, as he would have it, what would the comparifon amount to ? Would it plead for his craft of flavery and op- preflion? Or, rather, would it not cry aloud for fome redrefs, anc what every well regulated fo- ciety of men ought to hear and confider, that none fhould fuffer want or be oppreffed among them? And this feems to be pointed out by the circumftances which he defcribes; that it is the great duty, and ought to be the higheft ambition of all governors, to order and eftablifh fuch po- licy, andin fuch a wife manner, that every thing fhould be fo managed, as to be conducive to the moral, temporal and eternal welfare of every in- dividual from the loweft degree to the higheft ; and the confequence of this would“be, the har- mony, happinefs and good profperity of the whole community. But this crafty author has alfo, in defence of his own or his employer’s craft in the Britifh Weft-India flavery, given fundry comparifons and defcriptions of the treatment of flaves in the French iflands and fettlements in the Weft-Indies and America. And, contrary to what is the true cafe, he would have it fuppofed that the treat- ment of the flaves in the former, is milder than ’ the latter; but. even in ‘this, unwarily for his own craft of flavery, all that he has advanced, ‘can only add matter for its confutation, and ferve to heighten. the ardour and with of every | : generous ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. rs Utopian affailant, to tell lies by a virulent con- tradiction, of facts, and with falfe afperfions en- -deavour to calumaiate the worthy and judicious effayeit of that difcovery, a man, whofe character is irreproachable. . By thus artfully fuppofing, if he could bring the reputation of the author, who has difcovered fo much of their iniquitous traffic, into difpute, his work would fall and be lefs regarded. However, this virulent craftfman has done no great merit to his caufe and the credit of that infamous craft; at the appearance of truth, his underftanding has. got the better of his ava- rice and infidelity, fo far; as to draw the’ follow- ing conceffion: ‘I fhall not: be fo far mifunder- ** ftood, by the candid and judicious part of man- “ kind, as to be ranked among the advocates of *< flavery, as I moft fincerely join Mr, Ramfay *,; “© and every other man of fenfibility, in hoping “¢ the bleffings of freedom will, in due time, be ** equally diffufed over the whole globe.” By this, ic would feem that he was a little afhamed of his craftfmen, and would not like to be ranked or appear amongft them. But as long as there are any hopes of gain to be made by thag infidious craft, he can join with them well enough; and endeavour to juftify them in that.moft aban- doned traffic of buying, felling, and enflaving men. He finds fault with a plan for punifhing robbers, thieves and vagabonds, who diltrefs their neighbours by their thrift, robbery and. plunder, without regarding any laws human or divine, ex- cept the rules of their own fraternity, and in that * The worthy and judicious author of ‘* An Effay on the ** Treatment and Converfion of the African Slaves in the ** Britith Sugar Colonies. : | cafe, 20 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS fare, is not to be regarded. He will exclaim againft the teachers of obedience to it; and tells us, that the poor, and the opprefied, and the heavy burdened-flave, fhould not lay down’ his load that day, but appropriate thefe hours of fa- cred reft to labour in fome bit of ufeful ground. His own words are, ‘‘ to dedicate the unappro- “* priated hours of Sunday to the cultivation of ‘* this ufeful fpot, he is brought up to believe ‘© would be the worft of fins, and that the fab- ‘© bath is a day of abfolute and univerfal reft is a ‘* truth he hears frequently inculcated by the cu- ‘* rate of the parith,” &c. But after bringing it about in this round-about way and manner, what- ever the curate has to fay of it as a truth, he would have us by no means to regard. This may ferve as a {pecimen of his crafty and deteftable production, where infidelity, falfe afperfions,. vi- rulent calumnies, and lying contradiétions abound throughout. I fhall only refer him to that de- {cription which he meant for another, as moft applicable and beft fuited for himfelf; and fo long as he does not renounce his craft, as well as - to be fomewhat afhamed of his craftfmen and their infenfibility, he may thus ftand as defcribed by himfelf: ‘* A man of warm imagination (but ‘* ftrange infatuated unfeeling fenfibility) to paint *‘ things not as they really are, but as his rooted “« prejudices reprefent them, and even to fhut his © ** eyes againft the convictions afforded him by his ** own fenfes.” But fuch is the infenfibility of men, when their own craft of gain is advanced by the flavery and. oppreffion of others, that after all the laudable exertions of the truly virtuous and humane, to- wards extending ‘the beneficence of liberty and freedom ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY, I7 own invective monkeyith comparifon as long as he pleafes. ; | But again, when he draws a comparifon of the many hardfhips that the poor in Great-Britain and Ireland labour under, as well as many of thofe in ot \er countries ; that their various .dif= treffes are worfe than the Weft India flaves—It may be true, in part, that fome of them fuffer greater hardfhips than many of the flaves; but, bad as it is, the pooreft in England would not change their fituation for that of flaves.. And there may be fome mafters, under various cir- cumitances, worfe off than their fervants; but they would not change their own fituation for theirs: Nor as little would a rich man with to change his fituation of affluence, for that of a beggar: and fo, likewife, no freeman, however poor and diftreffing his fituation may be, would . refign his liberty for that of a flave, in the fitua- tion of a horfe or a dog. The cafe of the poor, whatever their hardthips may be, in free coun- tries, is widely different from that of the Wett- India flaves. For the flaves, like animals, are - bought and fold, and dealt with as their capri- cious owners may think fit, even in torturing and tearing them to pieces, and wearing them out with hard labour, hunger‘and oppreffion ;- and fhould the death: of -a flave enfue by fome other more violent way than that which is commonly the death of thoufands, and tens of thoufands in the end, the haughty tyrant, in that cafe, has only to pay a {mall fine for the murder and death. of his flave. _ he brute creation-in general may fare better than man, and fome dogs may refufe: _ the crumbs that the diftrefled poor would be glad of ; but the natire and fituation ef man is far fu-. Cc perior 22 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS of them) be what it will, it is not the intention of thofe who bring them away to make them better by it ; ror is the defign of flave-holders of any Other inténtion, but that they may ferve them as a kind of éngines and beafts of burden’; that — theit Own'eafe and profit may be advanced, by a fet of poor helptefs men and women, whom they defpife ‘and rank with brutes, ‘and keep them in perpetual flavery, both themfelves and children, and merciful death is the only releafe from their toil. By the benevolence of fome, a few may ot their, liberty, and by their own induftry and ingenuity, may acquire fome learning, mechani- cal trades, or ufeful bufinefs ; and {ome may be brought away by different gentlemen to free countries, where they get their liberty, but no thanks to flave-holders for it. But amoneft thofe who get their liberty, like all other ignorant men, are generally more corrupt in their morals, than they poffibly could have been among ft their _ 6wn people in Africa; for, being moftly amongtt the wicked and apoftate Chriftians, they fooner learn théir oaths and blafphemies, and their evil ways, than any thing elfe.. Some few, indeed, May eventuaily arrive at fome knowledge of the Chriftiah religion, and the great advantages of it. Such was the cafe of Ukawfaw Groniofaw, ‘an African prince, who lived in England. He was along time in a ftate of gteat poverty and dif- trefs, and muft have died, at one time for want, if a‘ good and charitable Attorney had not fup- orted him. He was long after in a very poor tate, but he would not have given his faith in the Chriftian religion, in exchange for all the kingdoms of Africa, if they could have been given to him, in place of his poverty, we im n »- ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. 19 / generous mind, that the whole fhould be abo- lifhed. An equal degree of enormity found in one place, cannot juitify crimes of as great or greater enormity committed |in another. The various depredations committed by robbers and plunderers, on different parts of the globe, may not be all equally alike bad, but their evil and malignancy, in every appearance and fhape, can only hold up to view the juft obfervation, that Virtue berfelf hath fuch peculiar mein, — Vice, to be hated, needs but to be seen. The farther and wider that the difcovery and Knowledge of fuch an enormous evil, as the bafe and villainous treatment and flavery which the poor unfortunate Black People meet with, is {pread and made known, the cry for juftice, even virtue lifting up her voice, mutt rife the: louder and higher, for the feale of equity and juftice to be lifted up in their defence. And doth not wif- dom cry, and underftanding put forth ber voice? But who will regard the voice and hearken to the ery? Not the fneaking advocates for flavery, though a little afhamed of their craft; like the monftrous crocodile weeping over their prey with fine conceffions (while gérging their own rapacious appetite) to hope for univerfal freedom taking place over the globe: Not thofe inebri- ated with avarice and infidelity, who hold in de- fiance every regard due to the divine law, and who endeavour all they can to deftroy and take away the natural and common rights and privi- leges of men. Not the infolent and crafty author for flavery and oppreffion, who would have us to believe, that thé benign command of God in ap- pointing the feventh day for a fabbath of reft tor the good purpofes of our prefent and eternal wel- ae : vo fine _ 24 .THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS flavery is an evil of the firft magnitude, anda moft horrible iniquity to traffic with flaves and fouls of men; and an evil, forry. I am, that it fill fubfifis, and more.aftonifhing to think, that it is an iniquity committed amongft Chriftians, and contrary to all the genuine principles of Chritti- anity, and-yet carried on by ‘men denominated thereby. In a Chriftian zxra, in dana where Chriftiani- ‘ty is planted, where every one might expedt to behold: the flourifhing growth of every virtue, extending their harmonious branches with uni- verfal philanthropy wherever they came 3 but, on the contrary, almoft nothing: elfe is to be feen abroad but the bramble of ruffians, barbarians and flave-holders, grown up to a powerful luxu- fiance, 11» wickednefs. 1 cannot but with, for the honor of Chriftianity, that the bramble grown up amongft them, was known to the~ heathen nations by a different name, for. fure the depre- dators, robbers and en{narers of men can never be Chriftians, but ought to be held as the abhor- ence of ali men, and the abomination of all man- kind, whether Chriftians or heathens. Evéry man of any fenfibility, whether: he be a Chriftian or an heathen, if he has any difcernment at all, mutt think, that.for any man, or any clafs of men, to - deal with their fellow-creatures as with the beafts of the field; or to account them as fuch; how- ever ignorant they may be, and in whatever fitu- ation, or, wherever they may find them, and whatever country or complexion they may be of, that thofe men, who are the procurers and hold- ers of flaves, are the greateft villains in the world. And furely thofe men mutt be loft to all fenfibili- ty themfelves, who can think that the ftealing, YRVER robbing, DM miie Lites ote RMS en ® eo oe, ae AER ERG RRORRTO RCE pe tects ote > ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. 21, freedom to the much degraded and unfortunate Africans, which is the common right and privi-, lege of all men, in every thing that is juft, iaw- ful and confiftent, we find the principles of juftice and equity, not only oppofed, and every duty in religion and humanity. lett unregarded ; but that unlawful traffic of dealing with our fellow-crea-. tures, as with the beafts of the earth, . ftill carried on with as great affiduity as ever; and that the infidious piracy of procuring and holding flaves is countenanced and fupported by the govern- ment of fundry Chriftian nations. . This feems to be. the fafhionable way of getting riches, but very difhonourable ; in doing this, the flave-holders are meaner and bafer than the African flaves, for: while they fubjeét and, reduce, them to a degree with brutes, they feduce themfelves to a. degree with devils. ; eee ‘«* Some pretend that the Africans, in general, ‘* are a fet of poor, ignorant, difperfed, unfoci- ‘* able people ; and that they think it no crime to ‘* fell one another, and even their own wives and ‘* children ; therefore they bring them away toa ‘* fituation where many of them,may. arrive to 2 ‘* better ftate than ever they could obtain in their «‘ own native country.” This fpecious pretence is without any fhadow of juftice and truth, and, if the argument was eventrue, it could afford no juft and warrantable matter for any fociety of men to hold flaves. But the argument is falfe ; there can.be no ignorance, difperfion, or unfoct- ablenefs fo found among them, which can_ be made better by bringing them away to a ftate of a degree equal to that of a cow or a horfe. i But let their ignorance in fome things (in which the Europeans have, greatly the advantage Cs : 3 3 of 26 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS ropean market, and fold. They have a great averfion to murder, or even in taking away the lives of thofe which they judge guilty of crimes s and, therefore, they prefer difpofing of them otherwife better than killing them *. This gives their merchants and procurers of flaves a powef to travel a great way into the interior parts of the country to buy fuch as are wanted to be difpofed of. Thefe flave-procurers are a fet of as great villains as any in the world. They often fteal and kidnap many more than they bay at firft, if they ean meet with them by the way; and they have only their certain boundaries‘ to go to, and fell them from one to another; fo that if they are fought after and detected, the thieves are feldom found, and the others only pleadthat they bought . them fo and fo, | Thefe ‘kidnappers and flave- ‘procurers, called merchants,’ are ‘a. fpecies: of African villains, which are’ greatly corrupted, and even viciated by their intercourfe with the Europeans; but,’ wicked and barbarous as they certainly. ate, I can hardly think, if they knew what horrible barbarity they were fending their fellow-creatures to, that they would do it: But the artful Europeans have fo deceived them, that they are bought by their inventions of merchandize, and beguiled into it by their artifice ; for the Europeans, at their factories, in fome various manner, have always kept ‘ome as fervants to thém, and with gaudy cloaths, ina * It may be true, that fome of the flaves tranfported from Africa, may have committed crimes in their own: country, that require fome flavery as 2 punifhment; but, according te the laws of equity and juftice, they ought to become free, as foon as their labowr has paid for their purchafe in the Weit- indies of elfewhere, ; aiitga ey X ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERYS 23 And fuch was A. Morrant in America. Whena boy, he could ftroll away into a defart, and prefer the fociety of wild beafts to the abfurd Chriitianity of his mother’s houfe. He was con- duéted to the king of the Cherokees, who, ina miraculous manner, was induced by him to em- brace the Chriftian faith.. This Morrant: was in the Britifh fervice laft war, and his royal convert; © the king of the Cherokee Indians, accompanied General Clinton at the fiege of Charles- Town. _ Thefe; and all fuch, I hope thowfands, as meet - with the knowledge and grace of the Divine cle- mency, are brought forth quite contrary to the end and intention of. all flavery, and, in general; of all flave-holders too. And fhould it pleafe the Divine goodnefs to vifit fome of the poor dark Africans, even inthe brutal ftall of flawery, and from thence to iftal them among the princes of his grace, and toinveft them with a robe of ho- nor that will hang about their necks for ever ; but who can then fuppofe, that it will be well pleafing unto him to find them fubjedted there in that dejeéted ftate ? Or can the flave-holders think that the Univerfal Father and Sovereign of Man- kind will be well pleafed with them, for the bru- tal tranfgreffion of his law, in bowing down the necks of thofe to the yoke of their cruel bondage ? Sovereign goodnefs may eventually vafit fome men even ina ftate of flavery, but their flavery is not the caufe of that event and benignity ; and therefore, fhould fome event of good ever hap- pen to fome men fubjeéted to flavery, that can plead nothing for men to do evil. that good may come; and fhould it apparently happen from thenee, it is neither fought for nor defigned by the-enflavers of men. But. the whole bufinefs of C 3 flavery 28 THOUGHTS'AND SENTIMENTS and nothing can diftrefs them more, than to part