Part 2
In order to rivet the chain of slavery, the law of _Virginia_ ordains, “That no slave shall be set free, upon any pretence whatever, except for some meritorious services, to be adjudged and allowed by the _Governor and Council_: and that where any slave shall be set free by his owner, otherwise than is herein directed, the Church-wardens of the parish wherein such negro shall reside for the space of one month are hereby authorized and required, to _take up and sell_ the said negro, by _public outcry_.”
10. Will not these Law-givers take effectual care, to prevent cruelty and oppression?
The law of _Jamaica_ ordains, “Every slave that shall run away, and continue absent from his master twelve months, shall be _deemed rebellious_:” And by another law, fifty pounds are allowed, to those who kill or bring in alive a _rebellious_ slave. So their law treats these poor men with as little ceremony and consideration, as if they were merely brute beasts! But the innocent blood which is shed in consequence of such a detestable law, must call for vengeance on the murderous abetters and actors of such deliberate wickedness.
11. But the law of _Barbadoes_ exceeds even this, “If any negro under punishment, by his master, or his order, for running away, or any other crime or misdemeanor, shall suffer _in life or member, no person whatsoever shall be liable to any fine therefore_. But if any man, of wantonness, or only of bloody-mindedness or cruel intention, _wilfully kill_ a negro of his own” (Now observe the severe punishment!) “He shall pay into the public treasury fifteen pounds sterling! And not be liable to any other punishment or forfeiture for the same!”
Nearly allied to this is that law of _Virginia_: “After proclamation is issued against slaves that run away, it is lawful for any person whatsoever to kill and destroy such slaves, by such ways and means as he shall think fit.”
We have seen already some of the ways and means which have been _thought fit_ on such occasions. And many more might be mentioned. One Gentleman, when I was abroad, _thought fit_ to roast his slave alive! But if the most natural act of “running away” from intolerable tyranny, deserves such relentless severity, what punishment have these _Law-makers_ to expect hereafter, on account of their own enormous offences?
IV. 1. This is the plain, unaggravated matter of fact. Such is the manner wherein our _African_ slaves are procured: such the manner wherein they are removed from their native land, and wherein they are treated in our plantations. I would now enquire, whether these things can be defended, on the principles of even heathen honesty? Whether they can be reconciled (setting the Bible out of the question) with any degree of either justice or mercy?
2. The grand plea is, “They are authorized by law.” But can law, Human Law, change the nature of things? Can it turn darkness into light, or evil into good? By no means. Notwithstanding ten thousand laws, right is right, and wrong is wrong still. There must still remain an essential difference between justice and injustice, cruelty and mercy. So that I still ask, who can reconcile this treatment of the negroes, first and last, with either mercy or justice?
Where is the justice of inflicting the severest evils, on those that have done us no wrong? Of depriving those that never injured us in word or deed, of every comfort of life? Of tearing them from their native country, and depriving them of liberty itself? To which an _Angolan_, has the same natural right as an _Englishman_, and on which he sets as high a value? Yea, where is the justice of taking away the lives of innocent, inoffensive men? Murdering thousands of them in their own land, by the hands of their own countrymen: many thousands, year after year, on shipboard, and then casting them like dung into the sea! And tens of thousands in that cruel slavery, to which they are so unjustly reduced?
3. But waving, for the present, all other considerations, I strike at the root of this complicated villany. I absolutely deny all slave-holding to be consistent with any degree of natural justice.
I cannot place this in a clearer light, than that great ornament of his profession, Judge _Blackstone_ has already done. Part of his words are as follows:
“The three origins of the right of slavery assigned by _Justinian_, are all built upon false foundations. 1. Slavery is said to arise from captivity in war. The conqueror having a right to the life of his captive, if he spares that, has then a right to deal with them as he speaks. But this is untrue, if taken generally, That by the laws of nations, a man has a right to kill his enemy. He has only a right to kill him in particular cases, in cases of absolute necessity for self-defence. And it is plain, this absolute necessity did not subsist, since he did not kill him, but made him prisoner. War itself is justifiable only on principles of self-preservation. Therefore it gives us no right over prisoners, but to hinder their hurting us by confining them. Much less can it give a right to torture, or kill, or even enslave an enemy when the war is over. Since therefore the right of making our prisoners slaves, depends on a supposed right of slaughter, that foundation failing, the consequence which is drawn from it must fail likewise.”
“It is said secondly, Slavery may begin, by one man’s selling himself to another. And it is true, a man may sell himself to work for another; but he can not sell himself to be a slave, as above defined. Every sale implies an equivalent given to the seller, in lieu of what he transfers to the buyer. But what equivalent can be given for life or liberty? His property likewise, with the very price which he seems to receive, devolves _ipso facto_ to his master, the instant he becomes his slave: in this case therefore the buyer gives nothing. Of what validity then can a sale be, which destroys the very principle upon which all sales are founded?”
“We are told, Thirdly, that men may be _born slaves_, by being the children of slaves. But this being built upon the two former rights must fall together with them, if neither captivity, nor contract can by the plain law of nature and reason, reduce the parent to a state of slavery, much less can they reduce the offspring.” It clearly follows, that all slavery is as irreconcileable to justice as to mercy.