with any of their relations and friends.. Such are the tender feelings of. parents. for their children, that, for the lofs of a child, they feldom can. be rendered happy, even with the intercourfe and enjoyment) of their friends, for years. For any aman to think.that-it fhould. be otherwife, when he may fee a thoufand inftances of a natural in- ftinct, even in the brute creation, where they havea fympathetic. feeling for their offspring; it muit be great want of confideration not to think, that much more. than meerly what is natural to animals, fhould.in a higher degree be implanted in the breaft.of every part-of the rational creation of man... And,what man of feeling can help la- menting thelofs. of parents, friends, liberty, and perhaps. property and other ,valuable and) dear connections. ):~"Ehofe ; people. annually brought ‘away. from Guinea, are born, as free, and. are brought up with’as great a predilection for their wn country, freedom and liberty, as the. fons and daughters. of fair Britain. Their free fub- jects .are-trained up to.a kindof military fervice,; notfo much by the defire of the chief, as by their own, voluntary. inclination. ;; It is looked upon as the greateft refpect they can fhew to their king, to,ftand. up for his,and their own defence in time of need... ‘Their. different chieftains; which bear a reliance on the great chief, or king, exercife a kind of government fomething like that feudal inftitution which prevailed fome time in Scotland, In this refpect, though the common people are free, they often fuffer by the villainy of their different chieftains, and by the wars and feuds which happen among them. Neverthelefs their . freedom and rights are.as dear to them, as thofe privileges ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERYS 26 robbing, enflaving, and murdering of. men‘can be'no crimes; but the holders of men in flavery are at the head of all thefe oppreffions and crimes, And, therefore, however unfenfible they may be _of-it now, and however long they may laugh. at the calamity of others, if they do:not repent of their evil way, and the wickednefs of their do- ings, by keeping and holding» their fellow-crea- tures in flavery, and trafficking with them as with the brute creation, and to give up and fur- render that evil traffic, with anawful abhorrence of it, that this may be averred, if they do not, and if they can think, they muft and cannot otherwife butiexpect in one day at laft, to meet with the full-ftroke of the long fufpended ven- geance of sheaven;.when death will cut them down to a flate-as:‘mean as that of the moft ab- jected flave, and: to. a'very eminent danger ofa far more dreadful fate: hereafter, when they have the juft,reward of their iniquities to meet: with. + And now,:as: to ‘the Africans. being» difperfed and :unfociable; if it was fo,:that could be no war= rant for the Europeans to enflave them; and even though they may have many different feuds and bad practices. among them, the continent of Africa-is of vaft extent, and the numerous inha- bitants are divided into feveral kingdoms and principalities, which are governed by their re- ipective kings and princes, and thofe are abfo- lutely maintained by their free fubjeéts. Very few nations make flaves of any of thofe under their government ; but fuch as are taken prifon- ers of war from their neighbours, are generally kept in that fate, until they can exchange and difpofe of them otherwife ; and towards the weft coaft they are generally procured for the Eu- ropean 30 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS when rightly confidered, teach, is, that no man ought to enflave another; and fome, who have been rightly guided thereby, have made. noble defences for the univerfal natural rights and pri- vileges of all men. But in this cafe, when the learned take neither revelation nor reafon for - their guide, they fall into as great, and worfe er- rors, than thé unlearned; for they only make ufe of that fyftem of Divine wifdom, which fhould guide them into truth, when they can find or pick out any thing that will fuit their purpofe, or that they can pervert to fuch—the very means of leading themfelves and others into error. And, in confequence thereof, the pre- tences that fome men make ufe of for holding of flaves, muft be evidently the groffeft.perverfion of reafon, as well as an inconfiftent and diaboli- eal ufe of the facred writings. For it muft be a firange perverfion of reafon, and a wrong ufe or difbelief of the facred writings, when any thing found there is fo perverted by them, and fet up - as a precedent and rule for men to commit wick- _ednefs. They had better have no reafon, and no belief in the {criptures, and make no ufe of them at all, than only to believe, and make ufe of that which leads them into the moft abominable. evil and wickedneds of dealing unjuftly with their fel- low men. But this will appear evident to all men that be- lieve the fcriptures, that every reafon neceffary is given that they fhould be believed; and, in this cafe, that they afford us this information : ‘* That ** all mankind did {pring from one original, and €that there are no different fpecies among men. «© For God who inade the world, hath made of “* one blood all the nations of men that dwell on Ae acer ' hail ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. 29 gay manner, as decoy ducks to deceive others, and to tell them that they want many more to go over the fea, and be as they are. So im that re — fpect, wherein it may be faid that they will fell one another, they are only enfnared and enlift- ed to be fervants, kept like fome of thofe which they fee at the faCtories, which, for fome gew~ gaws, as prefents given to themfelves and friends, they are thereby enticed to 90’; and fomething after the fame manner that Eaft-India foldiers are procured in Britain; and thé inhabitants here, Juft‘as much fell themfelves, and one another, as they do ; and the kid-nappers here, and the flave= procurets in Africa, are much alike: But many other barbarous methods are made ufe of by the vilé inftigators, procurers and enfnarers of men‘ and fome of the wicked and profligate- princes and chiefs of Africa accept of prefents, from the Europeans, to procure a certain number ‘of flives; and thereby they are wickedly inftigated to go to war with one another on purpofe to get them, which produces many terrible depreda | tlons ; and fometimes when thofe engagements are entered into, and they find themfelves defeat» éd of their purpofe, it has happened that fome of their own people have fallen a facrifice to theit avarice and cruelty. And it may be faid of thé Europeans, that they have made ufe of every in« fidious method to procure flaves whenever they can, and in whatever manner they can lay hold of them, and that their forts and faGories are the avowed dens of thieves for robbers, plunderers and depredators. Not ot But again, as to the Africans felling their own wives and children, nothing can be more oppo“ fite to every thing they hold dear and valuable 3 an ee ae 2 eS / 32 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS country, and differing i in fomething from thofe in another, even in the fame latitudes, as well as from thofe in different climates. Long cuftom and the different way of living among the feveral inhabitants of the different parts of the earth, has avery great effect in diftinguifhing them by a difference of features and complexion. Thefe effects are eafy to be feen; as: to the caufes, it is fufficient for us to know, that all is ‘the work of an Almighty hand, Therefore, as we find the diftribution of the human fpecies inhabiting the barren, as well as the moft fruitful parts of the earth, and the cold as well as the moft hot, dif- fering from one another in complexion accord- ing to their fituation ; it may be reafonably, as well as religioufly, inferred,’ that He who placed them in their various fituations, hath extended equally his care and protection to all; and from thence, that it becometh unlawful to counteract his benignity, by reducing others of different complexions to undeferved bondage. According, as we find that the difference of colour among men is only incidental, and equal- ly natural to all, and agreeable to the place of their habitation; and that if nothing elfe be dif- ferent or contrary among them, but that of fea- tures and complexion, in that refpeét, they are all equally alike entitled to the enjoyment of eve- ry mercy and bleffing of God. But there are fome men of that complexion, becaufe they are not black, whofe ignorance and infolence leads them to think, that thofe who are black, were marked out in that manner by fome fignal inter- diction or curfe, as originally defcending from their progenitors. . To thofe I muft fay, that the only mark which we read of, as generally alluded to, ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY! 29 privileges are to other people. And it may be faid that freedom, and the liberty of enjoying their own privileges, burns with as much zeal. and fervour in the breaft of an A&thiopian, as in the breaft of any inhabitant on the globe. But the fupporters and favourers of flavery make other things a pretence and an excufe in their own defence; fuch as, that they find that it was admitted under the Divine inftitution by Mofes, as well-as the long continued praétice of different nations for ages; and that the Africans are peculiarly marked out by fome fignal predic- tion in nature and complexion for that purpofe, ~ This feems to be the greateft bulwark of de- fence which the advocates and favourers of flave- ry can advance, and what is generally talked of in their favour by thofe who do not underftand it. Ifhall confider it in that view, whereby it will appear, that they deceive themfelves and miflead others. Men are never more liable to be drawn into error, than when truth is made ufe of in aguileful manner to feduce them. Thofe, who do not believe the {criptures to be a Divine revelation, cannot, confiftently with themfelves, make the law of Mofes, or any mark or predic- tion they can find refpecting any particular fet of men, as found in the facred writings, any reafon that one clafs of men fhould enflave another. In that refpect, all that they have to enquire into fhould be,’ whether it be rizht, or wrong, that any part of the human fpecies fhould enflave ans other; and when that is the cafe, the Africans, though not fo learned, are juft as wife as the Eu- ropeans ; and when the matter is left to human wifdom, they are both liable to err. But what the light of nature, and the dictates of ent when. BERS OME R GS 34 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS defcendants of one of his fons fhould become the fervants of fervants to their brethren, the defeen- ‘dants of Shem and Japheth. This affords a grand pretence for the fupporters of the African flavery ‘to build’a falfe notion upon, ‘as it is found by hif- ‘tory that Africa, in’ general, was ‘peopled by: the defcéndants of Ham; but they ‘forget, that the predicth on has’ alieady been’ fulllled as far as it ‘Can g0. Wht oi “There canbe no doubt, eae heke was a fhame- fol ‘mifconduét in Ham himfelf, by what is relat- ed of him’ but the fault,’ according ro thé pre- diction aft curfe, defcended only to the families of the: défcendants of his youngeft fon, Canaan. ThE ‘occafion ‘was, that’ Noah, his father, «had dtank » wine, and (perhaps unawares) became ine- Briated by Zt, dnd fell afleep in his tent. It feems : that Ham’ was ereatly deficient of ‘that filial vir- ruélas either: ‘becoming « ‘a father or a fon, went in- to his fathers tent, ‘and,’ it may be fuppofed; ‘in an undecent manner, he had fuffered his‘own fon, Canaan; ‘foto meddle with, or tincover, his fa- ‘ther; that’ he: faw his hated netics! : for which he did hot check’ the audacious | rudenefs of Canaan, but went 4nd-told his ‘brethréH without in ridicule of his aged parent. This rude audacious behaviour of Cailani, and the obloquy of his father Ham, brought on “him ‘the curfe of his grandfather, Noah, but*he'bleffed Shei and Japheth for their deceit! and “Alial virtues, and denoun¢ed,’ in the fpirit ‘of Bropkedy, that Canaan fhould be theit fetvant, and fhould ferve them. Tt’ ray be'obferved, that it is a great +AABAOE: tune for‘children,' when their parents are not en- dowed With that wifdom and prudence which is nee ANE for’ the'early initiation of their offspring in ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. 3% *s all the face of ‘the earth.” Wherefore we may jaftly infer, as there are no inferior {pecies, but all of one blood and of one nature, that there does not an inferiority tubfift, or depend, on their colour, features or form, whereby fome men make a pretence to enflave others ; and cons fequently, as they have all one creator, one ori- ginal, made of one blood, and all brethren de- fcended from one father, it never could be Jawful and juft for any nation, or people, to opprefs and enflave another. And again, as all the prefent inhikbicenta of the world fprang from the family of Noah, and were then ail of one complexion, there is no doubt, but the difference which we now find, took its rife very rapidly after they became difperfed and fettled on the different parts. of the globe. There feems tobe a tendency to this, in many inftances; among children of the fame parents, having dif- ferent colour of hair and features from one anos ther. And God alone who eftablifhed the courfe of nature, can bring about and eftablifh what va- riety he pleafes; and it is not in the power of man to make one hair white or black. But a- mong the variety which it hath pleafed God to eftablifh and caufed to take place, we may meet with fome analogy in nature, that as the bodies of men are tempered with a different degree to ena- ble them to endure the refpective climates of their habitations, fo their colours vary, in fome de- ' gree, in a regular gradation from the equator to wards either of the poles. However, there are other incidental caufes arifing from time and place, which conftitute the mott diftinguifhing variety of colour, form, appearance and features, as peculiar to the inhabitants of one tract of country, ii ncetemeeeatll Data eiripliimarateee sess Sacenataamentatiee, aaaeeell . oe ee ee Oe re ee el ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. &8 among men, and breaking through all the laws of juftice and equity to them, and making even the very things which are analogous to the obli- gations, which ought to warn and _ prohibit them, a pretence for their iniquity and injuftice. Such are the infidious merchants and pirates that gladen their oars with the carnage and captivity of men, and the vile negociators and enflavers of the human {pecies. The prohibitions againft them are fo ftrong, that, in order to break through and to commit the moft notorious and flagrant crimes with impunity, they are obliged to oil their poifonous pretences with various per- verfions of fundry tranfactions of things even in facred writ, that. the acrimonious points of their arfenic may be fwallowed down the better, and the evil effects of their crimes appear the lefs. In this refpect, inftead of the facred hiftory of the If- raclitifo nation being made profitable to them, for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for inftruc- tion in righteoufne/s, as it was intended, and given to men for that purpofe; but, inftead thereof, the wars of the Ifraelites, the extirpation and fubjection of the Canaanites, and other tranf- actions of that kind, are generally made ufe of by wicked men as precedents and pretences to encourage and embolden themfelves to commit cruelty and flavery on their fellow-creatures : and the mercilefs depredators, negociators, and enflavers of men, revert to the very ritual law of Mofes as a precedent for their barbarity, cruelty, and injuftice; which law, though devoid of any iniquity, as bearing a parallel allufion to other things fignified thereby, can afford no precedent for their evil way, in any fhape or view: what was intended by it is fulfilled, and in no refpect, OF 69 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS into that evil way of brutith itupidity as well as wickednefis, that they can behold nothing of mo- ral rectitude and equity among men but in the gloomy darknefs of their own hemifphere, like the owls and night- hawks, who can fee nothing but mift and darknefs in the meridian blaze. of day. When men forfake. the paths of virtue, righteoufnefs, juftice, and mercy, and become vitiated in any evil way, all their pretended vir- tues, fenfibility, and prudence among men, how- ever high they may fhine in their own, and of ‘ others eftimation, will only appear to be but {pe- cious villainy at laft. That virtue which will ever. do men any good in the end, is as far from that which fome men call fuch, as the gaudy appear- ‘ance of a glow-worm in ce dark, is to the in- trinfic value and luftre of a diamond: for if a man hath not love in his heart to his fellow- creatures, with a generous philanthropy diffufed throughout his whole foul, all his other virtues are not worth a ftraw. The whole law of God is founded upon love, and the two grand branches of it are. thefe: Thou fhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy foul; and thou fhalt love thy neigh- bour as thyfelf.. And fo it was when man was firft, created and made: they were created male and female, and pronounced to be in the image of God, and, as his reprefentative, to have domi- nion aver ‘the lower creation: and their Maker, who is love, and the intelleétual Father of Spi-. rits, blefled them, and commanded them to arife in a bond of union of nature and of blood, each being a brother and a fifter together, and each, the Eyer and the ioved of one another. . But when they were enyied and invaded by the grand enflaver ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. 57 and enflavers, than it would be to ftand and laugh, and look on with a brutal and favage.im- punity, at beholding the following fuppofition traniacted. Suppofe two or three. half-witted — foolith fellows happened to come paft a crowd of people, gazing at one which they had hung up by the neck on a tree, as a victim fuffering for breaking the laws of his country ; and fuppofe thefe foolith fellows went ona little way ina bye _ path, and found fome innocent perfon, not fuf= pecting any harm till taken hold of by them, and - could not deliver himfelf from them, and juft becaufeé they had feen among the crowd of people which they came paft, that there had beena man hung by the neck, they took it into their foolifh wicked heads to hang up the poor innocent man on the next tree, and juft did as they had feen others do, to pleafe their own fancy and bafe foolifhnefs, to fee how he would fwing. Now if any of the other people happened to come up to them, and faw what they had done, would they hefitate 2 moment to determine between them- felves and thefe foolifh rafcals which had done wickednefs? Surely not; they would immedi- ately take hold of fuch ftupid wicked wretches, if it was in their power, and for their brutith foolithnefs, have them chained in a Bedlam, or hung on agibbet. But what would thefe bafe foolith wretches fay for themfelves? That they faw others do fo, and they thought there had been no harm in it, and they only did as they had feen the-crowd of people do before. A poor foolith, bafe, rafcally excufe indeed‘! But not a better excufe than this, can the brutith enflavers and negociators of men find in all the annals of hiftory. Theenfnarers, negociators, and oppref- fors 62 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS compulfory fervice, is an injury and robbery contrary to all law, civilization, reafon, juftice, equity, and humanity: theréfore when men break through the laws of God, and the rules of civilization among men, and go forth to fteal, to rob, to plunder, to opprefs and to enflave, and to deftroy their fellow-creatures, the laws of God and man require that they fhould be fuppreffed, and deprived of their liberty, or perhaps their lives, But juftice and equity does not always refide among men, even where fome confiderable de- gree of civilization is maintained ; if it had, that moft infamous refervoir of public and abandoned © merchandizers and enflavers of men would ‘not have been fuffered fo long, nor the poor unfor- tunate Africans, that never would have croffed the Atlantic to rob them, would not have be- come their prey. But it is juft as great and as heinous a tranfgreffion of the law of God to fteal, kidnap, buy, fell, and enflave any one of the Africans, as it would be to enfnare any other’ man in the fame manner, let him be who he will. And fuppofe that fome of the African pirates had been as dextrous as the Europeans, and that they had. made excurfions on the coaft of Great-Bri- tain or elfewhere, and though even aflifted by fome of yonr own infiduous neighbours, for there, may be fome men even among you vile enough to do fuch a thing if they could get money by it; and that they fhould carry off your fons and your daughters, and your wives and friends, to a perpetual and barbarous flavery, you would certainly think that thofe African pirates were juftly deferving of any punifhment that could be put upon them. But the European pirates and oe | merchandizers .* ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. 59 funk to a wonderful degree of infenfibility ; but furely thofe that can delight in that evil way for their gain, and be pleafed with the wickednefs of the wicked, and fee no harm in fubjecting their fellow-creatures to flavery, and keeping them in a ftate of bondage and fubjecétion as a brute, muft be wretchedly brutifh indeed. But fo be- witched are the general part of mankind with fome fottifh or felfifh principle, that they care nothing about what is rignt or wrong, any far- ther than their own intereft leads them to; and when avarice leads them on they can plead a thoufand excufes for doing wrong, or letting others do wickedly, fo as they have any advan-’ tage by it, to their own gratification and ufe, ‘That fottifh and felfifh principle, without con- cern and difcernment among men is fuch, that if they can only profper themfelves, they care no- thing about the miferable fituation of others; -and hence it is, that even thofe who are elevated to high rank of power and affluence, and as be- coming their eminent ftations, have opportunity of extending their views afar, yet they can fhut their eyes at this enormous evil of the flavery and commerce of the human fpecies ; and, contrary to all the boafted accomplifhments, and fine vir- tues of the civilized and enlightened nations, they can fit ftill and let the torrent of robbery, fla- very, and oppreffion roll on. There is a way which feemeth good unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Should the enflavers of men think to juftify themfelves in their evil way, or that it can in any poffible way be right for them to fubjeé others to fla- very ;. it is but charitable to evince and declare unto them, that they are thofe who have gone intQ be Si Le mace alli tliat, ee le ai ig a ASR! IE at Dab cage ust 64 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS be doing as great an injury to them, without any reparation or benefit to ourfelves. For what man can reftore an eye that he may have deprived another of, and if even a double punithment was to pafs upon him, and that he was to lofe both his eyes for the crime, that would make no repa- ration to the other man whom he had deprived of one eye. And fo, likewife, when aman is car- ried captive and enflaved, and maimed and cru- elly treated, that would make no adequate repa- ration and reftitution for the injurics he had re- | ceived, if he was even to get the perfon who had enfnared him to be taken captive and treated in the fame manner. What he is to feek after is a deliverance and protection for himfelf, and not a revenge upon others. Wherefore the honeft and upright, like the juft Bethlehem Jofeph, cannot think of doing evil, nor require an equal retalia- tion for fuch injuries done to them, fo as to re- venge themfelves upon others, for that which would do them no manner of good, Such ven- geance belongeth unto the Lord, and he will ren- der vengeance and recompence to his enemies and the violaters of his law. © But thus faith the law of God: If a man be found ftealing any of bis neighbours, or be that fleal-. eth a man (let him be who he will) and felleth him, or that maketh merchandize of him, or if he be found in bis hand, then that thief fhall die. However, in all modern flavery among Chriftians, who ought to know this law, they have not had any regard to it. Surely if any law among them admits of death as a punifhment for robbing or defrauding others of their money or goods, it ought to be double death, if it was poffible, when'a man is robbed of himfelf, and fold into captivity and : cruel : ; | : } ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY: 61 enflaver of men, all their jarring incoherency arofe, and thofe who adhered to their pernicious ufurper foon became envious, hateful, and ha- ting one another. And thofe who go on to in- jure, enfnare, opprefs, atid enflavé their fellow - creatures, manifeft their hatred to men, and maintain their own iiffamous dignity and vaifal- age, as the fervants of fin and the devil: but the man that has any honour as a man feorns their ignominious dignity: the noble philanthropift looks up to his God and Father as his only fove- reign ; and he looks around on his fellow men as — his brethren and friends ; and in every fituation and cafe, however mean and contemptible they may feem, he endeavours to do them good: and fhould he meet with one in the defert, whom he never faw before, he would hail him my brother ! my fifter! my friend.! how fares it with thee ? And if he can do any of them any good it would gladden every nerve of his foul. But as there is but one law and: oné manner pre- feribed univerfally for all mankind, for you, and for the franger that fojourneth with you, and where- fover they may be fcattered throughout the face of the whole earth, the difference “of. fuperiority and, inferiority which are found fubfifting amongtt them is no way incompatible with the univerfal law of love, honor, righteoufnefs, and equity ; fo that a free, voluntary, and fociable fervitude, which is the very bafis of human fociety, either’ civil or religious, whereby we ferve one another that we may be ferved, or do good that good may be done. unto us, is in all things requlifite and agreeable to all law and juftice. But the taking away the natural liberties of men, and compelling them to pap involuntary flavery, or compulfory 66 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS meet with: fome mitigation in the. punifhment, becaufe of the forbearance of God; and the un- righteoufnefs of men, it cannot thereby be thought the lefs criminal in itfelf’ But it alfo fuppofes, | where {trict feverities are made ufe of in the laws of civilization, that the doers of the law, and thé a judges of it;,ought to be'very:righteous them-. felves;. And with regard: to that law of men= ftealers, merchandizers, and of flaves found in their hands, that. whatever mitigation and for- bearance fach offenders ought’to meet with, their erimes denote a very heinous offence, and a great © violation of the law of God; they ought, there- fore, to be punifhed according*to their trefpaffes, which, in fome cafes, fhould -be death, if the perfon fo robbed and ftole fhould die in confe« quence thereof, or fhould: not be reftored and brought back; and even then to be liable to ‘every damage and penalty: that the judges fhould | think proper: for fo it is annexed to this law . ‘and required, that men fhould put away evil :from | ‘among them. But this cannot now extend to’the . -Weft-India flavery: what fhould rather be: re- ! ‘quired of them, in their prefent ‘cafe of infatua- | tion, is to furrender and give it up, and heal the -ftripes that they have wounded, and to pour the healing balm of Chriftianity into’ the bleeding wounds of Heathen barbarity: and cruelty. | All the criminal laws of civilization feem to be . founded upon that law of God which was pub- ; lifhed to Noah and his fons; and, confequently, | , ‘as it is again and again repeated, it becomes ir- | f reverfible, and univerfal..to all. mankind. °id | a Surely your blood of your lives will Irequire: at the | : hand of every beaft will I require it; and at the band ’ ‘of man, at the hand of every man’s brother, will I ; he eg require ee (hee oe 4 pay}. ON..THE.EVIL OF SLAVERY.“ 63 merchandizers of the human fpecies, let them belong to what nation they will, are equally as bad ; and they have no better right to fteal, kid- nap, buy, and carry away and fell the Africans, than the Africans would have to carry away any of the Europeans in the fame barbarous and un- | lawful manner. | _ _ But again, let us follow’ the European piracy to the Weft-Indies, or any where among Chrit- tians, and this law of the Lord Chri muft flare every infidel flave-holder in the face, dud as ye would that men fhould do to you, do ye alfo to them likewife. “But there is no flave-holder would like to have himfelf enflaved, and to be treated as a dog, and fold like a beaft; and therefore the flave-holders, and merchandizers of men, tranf- grefs this plain law, and they commit a greater violation againft it, and act more contrary unto it, than it would be for a parcel of flaves to af- fume authority over their mafters, and compel them to flavery under them; for, if that was not doing as they would with to be done to, it would be doing, at leaft, as others do to them, in a way equally as much and more wrong. But our Di- vine Lord and Majer Chrift alfo teacheth men to forgive one another their trefpaffes, and that we are not to do evil becaufe others do fo, and to re- venge injuries done unto us, Wherefore it is better, and more our duty, to fuffer ourfelves to be lafhed and cruelly treated, than to take up the tafk of their barbarity. The, juft law of God re- quires an equal retaliation and reftoration for every injury that men may do to others, to fhew the greatnefs of the crime; but the law of for- - bearance, righteoufneis and forgivenefs, forbids the retaliation to be fought after, when it would be 68) THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS he fhould die for his crime. And as murder is irreverfibly to be punifhed with death, fometimes when it is-not done, but only implied or. even- _tually intended, it even then requires death ; and in this fenfe it becomes right to face our enemies in the field of battle, and to cut them off. And when fpies and incendiaries rife up, or when re- bellions break forth, and the lives of the Sove- reign-and others, and the good of the commu- nity is not fafe while fuch pretenders and their chief fupporters are fuffered to live; then it may be lawful; in fome cates, that they fhould die; but in cafes of this kind there is generally more cowardice and cruelty than juftice and mercy re- garded, and more diferetionary power left for. men to ufe their authority in, and to eftablifh criminal laws or precedents than in any thing elfe. Hence we may find many of the different. chiefs and kings in different parts of the world, in ‘all ages, wading through a fea of blood to their thrones, or fupporting themfelves upon it, by defolating and deftroying others ; and we may find good and bad in all ages fetting up wretched examples for men to be guided by; and herein we may find a David, a Solomon, a Cromwell, committing murder and death, and a Charles the Second committing a greater carnage upon more, » innocent people than thofe who fuffered in the reign of a bloody Queen Mary; and even in a late rebellion there were many fuffered in Britain, ._ which, if they had been, preferved to this mild. reign, they would have been as good neighbours, and as faithful fubjects, as any other. But among | all pretences for taking away the lives of men by. any form of law, that for religion is the mott . s' : ° aa unwar- ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. 65 cruel flavery... But becaufe of his own. goodnefs, and becaufe of the-univerfal depravity of men, the Sovereign Judge ofall has introduced a law of forbearance, to {pare fuch tranfgrefiors, where in many cafes the law denounces death as the punifhment for their crimes, unlefs for thofe founded upon murder, or fuch abominations as cannot be forborn with in any civilization among men. But this law of forbearance is no altera- tion of the law itfelf; it is only a refpite in order to {pare fuch as will fly to him for refuge and forgivenefs for all their crimes, and for all their iniquities, who is the righteous fulfiller of the law, and the furety and reprefentative of men before God: and if they do not repent of their iniquity, and reform to a life of new obedience, as being under greater obligations to the law, but go on in their evil way, they muft at laft for ever lie under the curfe and every penalty of the juft and holy law of tht Moft High. This feems to be determined fo by that Great Judge of the law, when the accufers of a woman, taken in ia adultery, brought her before him, he ftooped : i ye down as a man and wrote, we may fuppofe, the - ae crimes of her accufers in the duft, and as the ee | God of all intelligence painted them in their cons || {ciences, wherefore they fled away one by one, a and the woman was left alone before him; and as there was none of her accufers in that caf@ righteous-enough to throw the firft ftone, and to i) execute the law upon her, fhe was, Bid togo and . aA fin no more. But it is manifeft that every crime | ] that men may commit, where death is mentioned as the penalty thereof in the righteous law of ‘God, it denotes a very great offence and a heinous | ‘trangreffion ; and although, in many cafes, it may’ We F meet Y 70 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS ‘fas much*.” According to this law, when the ~ property of others is taken away, either by ftealth, fraud, or violence, the agereffors fhould be fub- jected to fuch bondage and hard labour, (and efpecially when the trefpafs is great, and they have nothing to pay) as would be requifite to make reftitution to the injured, and to bring about a reformation to themfelves. And if. they have committed violence either by threats or force, they ought to fuffer bodily punifhment, and the feverity of it according to their crimes, and the ftubbornnefs of their obduracy ; and all fuch punifhments as are neceffary fhould be in- flicted upon them without pitying or fparing them, though perhaps not to be continued for ever in the brutal manner that the Weft-India Slaves fuffer for almoft no crimes. But whereas the robbing of others in any man- ner of their property is often attended with fuch cruelty and violence, and a fevere lofs to the fuf- ferers, it may, in fome cafes, be thought that the law of God fufficiently warrants the taking away the lives of the aggreffors; for the taking away of a man’s property in general may be con- fidered as taking away his life, or at leaft the means of his fupport, and then the punifhing the tranfgreffors with death can only in that cafe be sxeckoned a conftructive murder. Wherefore the tranfereflors ought to be punifhed feverely ; but hever with any laws of civilization where death is concerned, without a regard to the law of God. * A great part of this law, is ftritly obferved in Africa, and we make ufe of facrifices, and keep a fabbath every {e- venth day, more ftriétly than Chriftians generally do. And ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. 67) require the life of man. Whofo foeddeth man’s blood, by man fall his blood be foed: for in the image of God made be man. If this law of God’had not been given to men, murder itfelf would not have been any crime; and thofe who punifhed it with death would juft have-been as guilty as. the other. » But the law of God is juft. righteous’ and holy, and ought'to be regarded and revered above all the laws of men; and this is added’ unto it: What thing Joever I command you, obferve to doit: thou foalt not add, thereto, nor diminifo — from it. But it is an exceeding impious thing for men ever to prefume, or think, as fome will fay, that they would ‘make it death as a punifh- ment for fuch a thing, and fuch a trefpafs; or that they can make any criminal laws of civiliza- tion as binding with a penalty of death for any thing juft what they pleafe. No fuch thing can be fuppofed; no man upon earth ever had, or ever can have, a right to make laws where a pe- nalty of cutting off by death is required as the - punifhment for the tranfgreffion thereof: what is required of men is to be the doers of the law, and fome of them to be judges of it; and if they ‘judge wrongfully in taking away the lives of theif fellow-creatures contrary to the law of God, they - commit murder. ' The reafon why a man fuffers death for breale- ing the laws of his country is, becaufe he tranf greffeth the law of God in that community he be» longs to; and the laws of civilization are bind ing to put that law in force; and to point out and fhew a fufficient warrant wherefore he fhould - fuffer, according as the juft law of God requires for his trefpafs ; ‘and then it-is juft and right sie | - S e = 72, THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS | diminfh any thing to the law of God, with refpeck to taking away their lives. Wherefore, if the law of God does not fo clearly warrant, that they fhould die for their theft, it, at Jeaft, fully war- rants that they fhould be fold into flavery for their-crimes ; and the laws of ‘civilization may juftly bind them, and hold them in perpetual bondage, becaufe they have fold themfelves to work iniquity; but not that they fhould be fold to the heathen, or to fuch as would not inftruct them: for there might be hope, that if good in- ftruction was properly adminiftered unto them, there might be a poffible reformation wrovght upon fome of them. Some, by their ingenious affiduity, have tamed the moft favage wild beatts ; it is certainly more laudable to tame the moft brutifh and favage men, and, in time, there might be fome Onefimus’s found amongft them, that would become ufeful to reclaim others. Thofe that break the laws-of civilization, in any flagrant manner, are the only fpecies of men that others have a right to enflave ; and fuch ought to be fold to the community, with every thing that can be found belonging to them, to make a commuta- tion of reftitution as far as could be; and they fhould be kept at fome ufeful and laborious em- ployment, and it might be at fome embankation, or recovering of wafte ground, as there might be ‘land recovered on rivers and fhores,; worth all the expence, for the benefit of the community they belonged to. The continuance of that criminal flavery and bondage, ought to be according to the nature of their crimes, with a reference to their good behaviour, either to be continued or pra- ~ traéted. Such as were condemned for life, when their crimes were great, and themfelves ftubborn, ne might ON THE EVIL OF. SLAVERY. 66 unwarrantable: it is the command of God to fupprefs idolatry, and to break down the images and external pomp of grofs fuperftition, but not to deftroy men themfelves : that perfecution is murder if it takes away the lives of men fot- their religion, for it has nothing to do with what men may think with refpect to their own duty ; and if a man is foolifh enough to make an image of wood or ftone, and to worfhip it, or even to adore a picture, if he keeps it to himfelf, perfe- cution has nothing to do with him. The law of God forbids all manner of cove- toufnefs and theft: but when any thing is taken away by ftealth, it is not like thofe injuries which - cannot be reftored, as the cutting off or wound- ing any of the members of the body; but it ad- mits of a poffible reftoration, whether the viola- tors can reftore. it or not as the law requires, fo _ if a man owes a juft debt it is not the lefs due ¢ by him if he has got nothing to pay it with; fuch trangreffors ought to be punifhed according to their trefpaffes, bur not with death: for the - Jaw of God 1s, * If a thief be found breaking up, ‘© and he be {mitten that he die, if it was in the «¢ night there fhall be no blood fhed for hims “‘ but if the fun be rifen upon him, there was — << blood required for him if he was killed; for *¢ faith the law it required only he fhould make. < full reftitution; and if he had nothing, then “‘ he fhould be fold for his theft. And if any «¢ manner of theft be found in a man’s hand, the “¢ law requires a retaliation and _reftoration; that *€ is, that he fhould reftore double; but if it be “ fold or made away with, it was then to be four; 66 fold, and, in fome cafes, five, fix or feven times F F 3 Cag a ES 8 eee 74 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS man from flavery, but by enflaving his matter, it would be lawful for him to do fo if he was able, for this would be doing juftice to himfelf, and be guftice. as the law requires, to chaftife his matter for enflaving of him wrongfully. Thence this general and grand duty fhould be obferved by every man, not to follow the multi- tude to do evil, neither to recompence evil for evil; and yet, fo that a man may lawfully defend himfelf, and endeavour to fecure himfelf, and others, as far as he can, from injuries of every kind. Wherefore all along, in the hiftory of mankind, the various depredations committed in the world, by enflaving, extirpating and deftroy- ing men, were always contrary to the laws of God, and what he had ftriily forbidden and com- manded not to be done. But infolent, proud, wicked men, in all ages, and in all places, are alike; they difregard the laws of the Moft High, and ftop at no evil in their power, that they can _ contrive with any pretence of confiftency in doing mifchief to others, fo as it may tend to promote their own profit and ambition. Such are all the depredators, kidnappers, merchandizers and en- flavers of men ; they do not care, nor confider, how much they injure others, if they can make any advantage to themfelves byit. But whenever thefe things were committed by wicked men, a retaliation was fought after, as the only way of deliverance ; for he who. Jeadeth into captivity, Should be carried captive ; and he which deftroy- eth with the fword, fhould die with the fword, And as it became neceffary to punifh thofe that wronged others, when the punifhers went beyond the bounds of a juft retaliation, and fell into the fame. crimes .of the. oppreffors, not to prevent sist : them-< © ON THE EVIL-OF SLAVERY. 7 ‘And when the Jaw of.God admits of a forbear- ance, and a kind of forgivenefs in many things, it ought to be the.grand law of civilization to feek out fuch rules of punifhment as are beft cal- culated to prevent injuries of every kind, and to reclaim the tranfgreffors ; and it is beft; if it can be done, to punifh with a lefs degree of feverity. than their crimes. deferve. But all the laws of civilization muft jar greatly when the law of God is {crewed up in the greateft feverity to punith men for their crimes on the one hand, and on the other to be totally difregarded*. When the Divine law points out a theft, where the thief fhould make reftitution for his trefpafs, the laws of civilization fay, he muft die for his crime: and when that Jaw tells us, that he who ftealeth or maketh merchandize of men, that fuch a thief fhal] furely die, the laws of civilization fay, in many cafes, that it is nocrime. In this the ways of men are not equal; but let the wife and juit determine whether the laws of God or the laws of men are right. ; _ Amongft fome of the greateft tranfgreffors of the laws of civilization, thofe that defraud the public by forgery, or by fubftituting or falfifying any of the current fpecie, ought to have their lives or their liberties taken away; for although they may not do any perfonal injury, they commit the greateft robbery and theft, both to indivi- dualsand the whole community, But even in the fuppreffion of thofe, men have no right to add or * This confeffional minftrel may be often repeated, but, I fear, feldom regarded: ‘* We have offended againft thy holy ** laws ; we have left undone thofe things which we ought to ¢* have} done; and we have done thofe things which we #¢ ought not to have done,” gente: tte | : | diminifh it Ma Wan ibe onl Ra St y Q ay 76 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS defire: fo they wrap it up. Among the bef in Africa, we have found them /harp as a briar; among the moft upright, we have found them Sharper than a thorn-hedge in the Weft-Indies, Yet, O Africa! yet, poor flave! The day of thy watchmen cometh, and thy vifitation dtaweth nigh, that fhall be their perplexity. Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my falva- tion; my God will hear me. Rejoice not againft me, O mine enemy ; though I be fallen, I fhall yet arife ; though I fit in darknefs, the Lord fhall yet be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, becaufe I have finned againft him, until he plead my caufe, and execute judgment for me, and I foall behold bis righteoufne/s. Then mine enemies fhall fee it, and feoame foall cover them which faid unto me, Where is the Lord thy God, that regardeth thee: Mine eyes fhall behold them trodden down as the mire of the fireets. In that day that thy walls of deliverance are to be built, in that day fhall the decree of flavery be far removed. : : What revolution the end of that predominant evil of flavery and oppreffion may produce, whe- ther the wife and confiderate will furrender and give it up, and make reftitution for the injuries that they have already done, as far as they can; or whether the force of their wickednefs, and the iniquity of their power, will lead them on until fome univerfal calamity burft. forth againft the abandoned carriers of it on, and againft the cri- minal nations in confederacy with them, is not for me to determine? But this mutt appear evi- dent, that for any: man to carry on a traffic in the merchandize of flaves, and to keep them in fla- very; or for any nation to opprefs, extirpate and deftroy others ; that thefe are crimes of the greatett “th . magnitude, ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. 73 might be fo marked as to render their getting away impoffible without being difcovered, and that the very fight of one of them might deter others from committing their crimes, as much as hanging perhaps a dozen of them; and it might be made fo fevere unto them, that it would ren- der their own fociety in bondage, almoft the only preferable one that'they could enjoy among men. ‘The manner of confining them would not be fo impracticable as fome may be apt to think; and all thefe feverities come under the laws of men to punifh others for their crimes, but they fhould not go beyond the juft law of God; and neither fhould his laws be fufpended, where greater tref- paffes are committed. : In this fenfe every free community might keep flaves, or criminal prifoners in bondage; and fhould they be fold to any other, it fhould not be to ftran- gers, nor without their own confent ; and if any were fold for a term of years, they would naturally be- come free as foon as their purchafe could be paid. But if any man fhould buy another man without his own confent, and compel him to his fervice and flavery without any agreement of that man to ‘ferve him, the enflaver is a robber, and a de- frauder of that man every day. Wherefore it is as much the duty of a man who is robbed in that manner to get out of the hands of his enflaver, as it is for any honeft community of men to get out, of the hands of rogues and villains. And how- ever much is required of men to forgive one ano- ther their trefpaffes in one refpect, it is alfo mani- feft, and what we are commanded, as noble, to refift evil in another, in order to prevent others ‘doing evil, and to keep ourfelves from harm. Therefore, if there was no other way to deliver a M3n 78 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS doned evil and wickednefs, fo very difgraceful t6 human nature, but even partakers in thofe crimes of the moft vile combinations of various pirates, kidnappers, robbers and thieves, the ruffians and ftealers of mén, that ever made their appearance in the world, as 1710 - Soon after Columbus had difcovered America; that great navigator was himfelf greatly embar- raffed and treated unjuftly, and his beft defigns éounteracted by the wicked bafenefs of thofe whom he led to that difcovery. The infernal conduct of his Spanifh competitors, whofe lead~- mg motives-were covetoufnefs, avarice and fana- ticifm, foon made their appearance, and became cruel and dreadful. At Hifpaniola the bafe per- fidy and bloody treachery of the Spaniards, led on by the perfidious Ovando, in feizing ’ the “peaceable Queen Anacoana and her attendants, burning her palace, putting all to deftruction, arid the innocent Queen and her people to a cruel death, is truly horrible and lamentable. And ted on by the treacherous Cortes, the fate of the great Montezuma was dreadful and thocking ; how that American monarch ‘was. treated, ‘be- trayéd and deftroyed, and his vaft extenfive em+ pire of the Mexicans brought to ruin and devas ftation, no man of fenfibility and feeling can read the hiftory without pity and refentment. And looking over another page of that hiftory, fenfi- bility would kindle into: horror and indignation, — to fee the bafe treacherous baftard Pizarra at the head of the Spanifh banditti of mifcreant depre- dators, leading them on, and overturning one of the moft extenfive empires in the world. ‘To recite a little of this as a fpecimen of the -reft: It feems Pizarra, with his company: of, depreda= tors, ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY, 7§ themfelves from harm, and.to deliver the oppref- fed and the captive, but to opprefsand enflave others, as much as they before them had done, the confequence is plain, that an impending overs throw mut ftill fali upon them likewife. In thar . refpect, fo far as conquerors are permitted to be- come a judgment and a fcourge to others, for their enormous tranfgreffions, they are themielves - not a bit the more fafe, for what they do, they often do wickedly for their own purpofe; and when the purpofe of Divine Providence, who raif- ed them up, is fulfilled by them, in the punith- ment,of others for their crimes; the next wave thereof will’be to vifit them alfo according to their wickednefs with fome dreadful overthrow, and to {wallow them up in the fea of deftruction and oblivion. Hiftory affords us many examples of fevere re« _taliations, revolutions and dreadful overthrowss and of many crying under the heavy load of fub- jection and oppreffion, feeking for deliverance, And methinks I hear now, many of my country- men, in complexion, crying and groaning under the heavy yoke of flavery and bondage, and pray- ing to be delivered; and the word of the Lord is thus {peaking for them, while they are bemoan- ing themfelves under the grievous bonds of their mifery and woe, faying, Woe is me! alas Africa! for Lam as the laft gleanings of the Jummer fruit, as the grape gleanings of the vintage, where no clufter és tocat. The good are perifhed out of the earth, and there is none upright among men; they all lie in wait for blood ; they hunt every man bis brother with a net. That they may do evil with both bands earnef= ly, the prince afketh, and the judge afketh for a res ward; and the great man he uttereth bis mifchievous, defire 80 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS Pope, and fubmit to the Great Monarch of Caf tile; but if he fhould refufe an immediate com- pliance with thefe requifitions, they were to. de- clare war again{ft him, and that he might expec the dreadful effects of their vengeance. This ftrange harangue, unfolding deep myfteries, and alluding’ to fuch unknown facts; of which no power of eloquence could tranflate, and convey, at once, a diftinct idea to an American, that its general tenor was altogether incomprehenfible to Atahualpa. Some parts in ity as more obvious than the reft, filled -him with. aftonifhment. and indignation. . His reply, however, was temper- ate, and as fuitable as could be well expected. He obferved that he was Lord of the dominions over which he reigned by hereditary fucceffion ; and, faid, that he could not conceive how a fo- reign prieft.fhould pretend to difpofe of territories which did not belong to him, and that if fuch a -prepofterous ‘grant had been made, he, who was the rightful poffeffor, refufed to confirm its that he had_no inclination to renounce the reli- gious inftitutions eftablifhed by his anceftors; nor would he forfake the fervice of the Sun, the immortal divinity whom he and his_ people: re- vered, in order to worfhip the God of the Spa- niards, who was fubject to death; _and that with refpect to other matters, he had never heard of _them before, and did not then underftand their meaning. And he defired to know where Val- verde had learned things fo extraordinary. . In this book, replied the fanatic Monk, reaching out his breviary. The Inca opened it eagerly, cand turning.over the leaves, lifted it to his ear: ‘This, fays he, is filent; it tell tells me nothing; and threw it with difdain to the ground. The enraged ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERYs 77 magnitude, and a moft daring violation of. the laws and commandments of the Moft High, and Which, at laft, will be evidenced in the deftruc- tion and overthrow of all the tranfgreffors. And nothing elie can be expected for fuch violations of taking away the natural rights and liberties of men, but that thofe who are the doers of it will meet with fome awful vifitation of the righteous judgment of God, and in fuch a manner as it cannot be thought that his juft vengeance for their iniquity will be the lefs tremendous becaufe his. judgments are long delayed. : None but men of the moft brutith and depra- ved nature, led on by the invidious influence of infernal wickednefs, could have made their fet- tlements in the different parts of the world dif- covered by them, and have treated the various Indian nations, in the manner that the barbarous inhuman Europeans have done: and their efta- . blifhing and carrying on that moft difhoneft, un- juft and diabolical traffic of buying and felling, and of enflaving men, is fuch a monftrous, auda- cious and unparallelled wickednefs, that the very | idea of it is fhocking, and the whole nature of it is horrible and infernal. It may be faid with confidence as a certain general fact, that all their foreign fettlements and colonies were founded on murders and devaftations, and that they have continued their depredations in cruel flavery and oppreffion to this day: for where fuch predomi- nant wickednefs as the African flave-trade, and the Weft Indian flavery, is admitted, tolerated and fupported by them, and carried on in their colonies, the nations and people who are the fupporters, and encouragers thereof muft be not only guilty themlelves of that fhameful and aban- doned Te om Mth h cly Mite seared, spel ale 82 - THOUGHTS AND.SENTIMENTS ‘ tive confequences that attended ‘his confinement, and hy beholding the vaft treafures of fpoil that the Spantartds had fo eagerly’ gathered up, he learned: fomething of .their covetous difpo- fition.: and he ee as a ranfom what afto- nithed ‘the Spaniards, even after all they now knew concerning the opulence of his kingdom : the apartment.in which he was dottieen! was twenty-two feet in length and fixteen in breadth, he undertook to: fill-it swith veftels of gold as: hich as’ he could: reach. This temipting propofal was eagerly agreed to by Pizarra, and a line was drawn upon ‘the walls of the chamber to “mark the flipulated height to which the treafure was to rife. The gold was accordingly colleéted from various parts with the greateft expedition by the Inca’s: obedient and loving fubjects, who thought nothing too much for ‘his ranfom and life ; “but, after all, poor Atahualpa was cruelly murdered, and his body burnt by a military in- quifition, and his extenfive and: rich dominions devoted to deftruction and ruin by thefe merci- ~ lefs depredators. The hiftory. of thofe FeeabGalby perfidious me- thods of forming fettlements, and acquiring riches and territory, would make humanity: tremble, and even recoil, at the: enjoyment of fuch ac- quifitions andi become reverted: into rage and) in- dignation at fuch horrible injuftice and barba- rous cruelty, ‘* It is faid: by the Peruvians, that ** their Incas, or Monarchs, -had uniformly ex- “ tended their power with attention to the good “of their fubje&ts, that they might diffufe the «* bleffings of Civilization, and the knowledge of “ the arts which they poffefled, among the people < that. opel tong their protection ;, and during a “© fucceffion ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY: 79 tors, had artfully penetrated into the Peruvian empire, and pretended an embafly of peace from a great monarch, and demanded an audience of the noble Atahualpa, the great Inca or Lord of that. empire, that the terms of their embafly might be explained, and the reafon of their coming into the territories of that monafch. Atahualpa fearing the menaces of thofe terrible invaders, and thinking to appeafe ‘them by complying with their requeft, relied on Pizar+ ra’s feigned pretenfions of friendfhip; accord= ingly the day was appointed, and Atahualpa made his appearance with the greateft decency and {plendor he could, to meet fuch fuperior beings as the Americans concéived their inva= ders to be, with four hundred men in an uni form drefs, as harbingers to clear the way before him, and himfelf fitting on a throne or couch, adorned with plumes of various colours, and al+ moft covered with plates of gold and filver, en riched with precious ftones, and was carried on the fhoulders of his principal attendants. As he ap- proached near the Spanifh quarters the arch fa+ natic Father Vincent Valverde, chaplain to the expedition, advanced with a crucifix in one hand and a breviary in the other, and began with a long difcourfe, pretending to explain fome of the general dottrines of Chriftianity, together with the fabulous notion of St. Peter’s vicegerency, ‘and the tranfmiffion of his apoftolic power con- tinued in the fucceffion of the Popes; and that ‘the then Pope, Alexander, by-donation, had in- vefted their mafter as the-fole Monarch of all the New World. In confequence of this; Atahualpa was inftantly required to embrace the Chriftian religion, acknowledge. the jurifdiction, of the ace ieee 84. THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS what has yet. appeared. But, alas! at that time there, was no Chriftians to fants and very few now), thefe were oblige! to hide themfelves in the . obfcure. places of the earth; that was, ac- cording to Sir Ifaac Newton, to. mix in ebfcu- rity.among the mcaneft of the people, having no power and authority; and it feems at that. time there was no, power among Chriftians on earth to have fent fuch as:would have been ufeful to the ‘Americans ; .if there had they would have fent after the depredat. ws, and refcued the innocent. But as I faid before, it is furely to the great fhame and fcandal of Chriftianity among all the Heathen nations, that thofe robbers, plunderers, deftroyers and enflavers of men fhould call them- felves Chriftians, and exercife their power under any Chriftian government and authority. I would have my African countrymen to. know and underftand,. that the deftroyers. and. enfla- vers of men can be no Chriftians ; for Chriftian- ity is the fyftem of benignity and love, and all its votaries are devoted. to -honefly, juftice, hu- manity, meeknefs, peace and good-will to alk, men. But, whatever title or claim ‘fome may af- fume to call themfelyes by it, without poffeffing. any of its virtues, can only een them , to be the more abominable liars, and. the greatett ene mies unto it, and as belonging to the {ynagogue , of Satan, and not the adherers to Chrift. For the enflavers and oppreffors of men, among thofe that have obtained the name of Chriftians, they are ftill acting as its greateft encmics, and con- trary to all its genuine principles ; they fhould therefore be called by: its oppofite, the Anti- chrift. Such are fitly belonging to that moft diffolute forcerets of all religion in the world, “* With ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY, 87 enraged father of ruffians, turning towards his’ countrymen, the affaffinatots, cried out, To arms, Chriftians, to arms; the word of God is infulted; avenge this profanation on thefe im- pious dogs. (ety ) At this the Chriftian defperadoes impatient in delay, as foon as the fignal of affault was given their martial mufic began to play, and their at- tack was rapid, rufhing fuddenly upon the Pe- ruvians, and with their hell-invented enginery of thunder, fire and fmoke, they. foon: put them to flight and deftruétion. The Inca, though his nobles crouded round him with officious zeal, and fell‘in numbers at his feet, while they vied. one with another in facrificing their own lives that they might cover the facred: perfon of: their Sovereign, was foon penetrated to by the affaflin- ators; dragged from his throne, and carried to the Spanith quarters. The fate of the Monarch increafed the precipitate flight of his followers ; the plains being covered with upwards of thirty thoufand men, were purfued by the ferocious Spaniards towards every quarter, who, with de- liberate and unrelenting barbarity, continued to flaughter the wretched fugitives till the clofe of the day, that never had once offered at any re- fiftance. Pizarra had contrived this daring and perfidious plan on purpofe to get hold of the Inca, notwithftanding: his affumed charaéter of - an ambaffador from a powerful monarch to court an alliance with that’ prince, and in violation of all. the repeated offers of his own friendfhip: The noble Inca thus found himfelf betrayed and fhut up in the Spanith quarters, though fearce aware at firft of the vaft carnage and deftrudction of his people; but foon conceiving the deftruc- sane : G tive ee iE Bl ey 5 F i oi ne iy le \ hy i Peta, \ 4 cf PA aa RE, I Rr a a aN ce i, SAP oN at 8 86 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS and feature, is the Antichrift; and every dealer in flaves, and thofe that hold them in flavery, whatever elfe they may'call themfelves, or what- ever elfe they may profefs. And likewife, thofe nations whofe governments fupport that evil and wicked traffic of flavery, however remote the fi- .tuation where it is carried on may be, are, in that refpeét, as much Antichriftian as any thing in the world can be. No man will ever rob another unlefs he be a villain: nor will any na- tion or people ever enflave and opprefs others, unlefs themfelves. be bafe and wicked men, and who act and do contrary and againft every duty in Chriftianity. ~ i os The learned and ingenious author of Britannia Libera, as chiefly alluding to Great-Britain alone, gives fome account of that great evil and wick- ednefs carried on by the Chriftian nations, re- {pecting the direful effects of the great devatta- tions committed in foreign parts, whereby it would appear that the ancient and native inha- bitants have been drenched in blood and op- preflion by their mercilefs vifitors (which have formed colonies and fettlements among them) the avaricious depredators, plunderers and deftroyers of nations. As fome eftimate of it, “ to deftroy ‘* eleven million,.and diftrefs many more in Ame- ** rica, to ftarve and opprefs twelve million in ** Afia, and the great number deftroyed, is not ** the way to promote the dignity, ftrength and ** fafety of empire, but to draw down the Di- ** vine vengeance on the offenders; for depriving ** fo many of their fellow-creatures of life, or the ** commen bleffings of the earth: whereas by ** obferving the humane principles of preferva- ** tion with felicitation, the proper principles of co foi, geet ON’ THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. 83 “ fucceffion of twelve monarchs, not’ one had ** deviated from this beneficent character.” Their fenfibility of fuch noblenefs of character would give them the moft poignant diflike to their new terrible invaders that had defolated and laid wafte their country, The charaéter of their mo- narchs would feeem to vie with as great virtues as any King in Europe can boaft of. Had the Peruvians been vifited by men of honefty, know- ledge, and enlightened underftanding, to teach them, by patient inftru@tiom and the bleffing of God, they might have been induced to embrace the doétrines and faith of Chriftianity, and to abandon their errors of fuperftition and idolatry, Had Chriftians, that deferve the name thereof, been fent among them, the many ufeful things that they would have taught them, together with their own pious example, would have. captivated’ their hearts; and the knowledge of the truth would have made it a very defirous thing for the Americans to have thofe that taught them to fet- tle among them. Had that been the cafe the Americans, in various parts, would have been’ as eager to have the Europeans to come there as’ they would have been to go, fo that’ the Euro- peans nii¢ht have found ettlements enough, ina friendly ‘alliance’ with the inhabitants, without’ deftroying ‘and enflaving them... And had that! been the cafe, it might be fuppofed, that Europe’ and America, Jong: before now, would both,’ with a growing luxuriancy, have been flourithing: with affluence and peace, ana their long extended’ and’ fruitful branches, loaden with benefits to’ each other, reaching over the ocean, might have’ been more extenfive, and greater advantages’ hays been expected, for the good of ‘both than’ G2 what 2 lide » sees ah te “4 EES Ne. ee ee ees aes as Seah Src soe a Ra ec OEE: AE NII LE OG TIE Sees ee in Bett rire ts a _ os mae hs eens 4 TES Saye Sik SS fe ne a ena st erst is Zp Sas = pyc ao = i 7 vas Ab rt | + bit aati Gwe’. aly ase if Wa ahs ca ‘\ es tore ul fe & ti a i 4 ue | if. . eee a 88 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS burden to the reft of the community: whereas if there were no funds, thofe who have money would be obliged to occupy it in fome improve- ments themfelves, or Iend it to other manufac- turers or merchants, and by that means ufeful employments, ingenuity and commerce would flourifh. But all ftock-jobbing, lotteries, and _ufelefs bufinefs, has a tendency to flavery and Oppreflion; for as the greater any idle part of the community is, there. muft be the greater dabour and hardfhips refting upon the indvftrious part who fupport the reft; as all men are al- Jotted in fome degree to eat their bread with the fweat of their brow; but it is evil with any people when the rich grind the face of the poor. ‘\otte- ‘ries muft be ncarly as bad a way. ot getting mo- ‘ney for the good of a nation, as it-is for an in- dividual when he is poor, and obliged to pawn chis goods to increafe his poverty, already poor. ‘On the reverfe, if a nation was to keep a bank to Jend'money to merchants and others, that na- -tion might flourifh, and its fupport to thofe in need might be attended with advantage to the whole ; but that nation which is obliged to bor- ‘row money from others, muft be in a poor and wretched fituation, and the inhabitants, who have to bear the load of its taxes, muft be greatly ‘burdened, and perhaps many of thofe employed ‘in its fervice (as foldiers and others) poorly paid. It was otherwile with the people of Ifrael of old; ‘it was the promife and bleffing of God to them, Chat they foould lend unto many nations, but should not borrow. a But when a nation or people do wickedly, and commit cruelties and devaflations upon others, -and enflave them, it cannot be expected that they fhould ae ee ee co ~ “ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY: 88 With whom the’ kings of the earth have lived ‘* délicioufly ; and the inhabitants ot the earth ‘have been made drunk with the) wine of ** her ‘abominat:ons ; and the merchants of the ** earth are waxed rich through the abundance ‘“ of her delicacies, by their traffic in various ** things, and in flaves and fouls of men!” It was not enough for the malignant deftroyer of the world to fet up his hydra- “headed kingdom of evil and wickednefs among. the kingdom of men; but alfo to caufe an image to be made unto him, by fomething imported in the only true religion that ever was given to men; and that image of iniquity ts deferibed as arifing up out of the earth, having two horns like a lamb, : which, by its votaries and adherents, has been long eftablithed and fupported. One of its ums bragious horns of apoftacy and delufion is found- ed, in a more particular refpe&t, on a grand per- verGon of the Old Teftament difpenfations, which has extended itfelf over all the Mahometan na- tions in the Eaft; and the other horn of apo- flacy, bearing an ‘aliufion and profeftional refpect to that of the new, has extended itfelf over all the Chriftian nations in the Weft. That erand umbragious fhadow and image of evil and wick- ednefs, has fpread its malignant influence over all the nations of the earth, and has, by irs power of delufion, given countenance and fupport to all the power of evil and wickednefs done among men; and all the adherents and fupporters of that dab Gow, aud all the carriers on of wicked- nefs, are fitly called Antichrift. But all the na- tions have drunk of the wine of that iniquity, and become drunk with the wine of the wrath, of her fornication,-whofe name, by every mark “is G 3 and Joe: aac SOR DIET POEM: BRP e LO mee 4 , % ae 4 mek. & eats Fal ir ef fol “hy ea + “e ai 2 ‘ i a yoge { go THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS power and intereft.an their favour; that what- ever crimes any of them commit they are feldom - broug:t toa juft. punifhment. Unlefs that fome- thing of this kind had been the cafe, ’tis impof fible;to conceive how fuch an enormous evil as ‘the flave-trade could have been eftablifhed and carried op under any Chriftian government: and from. hence that. motly fy tem of government, — which hath. fo »fprung up and eftablithed. itfelf, may be accounted for, and as being an evident | and univer{al depravity of one of the fineit con- Atitutions in the, world; and it may be feared if thefe unconftitutional laws, reac ing from Great- Britain to her colonies, be long sectibvnmacoil and upported, to the carrying on that horrible and wicked traffic of flavery, muft at laft mark out the whole of the Britifh conftitution with ruin and, defiruGion ; and that the moft generous and tenacious. people in the world for liberty, may -alfo at laf{ be reduced to flaves. And an Ethio- “pian may, venture to afert, that fo long as fla- very is continued in any fee the Britith do- minions, that more than one-half of the legifla- ture are the virtual fupposters: and encouragers of a traffic which ought to be abolithed, as it cannot be carried on but by fome of the moft abandoned and profligate men upon earth. However, the partizans of iuch a-clafs of men are generally too many and numerous, whofe. -wiciated principles from time to time have led the whole nation into debt, error and difgrace; and by their magnetic influence there is a general fup port given to defpotifm, oppreffion and cru- ity. For many have acquired great: riches .by - fome infidious traffic or illegal gain ;.and as thefe mecame often leading men in governments, vaft multitudes . % ght = ay tt cis ae os et ap pei a Bees ne }- q ¥ Se rae aOR ec ys wba ety ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY, 87, ‘all rulers, their empire might have received all ‘© reafonable benefit,. with the encreafe of future - “ glory.” But fhould it be afked, what advan- tages Great-Britain has gained by all its extenfive territories abroad, the devaftations committed; and the abominable flavery and oppreffion car- Tied on in its colonies? It may be anfwered ac cording to the old proverb, . It feldom is the grand-child’s lot, To foare of wealth unjuftly gat. This feems to be veritied too much in their pre- fent fituation: for however wide they have ex- tended their territories abroad, they have funk into a world of debt at home, which muft ever remain an impending burden upon the inhabi- tants. And it is not likely, by any plan as yet adopted, to be ever. paid, or any part of it, without a long continued heavy annual load of taxes. Perhaps, great as it is {ome other plan, . more equitable for the good of the whole com- munity, if it was wanted to. be done, and with- out any additional taxes, might be fo made ufe of to pay it all off in twenty or thirty years time, and in fuch manner as whatever emergencies might happen, as never to need to borrow any money at intereft, The national debt cafts a fluggith deadnefs over the whole realm, greatly {tops ingenuity and improvements, promotes idle- nefs and wickednefs, clogs all the wheels of com- merce, and drains the money out of the nation, If a foreigner buys ftock, in the courfe of years that the intereft amounts tq the principal, he gets it all back ; and in.an equitable time the fame fum ever after, and in courfe muft take that money to foreign parts. And thofe who hold — fiock at home, area kind of idle drones, as a burden > Pree ee PRES eS TE OBIT eo — eemysianoer es sen ht yee Sate Be TeOPETy ieee Se ee: i: a. ‘ hp V4 (i, . BR eit geste 92 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS prefent forms of government, as well as much. abufe of that whichis right. The Spaniards began their fettlements in the Weft Indies and America, by depredations of rapine, injuftice, treachery and murder; and they have continued in the barbarous practice of devaftation, cruelty, and oppreffion ever fince : and their principles and maxims in planting co- lonies- have been adopted, in fome meafure, by every other nation in Europe. This guiltful me- thod of colonization muft undoubtedly and im- perceptibly have hardened men’s hearts, and led them on from one degree of barbarity and cruelty to another.: for when they had deftroyed, wafted and defolated the native inhabitants, and when many of their own people, enriched with plun- der, had retired, or returned home to enjoy their ill-gotten’ wealth; other réfources for men to, la- bour ‘and cultivate the ground, and fuch other laborious employments were wanted. Vat ter- ritories and large poffeffions, without getting in- habitants to labour for them, were of-no'ule. A general part of what remained of the wretched fugitives, who had the beft native right to thofe poffeffions, were obliged'to make their efcape to places more remote, and fuch as could not, were obliged ‘to fubmit to the hard labour and bond- age of their invaders, but as they had not been ufed to fuch harth treatment and laborious em- ployment as‘ they were then fubjected to, they were foon wafted'away and became few. Their proud invaders found the advantage of having their labour done for nothinz, and it became their genera} practice to pick up the unfortunate ftrangers that fell in their way, when they thought they ‘could make ufe of them: in “their ‘fervice. wet That ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY: 89 ~fhould be attended with the bleffings of God, neither to efchew evil. They often become in- fatuated to do evil unawares; and thofe em- ployed under their fervice fometimes lead them ‘into debt, error and wickednefs, in order to en- rich themfeives by their plunder, in committing the moft barbarous cruelties, under pretences of -war, wherein they were the firft agereffors, and which is generally the cafe in all unnatural and deftructive difputes of war. In this bufinefs mo- ney is wanted, the national debt becomes in- creafed, and new loans and other fums muft be added to the funds. The plunderers abroad fend ‘home their cath as faft as they can, and by one ‘means and another the fums wanted to borrow, are foon made up. At laft when the wars fub- fide, or other bufinefs calls them home, laden with the fpoils of the Eaft or elfewhere, they have then the grand part of their bufinefs to ne- gociate, in buying up bank ftock, and lodging their plunder and ill-got wealth in the Britith or other funds. Thus the nation is loaded with ‘more debt, and with an annual addition of more -intereft to pay, to the further advantage of thofe who often occafioned it by their villainy; who, if they had their deferts, like the Popifh inqui- fitors, are almoft the only people in the world who deferve to be hung on the rack. ae But fo it happens in general, that men of ac- tivity and affluence, by whatever way they are - poffeffed of riches, or have acquired a greatnefs of fuch property, they are always preferred to take the lead in matters of government, fo that the greateft depredators, warriors, contracting companies of merchants, and rich flave-holders, always endeavour to puth themfelves on to get power a eee Ve ie OR ae THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS The Royal African Company (as ‘is is called, ought rather to be reverfed as unworthy of the ruthe) Was incorporated: r4th Charles II. ‘and im- powered to. trade fronr Salle in South Barbary to the Cape of Good Hope, and to ere¢ct forts and faétories on thé weftern coaft of Africa for that purpofe. But this trade was laid’ open by an act of parliament, Anno 1697, and every’ private meréhant permitted: to trade thither, upon pay- ing the fum of ‘ten pounds towards’ maintaining the forts and gatrifons. ‘This Company, for fel curine® their commerce, erected’ feveral factories ow the coaft; the moft remarkable are thefe, viZé on the North part of Guinea, James Fort, wpon an ifland in the’ River Gambia, Sierra Le ad, arid Sherbro; and on the South part of Guinea, viz. on the: Gold Coaft, Dick’s Cove, Succunda, Commeéenda, Cape Coat Cafile, Fort Royal, Quiee Anne ’s Point, Charles Fort, Anna- mabo, Winebah, Shidoe, Acra, &c. In all thefe. places: it’ is thei grand Butinels to traffic in the: iranian’ fpecies ; and: dreadful and fhocking as it ist6 think, it ‘has even been eftablifhed by royal authority, ‘afd’ is fill fupported and carried on" uncer a Chriftian government; and’ this fale evidently appear thereby, that the learned, civilized, did éven the enlightened wearsoiis' are become’ as’ vag hit barbarous and brutith as the unt iearned. - To give ay juft coneeption of the. barbarous’ - traffic catried’ on at thofe faétories, it would be® out of. my! power to deferibe the miferable fitua- tion. of the poor exiled Africans, which by the’ craft of wicked men daily become their prey, though Ihave feen enough of their mifery as’ wellas read; no defcription can give an adequate — idea ON THE EVIL-OF SLAVERY. 92 - multitudes by fea and land purfue the ‘fame courfe, and fupport the fame meafures; like ad- venturers in the lottery, each grafping for the higheft prize ; or as much enamoured with any infamous way of getting riches, as the Spaniards were with. the Peruvian vefiels of gold. And when ambitious and wicked men are bent upon avarice and covetoufnefs, it leads them on to commit terrible cruelties, and their hearts be- come hardened in wickednefs ; fo that even their enormous-crimes fink in their..own. eftimation, and foften into trivial matters, The houfe- breakers and highwaymen, petty depredators, think nothing of any mifchief or cruelty that they can do, fo as they can gain their end.and come off fafe ; but their villainy and crimes appear to -Other men as they ought to do, and if they can be detedted, and taken hold of, they will meet with fuch punifhment as_ they juftly deferve for their crimes. Butit is otherwife with the Colo- nians, the great depredators, pirates, kidnappers, robbers, oppreffors and enflavers,of men. The laws as reaching from Great-Britain to the Weft- Indies, do not detect them, but proteét the opu- lent flave-holders ; though their opulence and protection by any law, or,any government what- foever, cannot make them lefs criminal than vio- lators of the common rights and liberties of men. They do not take away a man’s property, like other robbers ; but they take a man himfelf, and fubject him to their fervice and bondage, which iS a greater robbery, and a greater crime, than taking away any property from men whatfoever, And, therefore, with refpect to them, there is yery much wanted for regulating the natural rights of mankind, and very much wrong in the * prefent 1) | a SPE Ine «+ 96, THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS bemoaning themfelves with grief and lamentation at: the profpect. of their wretched fate. And when fold and delivered up to their inhuman purchafers, a more heart-piercing fcene cannot well take place. The laft embrace of the be- loved hufband and wife may be feen, taking their dear offspring in their arms, and with the moft parental fondnefs, bathing their cheeks with a final parting endearment. . But on this occafion they are not permitted to continue ‘long, they arc foon torn away by their unfeeling matters, en- _‘tirely deftitute of a hope of ever feeing each otheriagain; and no confolation is afforded to them in this forrowful and truly pitiable fitua- tien. Should any of them ftill-linger, and cling together alittle longer, and not part as readily as their owners would have them, the flogzer is catled on, and they are foon drove away with the bloody commiferation of the cutting fangs, of the whip lafhing -their naked bodies. This. laft exercife of the bloody whip, with many other cruel punifhments, generally becomes an appendage of their miferable fate, until their - wretched lives be wore out with hunger, naked- nefs, hard labour, dejection and defpair.» Alas! alas ! poor unhappy mortal! to experience. fuch. treatment from men that take upon themfelves the facred name of. Chriftians ! _ In fuch a vaft extended, hideous and predomi- nant flavery, as’ the Europeans carry on in their Colonies, fome indeed may fall into better hands, and meet with fome commiferation and better treatment than others, and a few may become free, and get shemielvesiibersted fron) that cruel and galling yoke of bondage; but what are thefe to the whole, even hundreds of thoufands, held _ and ~ ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. 93) That bafe traffic of kidnapping and ftealing men was begun by the Portuguefe on the coaft of. Africa, and as they found the benefit of it for their own wicked purpofes, they foon went on to commit greater depredations. The Spaniards: followed tie infamous example, and the African flave-trade was thought moft advantageous for them, to enable themfelves to live in eafe and affluence bythe cruel fubje&tion and flavery of others. The French and Englith, and fome other nations in Europe, as they founded fettle- ments and colonies in. the Weft Indies. or in America, -went.on im the fame manner, and joined hand in hand with the Portuguefe and Spaniards, to rob and pillage Africa, as well as to wafte and defolate the inhabitants of the weft- ern continent. But the European depredators and pirates have not only robbed and pillaged the people of Africa themlelves; but, by their infti- gation, they have infefted the inhabitants with fome of the vileft combinations of fraudulent ‘and treacherous villains, even among their own people; and have fet up their forts.and factories asa refervoir of public and abandoned thieves, - and as 2 den of de{peradoes, where they may en- fnare, entrap and catch men. So that,Africa has been robbed of its inhabitants; its free-born fons and daughters have been ftole, and kidnapped, and violently taken away, and carried into cap-' tivity and cruel bondage. And it. may be faid, in refpect to that diabolical traffic which is fill: carri¢d on by the European depredators, that Africa has fuffered as much and more than an other quarter of the globe. O merciful God! when will the wickednefs of man have an end? The. OO ee a tne en ee ee 98 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS oppreffions loaded upon: the wretched furvivors are fuch that they are continually wearing out, and a new annual fupply wanted; that the vatt carnage, and the pret multitude of human fouls that are actually eprived of life by carrying on that iniquitous bufinefs, may be fuppofed to be . even more than one hundred thoufand that perifh annually ; or {uppofing that to be greatly leds than itis, ftill it is fo great. that the very idea is dhocking to conceive, at the thought of it fenfi- bility. would blufh, and feeling nature abfolutely turn pale. “ Gracious, ati ae wicked, how beyond all ‘* example impious, muft be that fervitude which «cannot be carried on without the continual «murder of fo many innocent perfons, What punifhment is not to be expected from. fuch *€ monftrous and unparalleled barbarity? For if - the blood of one man unjuftly fhed ‘cries with © fo loud_a voice for the Divine vengeance, how _© fhall the cries and groans of an hundred thou- “© fand men annually murdered afcend the celef- gal manfions, and bring. down that punifhment -* fuch .enormities deletes ?” As this enormous iniquity is not conjecture, but an obvious fact, “occafioned by that dreadful and wicked bufinefs “of flavery, were the inhabitants of Great-Britain to hear tell of any other nation that murdered one. hundied thoufand innocent people annually, “they would think them an exceeding inhuman, “barbarous, and wicked people indeed, and that “they would be furely punifhed by fomne fienal judgment of Almighty God. But furely law and — “liberty, juftice and equity, which are the pro- ‘per foundations of the Britifh government, and. aimanity the mott amiable characteriftic of the people, ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. gf idea of the horror of? their feelings, and the’ dreadful calamities they undergo. - The treache+: rous, perfidious and cruel methods made ufe of im procuring them, are horrible: and fhocking.: The bringing them: to the fhips and factories, and fubjeGing them to: brutal examinations ftripped! naked and markings, is barbarous and bafés The ftowing them in the holds of the fhips like goods: of Bunden; with clofenefs and ftench, is: deplora- ble; and, what makes addition to:this' deplorable fituation, they are often tréated inthe moft bar-. barous and inhuman manner by the unfeeling: monfters of Captains. . And wliem they arrive ab the deftined port im the colonies, they are agauw ftripped naked for the brutal examination of ‘their purchafers to view them, which, to many, muft add fhame and grief to their other wae, as: may be evidently. feen with forrow, melancholy and defpair marked) upom their countenances.: Here again another fcene of griefand lamenta-) tion ariles ;—friends and near relations muft be parted never ecard again, nor knowing to. whence they gos -Here daughters are clinging: to their tbh Ta ihe mat liews to their daughtersy bedewing each others:naked breatts with tears 5) here fathers, mothers, and children, locked tr b each others .arms, are begging mever to be fem parated ; here the! hufband will we pleading for his wife, and: the wife praying: for: her children, and entreating, enaugh to melt the moft obdu«. rate: heart; not to be‘torni from them, and taken) away: Foe her? hufband ;: and: fome will be filk: weeping for their native tbore, and their dear: relations and friends; aud -othen éndeari ing con! nections which: they shave left bebimd ‘avid: have: been barbaroufly tore away {rony,. and: all:.ane: bemoaning oO THOUGHTS ‘AND SENTIMENTS “ loffes to ‘the’ ftates to which they feverally be= *“long, are fo many awful vifitations of God for “* this inhuman violation of his laws. A'nd ‘it ‘is ‘““not perhaps unworthy of retnark, that as‘ the “€ fubjeé&ts of Great-Britain have two-thirds of this ““impious commerce in their own hands; fo they “€ have fuffered in the fame proportioh, or more ** feverely than: the reft.. How far thefe misfor- “* tunes may appear to be‘ acts of Providence, and “€ to create an alarm to thofe who have. been ac- “ cuftomed ‘to refer every effet to ‘its ‘apparent *“ caufe ; who have been habituated to ftop there, “and to overlook the finger: of God, becaufe it “is flightly covered under the veil of fecondary “* laws, we will not pretend ‘to determine ; but “this we will affert with confidence, that the “* Europeans have richly defetved' themy all: the “ fear of fympathy that~can' ‘hardly be reftrained “« on other melancholy occafions, feems to forget “to flow at the relation of thefe ; and that we ‘f can never, with ‘any fhadow’ of juftice, with & profperity to the undertakers of thofe whofe “<'fuccefs muft be at the expence of the happinefs *¢ of millions of their fellow-creatures *.” ie For though this world is not the place of final _ setribution, yet there is an. evidence maintained’ in the coyrfe of Divine Providence, that verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth. ‘That: * See the excellent Mr. Clarkfon’s Effay on the’ Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species ; and, I muit add, the’ amiable ‘and indefatigable friend of mankind;: Granville* Sharp, Efg; from whofe writings I have borrowed fome of: the following obfervations. I'am alfo indebted to feveral others, whofe intrinfic vietues will equally fhine in the fame: amiable manner, while ever there is any virtue and humani- ty amongit men; and. when thofe. of; the enflavers of mem: will fink into abhorrence fer,evers. _- wees ee Se | Sate ‘ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY: 99 “and perpetrated in all'the prevalent and intoler- - “able calamities of that ftate of bondage and exile. ‘The emancipation of ‘a few, while evér ‘that evil ‘and predominant bufinefs of flavery is continued, cannot fake’ that “horrible traffic one bit the lefs ‘criminal. For, according to the methods of pro- “Curing flaves ‘in Africa, there muft be great rob- “beries and murders committed before any ‘eman- “cipation can take place, and before any lenitive ‘favours can be fhewn to anv of them, even by ‘the generous and humane. This mutt ‘evidence ‘that the whole of that bafe traffic is an enormous ‘evil and ‘wicked thing, which cries aloud for re- -drefs, ‘and that an immediate end and ftop fhould “be put to it. ae The worthy and jtdicious author of the Hifto- ‘ical account of Guinea, aid. others, have given fome very ftriking eftimates of the‘excéeding evil ‘occafioned by that wicked diabolical ‘traffic of the African flave-trade; wheréin ‘ft f{eetns, of late years, ‘the Englith have taken ‘the lead, or the ‘greateft part of it, in carrying it on. They haye computed, ‘that ‘the fhips from Liverpool, ‘gift ‘tol and London have exported froti the coaft of Africa upwards of one hundred thoufand flaves annually ; and that among other cyij]s attending ‘this barbarous inhuman traffic, it-is alfo compu-~ ted that the numbers which die killed by the treacherous and barbarous methods of procuring. _ them, together with thofe that peérith in the voy- age, and die in the feafoning, amount to at leaft an hundred thoufand, which perifh in every yearly attempt to fupply the colonies, before any of the wretched furvivers, reduced to about fixty thou- fand, annually required as an additional ftock can be made ufcful, But as the great feverities and Hi oppreffions he } 3 ¢ 102 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS deftructive wars, earthquakes and dreadful thun- ders, ftorms and hurricanes, blaftings and de- ftructive infects, inclement and unfruitful featons, national debt and oppreffions, poverty and dif- . treffes of individuals, &c. For bis own iniquity foall take the wicked bimfelf; and who can tell what dreadful calamities may yet befal to a people refponfible for fo great a fhare of iniquity as in that part which they carry on of the African flave-trade alone. ‘‘ And it is not known how *‘ foon a juft national retribution of vengeance “¢ may burft forth againft it; how foon the Al- “‘ mighty may think: fit to recompence the Bri- ‘¢ tith nation, according to: the work, of their ‘‘ hands, for the horrible oppreffion of the poor “* Africans. | ‘¢ For national wickednefs from the beginning “< of the world has generally been vifited with ‘€ national punifhments; and furely no national <* wickédnefs can be more heinous in the fight of *< God than a public toleration of flavery, and “© fooner or later thefe kingdom will be vifited “with fome fignal mark of his difpleafure, for ** the notarious oppreffion of the poor Africans, “that are haraffed and continually wearing out with a maft fhameful involuntary fervitude in “* the Britifh colonies, and by a public toleration *< under the fanétion of laws, to which the: mo- “ narchs of England from time to time, by ad- vice of their privy-counfellors, have given the “royal affent, and thereby rendered themfelves ‘* parties in the oppreffion, and it may be feared partakers in their guilt.”—* And every man *‘ has ample reafon to fear. that God will make *‘ of this nation, in proportion to the magnitude ** of its guilt'in the flave-dealing, a tremendous “* example n nn nm ce «Cc ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. 9g people, muft be entirely fled from their land, if: they can think a lefs punifhment due to them- felves, for fupporting and carrying on fuch enor- mous wickednefs, if. they.do not fpeedily relin-» quifh and give it up. The very nature of that wickednefs of enflaving.of men is fuch, that were the traffic, which European. nations carry on in it,.a thoufand times lefs than it is, it would be: what no righteous nation would admit of for the fake of any gain whatfoever. Wherefore as it is, what ought to be done?. If there is any righteouf- nefs, any wifdom, any juftice, or any humanity. to be found, ought, not the whole of it, and all the branches of fuch: exceeding evil, and wicked) traffic, and all the iniquity of it to be relinquifh-. ed, and root and branches to be fpeedily given. up and put an end to? ce | “‘ For while fuch monftrous iniquity, fuch de- “liberate barbarity and cruelty is carried on, ‘* whether it be confidered as the crime of indi- *‘ viduals, or as patronized and encouraged by. “‘ the laws of the land, it ‘holds forth an equal ‘degree of enormity. And acrime founded in “fuch a dreadful pre-eminence in wickednefs, “* both of individuals and the nation, muft fome “* time draw down upon them the heavieft jude- “‘ ments of Almighty God.”—** On this occafion “‘there feems already to be an interference of ** Divine Providence, though the obdurate and - “€ impenitent part of mankind may not regard it. “« The violent and fupernatural agitations of all “‘ the elements, which for a feries of years have ** prevailed in thofe‘European fettlements where ‘* the unfortunate Africans are retained in a ftate ** of flavery, and which have. brought: unfpeak- ** able calamities to the inhabitants, and public pi EE ee “© lofies “Ne £O4 THOUGHTS AND: SENTIMENTS: clergy. of all denominations, whom we would con=. fider. as. the devout, meffengers of righteoufnels,, peace,, and good-will to.all men, if we find any. of them ranked with infidels. and barbarians, we-~- muft confider them as particularly refponfible,: and, in fome meafure, guilty, of the crimes of’ other wicked:men in the higheit degree, For it- is their duty to. warn every man, and to teach. every:man -to know.their errors; and if they. do. not, the crimes of thofe. under their particular. charge muft reft upon themfelves, and upon. fome.of them,, in fuch a cafe as this, that of the: whole. nation. in general; and thofe (whatever, their refpective fituation, may, be) who forbid: ovhers. to. affift them, muft. not be very fenfible. of their own duty, and the great extenfivenefs: and,importance of their own charge. And as it) i their great:duty to teach men righteoufnefs and; picty.; this ought to be confidered as. fufficiently, obvious unto.them, and to all men, that nothing. can be more contrary unto it, than the ewil and) very nature of enflaving men, and making mer- chandize.of them like the brute creation. ‘* For» “ 18 , And whereas.we confider our cafe before God of the whole univerfe, the Gracious Father and Saviour of men; we will look unto him for help and deliverance. The cry of our afflidtion is als ready gone up before him, and he will hearken to 132 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS make enquiry concerning. fome. of their-friends and relations in Africa: and if. they found any. intelligent perfons amongft them, to give them as good education as they could, and find out a way of recourfe to their friends; that as foon as they had made any progrefs in ufeful learning and the knowledge of the Chriftian religion, they might be fent back to Africa, to be made ufeful there as foon,' and as many of them as. _ could be made fit for inftru@iing others... The reft would become ufeful refidentors in the colo- nies ; where there might be employment enough given to all free people, with fuitable wages ac- 4 cording to their ufefulnefs, in the improvement _ of land; and the more. encouragement. that ~ could be given to agriculture, and: every other branch of ufeful induftry, would thereby. en- creafe the number of the inhabitants; without which any country, however bleffed by nature, muft continue poor. rah oi And, thirdly, I would propofe, that a fleet of ~fome thips of war fhould be immediately fent to the coaft of Africa, and particularly where the flave trade is carried on, with faithful men to di- reét that none fhould be brought from the coaft of Africa without their own confent and the ap- probation of their friends, and to intercept all merchant fhips that were bringing them away, ‘ until fuch a ferutiny was made, whatever nation. they belonged to. And, | would fuppofe, if Great- Britain was to do any thing ofthis kind, that-it would meet with the general approbation and.af- fitance of other Chriftian nations; but whether ~- it did or not, it could be very lawfully. done at all. the Britifh forts and fettlements on. the coaft of Africa; and particular remonftrances could be eal can given Se tee oe eS fe a a a a fie eel “ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. I29 ‘the way of an adulterous woman; fhe eateth, and wipeth her mouth; and faith, I have done no wick= edne/s. But rather let us fuppofe, That whereas iniquity hath abounded, may righteoufne/s much more abound, For the wickednefs that you have done is great, and wherever your traffic and colonies have been extended it is fhameful ; and the great injuftice and cruelty done to the poor Africans crieth to heaven againft you; and therefore that it may be forgiven unto you, it cries aloud for univerfal reformation and national repentance, But let it not fuffice that a gracious call from the throne is inviting you, To a religious obfervance of God’s holy laws, as fearing, left God’s wrath and indignation, foould be provoked againft you; but in your zeal for God’s holy law, becaufe of the fhameful tranfgreffion thereof, every man every woman hath reafon to mourn apart, and every one that dwelleth:in the land ought to mourn and figh for all the abominations done therein, and for the great wickednefs carried on thereby. And now that bleffings may come inftead of a curfe, and that many beneficent purpofes of good might fpeedily arife and flow from it, and be more readily promoted: I would hereby pre- fume to offer the following confiderations, as fome outlines of a general reformation which” ought to be eftablifhed and carried on. And firft, I would propofe, that there ought to be days of mourning and fafting appointed, to make enquiry into that great and pre-eminent evil for many years paft carried on againft the Heathen nations, and the horrible iniquity of making merchandize of us, and cruelly enflaving the poor Africans: and that you might feek grace and repentance, and find mercy and forgivenefs before God Omnipotent; and that-he may give K a. you gp tn ee 134. THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS degrees they became to love learning, there would be nothing in. their power, but what they would with to render: their fervice in return for the means of impfoving their underftanding ; and the prefent Britith factories, and other fettlements, might be enlarged: to a very great extent. And; as |Great-Britain has been remarkable. for, ages paft, for encouraging arts and fciences, and may now be: put in competition with any nation in the known world, if they would take compafiion, on the inhabitants of the coaft of Guinea, and to make ufe of fuch means as would be needful to enlighten their minds in the knowledge of Chrif- tianity, their virtue, in this refpect, would have, its.own reward.. And as the Africans became re-; fined and eftablifhed in light and knowl-dge,. they would imitate their noble Britifh friends, to, improve their lands, and make ufe of that induf- try as the nature of their country might require, and to fupply thofe that would trade with them, with fuch produdiions as the nature of their eli- mate would produce; and, in'every refpect, the fair Britons would have.the preference with them to.a-very great extent ; and; in another refpedt, they woud become a, kind of firft ornament to: Great-Britain for her tender and compaffionate care of fuch.a fet of difirefled poor ignorant peo- ple. ih comparifon of what it was; as only a barren di fart, ; ~ Particulay thanks is due to every one of that hus mane fociety of worthy and refpectful gentlemen, whofe liberality hath fupportéed marly of the Black eas 3 "poor ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. 135 Due encouragement being given to fo great, fo. juft, and fuch a noble undertaking, would foon bring more revenue in a righteous way to the Britith nation, than ten times its fhare in all the profits that flavery can produce*; and fuch a laudable example would infpire every generous and enterprizing mind to imitate fo great and worthy a nation, for eftablithing religion, juttice, and equity to the Africans, and, in doing this, would be held in the /higheft efteem by all men, and be admired by all the world. Thefe three preceeding confi derations may fuf- fice at prefent to thew, that fome plan might be adopted in fuch a manner as effetually.to relieve the grievances and oppreffion of the Africans, and to bring great honour and bletfings to that nation, and to all men whofoever would endea- vour to promote fo great good to mankind; and it might render more confpicuous advantages to the noble Britons, as ‘the firft doers of it, and greater honour than the finding of America was at firft to thofe that made the difcovery: Though feveral difficulties may feem to arife at firft, and the good to be fought after may ap- pear as remote and unknown, as it was to explore. the unknown regions of the Weftern Ocean 5 * A gentleman of my acquaintance told me tree if ever he hears tell of any thing of this kind taking place, he has 2 plan in contemplation, which would, in fome equitable man- ner, produce from one million to fivertn millions fterling to the Britifh government annually, as it might be required ; of which a duc proportion of that revenue would be paid by the Africans ; and that it would prevent all fmuggling and illicit talicis ; in a great meafure, prevent running into debt, long rifonment, and all. unlawful. bankruptcies; effectually porent all difhoneity and fwindling, and almoft put an'end to all robbery, fraud and theft, fhould aie C7: oe on Baas cae 140 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS it. Hada treaty of agreement been firft made with the inhabitants of Africa, and the terms and _fature of fuch a fettlement fixed upon, and its fituation and boundary pointed out; then might the Africans,-and others here, have embarked. with a good profpeé& of enjoying happinefs and profperity themfelves, and have gone with a hope of being able to-render their fervices, in return, of fome advantage to their friends and benefac- tors of Great-Britain. But as this was not done, and as they were to be hurried away at all events, come of them after what would; and yet, after all, to be delayed in the fhips betore they were fet out from the coaft, until many of them ‘have perifhed with cold, and other diforders, and fe-. veral of the moft intelligent among them are dead, and others that, in all probability, would: have been moft ufeful for them.were hindéréd from going, by means’ of .fome ‘difagreeable jea- loafy of thofe:who were appointed as governors, the great profpect of doing good feems all to be blowa away. “And fo it appéared' to fome of thofe who are now gone, and at laft, hap hazard, were obliged to go; who endeavoured in vain to get away by plunging into the water, that they might, if poffible wade afhore, as dreading the profpect of their wretched fate, and ‘as be- holding their perilous fituation, having every profpect of difficulty and furrounding danger. ~ What with the death of fome of the original promoters and propofers of this charitable un- dertaking, andthe death and. deprivation of others that were to fhare the benefit of it, and by the adverfe motives of thofe employed to be the conductors thereof, we think it will be more than what .can‘be well expected, if we ever hear. Wo | Z of ~*~ ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY” I37 - cof the Weft-Indians more money to have their manufactories carried by the labour of freemen than with flaves, it would be attended with greater bleffings and advantages to them in the end. What the. wages fhould be for the labour of free- men, isa queftion not fo eafily determined ; yet I fhould think, that it always ought to be fome- thing more than merely victuals and cloaths ; and if ‘a man works by the day, he fhould have the three hundredth part of what might be eftimated as fufficient to keep him in _neceffary cloaths and provifions for a year, and, added to that, fuch wages of reward as their ufefulnefs might require. Something of this kind fhouid be obferved in free countries, and then the price of provifions would be kept at fuch arate as the induftrious poor could live, without being oppreffed and {crewed down to work for nothing, but only barely to live. And were every civilized nation, where they boaft of liberty, fo ordered by its goyern- ment, that fome general and ufeful employment were provided for every induftrious man and wo- man, in fuch a manner that none fhould ftand fiill and be idle, and have to fay that they could not get employment, fo long as there are barren lands enough at home. and abroad fufficient to employ thoufands and millions of people more than there are. This, in a great meafure, would prevent thieves and robbers, and the dabour of many would foon enrich a nation, But thofe employed by the general community fhould only have their maintenance either given or eftimated in money, and half the wages of others, which would make them feek out for fomething elfe whenever they could, and half a loaf would be better than.no bread. The men that were em- WOO ployed 342 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS frcet water and bitter? They were afraid: that their doom would be to drink of the bitter wa- ter. For can it be readily conceived that go- vernment would eftablith a free-colony for them néarly on the fpot, while it fupports its forts and garrifons, to enfnare, merchandize, and to carry others into captivity and flavery. Above fifty years ago, P. Gordon, in his Geo- graphy, though he was no advocate againtt fla- very, complains of the barbarities committed againft the Heathen nations, and the bafe ufage of the negroe flaves fubjeéted -to bondage as brutes, and deprived of religion as men. His remark on the religion of the American iflands, fays:** As for the negroe flaves, their lot has ‘* hitherto been, and fill is, to ferve fuch Chrif- ** tian mafters, who fufficiently> declare what “« zeal they have for their converfion, by un- ** kindly ufing a ferious divine fome time ag “* for only. propofing to endeavour the fain This was above half a century ago, and their un- ehriftian barbarity is {till continued. Even: in the: little time that I was: in’ Grenada, I faw 2 flave receive twenty-four lafhes of a whip for being feen at a church on a Sunday, inftead of going to work in the fields; and thofe whom they put the greateft confidence in, are often ferved inthe fame manner. The noble propofals offered for inftru€ting the heathen nations and peo- ple in his: Geography, has been attended to with’ great fupinenefs and indifference. The author: withes, that ‘© fincere endeavours might be made ‘¢ to extend the limits of our Saviour’s kingdom,. *¢ with: thofe of our own dominions; and to “« fpread the true religion as far as the Britith fails: ** have done for traffic,” And he adds, ‘* Let ** our : qi : ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. 139 poor about London. . Lhofe that. honor ‘their Maker bave mercy on the poor; and many blefings are upon the bead of the jut: may the fear of the Lord prolong their days, and caufe their memory to be bleffed, and may thew number be encreafed to fill their expectation with gladnefs; for they have. not only commiferated the poor in general, dut ever thofe which are accounted as beafts, and imputed as, vile in the fight of others: ‘The part that the britith government has taken, to co-operate with them, has certainly a flattering and laudable ap- pearance of doing;fome good; and the fitting out dhips to fupply a company of. Black People with clothes and provifions, and to carry them to fettle at Sierra, Leona, in the Weft coatt of Africa, as a free colony to Great-Britain, in a peaceable alliance with the inhabitants, has every appear- ance of honour, and the approbation of friends. According to thé plan, humanity hath made its appearance in a more honorable way of coloni- zation, than any Chriftian nation have ever done before, and may be productive of much good, if they continue to encourage and fupport them. But after all, there is fome doubt whether their own flattering expectation in the manner as fet. forth to them, and the hope of their friends may not be defeated and rendered abortive; and: there is fome reafon to fear, that they never will be fettled as intended, in any permanent and. peaceable way at Sierra Leona. This profpect of fettling a free colony to Great Britain in a peaceable alliance with the inhabit- ants of Africa at Sierra Leona, has neither alto- gether met with the credulous approbation of the Africans here, nor yet been fought after with: any prudent and right plan by the promoters of. if, » 144. THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS the infidious pirates, depredators, murderers and flave-holders. And as it might diffufe know- ledge and inftruction to others, that it’ might receive a tribute of reward from all its territo- ries, forts and garrifons, without being oppref- five to any. But contrary to this the wickednefs of many of ‘the WiritePeople who keep flaves, and contrary to all the laws and duties of Chrif- tianity which the Scriptures teach, they have in general endeavoured to keep the Black People in total ignorance as much as they can, which muft be a great difhonor to any Chriftian government, and injurious to the fafety and happinefs of rulers. Put in order to diffufe any knowledge of Chrif- tianity to the unlearned Heathens, thofe who un- dertake to do any thing therein ought to be wife and -honeft men.’ Their own learning, though the more the better, is not fo much required as that they fhould be men of the fame mind and principles of the apoftle Paul; men that would hate coveteoufnefs, and who would hazard their lives for the caufe and gofpel of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. ‘* I think it needlefs to ** to exprefs how commendable fuch a defign “* would be in itfelf, and how defirable the: pro- <¢ motion thereof fhould be to all who ftile them- “ felves Chriftians, of what party or profeffion ‘* foever they are.” Rational methods might be taken to have the Scriptures tranflated into many foreign languages; ‘* and a competent number: ‘* of young ftudents of theology might be edu- ** cated at home in thefe foreign languages, to S* afford a conftant fupply of “able men, who ** might yearly go abroad, and be fufficiently “¢ qualified at their firft arrival to undertake the | ' $¢ great work for:which they: were fent.” But as SON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. TAI - of any good in proportion to fo great, well- defizned, laudable and expenfive charity. Many more of the. Black People ftill in this country would have, with great gladnefs, embraced: the opportunity, longing to reach their native land ; but as the old faying is, A burnt child dreads the fire, fome of thefe unfortunate fons and daugh- ters of Africa have been feverally unlawfully dragezed away from their native abodes, under various pretences, by the infidious treachery of others, and have been brought into the hands of | er barbarous robbers and pirates, and, like fheep ee to the market, ‘have been fold into captivity and a flavery, and thereby have been deprived of their | natural liberty and property, and every connec- : tion that they held dear and valuable, and fub- . jected to the. cruel fervice of the hard-hearted brutes called planters. But fome of them, by various fervices either to the public or to indi- oe viduals, as more particularly in the courfe of laft ei! war, have gotten their liberty again in this free country. They are thankful for the:refpite, but afraid of being enfnared again; for the Euro- pean feafaring people in general, who’ trade to foreign parts, have fuch a prejudice againft Black People, that they ufe them more like affes than men, fo that a Black Man is fcarcely ever fafe' among them. Much affiduity was made ufe: to perfwade the Black People in general to embrace: the opportunity of going. with this company of tranfports; but the wifer fort declined.from all thoughts of it, unlefs they could hear of. fome better plan taking place for their fecurity and fafety.. For as it feemed prudent and obvious to many of them: taking heed to that facred en- guiry; Doth a fountain fend forth at the fame place iso! : Sweet ie) 146 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS intemperate, frenzy, enthufiaftic, and fanaticifm may be varioufly applied, and often wrongfully ; but, perhaps-never better, or more fitly, than to be afcribed as the genuine charaéter of this author’s brutifh philofophy ; and he may fubfcribe it, and the meaning of thefe words, with as much affinity to himfelf, as he bears a relation to a Hume, or to his friend Tobin. The poor negroes in the Weift-Indies, have fuffered enough by fuch reli- ‘gion asthe philofophers of the North produce ; Proteftants, as they are calied, are the moft bar- barous flave-holders, and there are none can equal the Scotch floggers ‘and negroe-drivers, and the barbarous Dutch cruelties. ‘Perhaps as the church of Rome begins to fink in its power, its followers may encreafe in virtue and humanity ; fo that many, who are the profeffed adherents thereof, would even blufh and abhor the very mention of the cruelty and bloody deeds that their anceftors have committed; and we find flavery itfelf more tolerable among them, than it isin the Proteftant countries. | But I fhall add another obfervation, whichI am forry to find among Chriftians, and 1 think it is a great deficiency among the clergy in general, when covetous and profligate men are admitted amongft them, who either do not. know, or dare not fpeak the truth, but negleét their duty much, or do it with fuch fupinenels, that it becomes good for nothing, Sometimes an old woman felling matches, will preach a bet- ter, and a more “orthodox fermon, than fome of the clergy, who are only decked out (as Mr. Turnbul calls it) with the external trappings ' of religion. Much of the great wickednefs of others licth at their door, and thefe words of the eae are ay HiCuale tothem: And firf, fae ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. 143 our planters duly confider, that to extirpate * natives, is rather a fupplanting than planting a new colony ; and that it is far more honouras ble to overcome paganifm in one, than to de- “ firoy a thoufand pagans. Each convert is a -* conqueft.” To put an end to the xedesdmeimetflavery and merchandizing of men, and to prevent murder, extirpation and diffolution, is what every righte- ous nation ought to feek after; and to endeavour to diffufe knowledge and inftrudtion to all the hea- then nations wherever they can, is the grand du- ty of all Chriftian men. But while the horrible traffic of flavery is admitted and practiced, there can be but little hope of any good propofals meet- ‘ing with fuccefs anywhere ; for. the aban- doned carriers of it on have fpread the poifon of their iniquity wherever they come, at home and abroad. Were the iniquitous laws in fupport of it, and the whole of that oppreffion and injuftice abolithed, and the righteous laws of Chriftianity, equity, juftice, and humanity eftablithed in the room thereof, multitudes of. nations would flock: to the ftandard of truth, and inftead of revolting away, they would count it their greateft happi- nefs to be under the protection and jurifdiction of a righteous government. And in that refpect, in the multitude of the people is the King’s honour ; but in the want of people, is the deftruction of the Prince. We would with to have the grandeur and fame of the Britith empire to extend far and wide; and the glory and honor of God to be promoted by it, and the intereft of Chriftianity fet forth among all the nations wherever its influence and power'can extend; but nat tobe fupported by the €é 448 THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS, &Xc. And let me now. hope that yow will pardon me in ail that I have been thus telling you, O ye in- habitants, of Great-Britain! to whom! owe the greateft refpect; to your king! to yourfelves! and to your government And tho’ many things which | have written may feem harth, it cannot be otherwife evaded. when fuch horible ‘iniquity is tranfacted : and tho’ to fome what I have faid _™ay appear as the rattling leaves of autumn, that may foon be blown away rand whirled in a vortex where few can hear and know : I mutt yet fay, al- though it is not for me to determine the manner, that the: voice of our complaint implies a ven- - geance, becaufe of the great iniquity that you have done, and becaufe ok. the cruel injuftice done unto.\us Africans ; and it ought to. found in your ars as the’ rolling waves around your circum-am- bient fhores.; and if it is not hearkened unto, it may yet arife with a louder voice, as the rolling thunder, and it may encreafe in the force of its volubility, not only to fhake the leaves of the moft fiout in heart, but to rend the mountains.before them, and to cleave in pieces the rocks under them, and.to-go on with fury to finite the ftouteft oaks in the foreft; and even to make that which is ftrong, and wherein you think that your ftrength lieth, to become as itubble, and as the bron of rotten wood, that will do you no good, and your truft in it will become, a, inare of infatuation to you! j ‘ Te ia ae ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. I45 as a. hindrance to this, the many Anti-chriftian errors which are gone abroad into the world, and all the popifh fuperftition and nonfenfe, and the various aflimilations unto it, with the falfe philo- fophy which abounds among Chriftians, feems to threaten with an univerfal deluge; but God hath promifed to fill the world with a knowledge of himfelf, and he hath fet up his bow, in the ra- tional heavens, as well as in the clouds, as a token that he will ftop the proud ways of error and de- lufion, -that hitherto they may come, and no fars ther. The holy arch of truth is to be feen in the azure paths of the pious and wife, and confpicu- oufly painted in crimfon over the martyrs tombs. Thefe, with the golden altars of truth, built up by the reformed churches, and many pious, good and righteous men, are bulwarks that will ever fland againft all the forts of error. Teaching would be exceeding neceffary to the pagan na- tions and ignorant people in every place and. fituation; but they do not need any unfcriptural forms and ceremonies to be taught unto them ;, they can devife fuperftitions enough among them- felves, and church government too, if ever they’ need any. : And hence we would agree in this one thing with that erroneous philofopher, who: has lately wrote An Apology for Negro Slavery, ‘* But if the ‘* flave is only to be made acquainted with the ‘*‘ form, without the fubftance; if he is only to ‘© be decked out with the external trappings of ** religion; if he is only to be taught the un- ‘* cheering principles of gloomy fuperftition; or, ** af he is only to be infpired with the intemperate ‘* frenzy of enthufiaftic fanaticifm, it were better “© that he remained in that dark ftate, where he. * could not fee goad from ill.” But thele words ie intemperate, ON THE EVIL OF SLAVERY. I47 Saith the Lord, I will recompence their iniquity, and their fin double; becanfe they bave defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcafes of their detefiable and abominable things. Such are the errors of men. Church, fignifies an affembly of people ; but a building of wood, brick or ftone, where the people meet together, is generally cal- led fo ; and fhould the people be frightened away by the many abominable dead carcafes which they meet with, they fhould follow the multitudes to the fields, to the vallies, to the mountains, to the iflands, to the rivers, and to the fhips, and com- pel them to come in, that the houfe of the Lord may be filled. But when we find fomie of the covetous connivers with flave-holders, in the Weft-Indies, fo ignorant as to difpute whether a Pagan can be baptized without giving him a Chriftian name, we cannot expeét. much from them, or think that they will follow after much good. Noname, whether Chriftian or Pagan, has any thing to do with baptifm; if the requifite qualities of knowledge and faith be found ina man, he may be baptized let his name be what it will. And Chriftianity does not require that we fhould be deprived of our own perfonal name, or the name of our anceftors; but it miay very fitly add another name unto us, Chriftian, or one anointed, And it might as well be anfwered | fo to that queftion in the Englith liturgy, What és your name ?—A Chriftian. “* A Chriftian is the higheft fiile of man ! ‘© And is there, who the bleffed crofs wipes off “© As a foul blot, from his difhonor’d brow 2? “< Tt angels tremble, ’tis at fuch a fight : “© The wretch they quit difponding of their charge, © More firuck with grief or wonder who can tell 2” L 2 And ee a0 ee ~— Soper ha : ahh igi = 5 en a =