4. That slave-holding is utterly inconsistent with mercy, is almost too plain to need a proof. Indeed it is said, “That these negroes being prisoners of war, our captains and factors buy them, merely to save them from being put to death. And is not this mercy?” I answer, 1. Did Sir _John Hawkins_, and many others, seize upon men, women and children, who were at peace in their own fields and houses, merely to save them from death? 2. Was it to save them from death, that they knock’d out the brains of those they could not bring away? 3. Who occasioned and fomented those wars, wherein these poor creatures were taken prisoners? Who excited them by money, by drink, by every possible means, to fall upon one another? Was it not themselves? They know in their own conscience it was, if they have any conscience left. But 4. To bring the matter to a short issue. Can they say before God, That they ever took a single voyage, or bought a single negro from this motive? They cannot, they well know, to get money, not to save lives, was the whole and sole spring of their motions.
5. But if this manner of procuring and tearing negroes is not consistent either with mercy or justice, yet there is a plea for it which every man of business will acknowledge to be quite sufficient. Fifty years ago, one meeting an eminent statesman in the lobby of the House of Commons, said, “You have been long talking about justice and equity, Pray which is this bill? Equity or justice?” He answered, very short, and plain, “D--n justice: it is necessity.” Here also the slave-holder fixes his foot: here he rests the strength of his cause. “If it is not quite right, yet it _must_ be so: there is an absolute _necessity for it_. It is necessary we should procure slaves: and when we have procured them, it is necessary to use them with severity, considering their stupidity, stubbornness and wickedness.”
I answer, You stumble at the threshold: I deny that villany is ever necessary. It is impossible that it should ever be necessary, for any reasonable creature to violate all the laws of justice, mercy, and truth. No circumstances can make it necessary for a man to burst in sunder all the ties of humanity. It can never be necessary for a rational being to sink himself below a brute. A man can be under no necessity, of degrading himself into a wolf. The absurdity of the supposition is so glaring, that one would wonder any one could help seeing it.
6. This in general. But to be more particular, I ask, 1. What is necessary? And secondly, To what end? It may be answered, “The whole method now used by the original purchasers of negroes, is necessary to the furnishing our colonies yearly with a hundred thousand slaves.” I grant this is necessary to that end. But how is that end necessary? How will you prove it necessary that one hundred, that _one_ of those slaves should be procured? “Why, it is necessary to my gaining an hundred thousand pounds.” Perhaps so: but how is _this_ necessary? It is very possible you might be both a better and a happier man, if you had not a quarter of it. I deny that your gaining one thousand is necessary, either to your present or eternal happiness. “But however you must allow, these slaves are necessary for the cultivation of our Islands: inasmuch as white men are not able to labour in hot climates.” I answer, 1. It were better that all those Islands should remain uncultivated for ever, yea, it were more desirable that they were altogether sunk in the depth of the sea, than that they should be cultivated at so high a price, as the violation of justice, mercy and truth. But, secondly, the supposition on which you ground your argument is false. For white men, even _English_ men, are well able to labour in hot climates: provided they are temperate both in meat and drink, and that they inure themselves to it by degrees. I speak no more than I know by experience. It appears from the thermometer, that the summer heat in _Georgia_, is frequently equal to that in _Barbadoes_, yea to that under the line. And yet I and my family (eight in number) did employ all our spare time there, in felling of trees and clearing of ground, as hard labour as any negro need be employed in. The _German_ family likewise, forty in number, were employed in all manner of labour. And this was so far from impairing our health, that we all continued perfectly well, while the idle ones round about us, were swept away as with a pestilence. It is not true therefore that white men are not able to labour, even in hot climates, full as well as black. But if they were not, it would be better that none should labour there, that the work should be left undone, than that myriads of innocent men should be murdered, and myriads more dragged into the basest slavery.
7. “But the furnishing us with slaves is necessary, for the trade, and wealth, and glory of our nation:” here are several mistakes. For 1. Wealth is not necessary to the glory of any nation; but wisdom, virtue, justice, mercy, generosity, public spirit, love of our country. These are necessary to the real glory of a nation; but abundance of wealth is not. Men of understanding allow, that the glory of _England_ was full as high, in Queen _Elizabeth’s_ time as it is now: although our riches and trade were then as much smaller, as our virtue was greater. But, secondly, it is not clear, that we should have either less money or trade, (only less of that detestable trade of man-stealing) if there was not a negro in all our Islands, or in all _English America_. It is demonstrable, white men, inured to it by degrees _can_ work as well as them: and they _would_ do it, were negroes out of the way, and proper encouragement given them. However, thirdly, I come back to the same point: better no trade, than trade procured by villany. It is far better to have no wealth, than to gain wealth at the expence of virtue. Better is honest poverty, than all the riches bought by the tears, and sweat and blood of our fellow-creatures.
8. “However this be; it is necessary when we have slaves, to use them with severity.” What, to whip them for every petty offence, till they are all in gore blood? To take that opportunity, of rubbing pepper and salt into their raw flesh? To drop burning sealing-wax upon their skin? To castrate them? To cut off half their foot with an axe? To hang them on gibbets, that they may die by inches, with heat, and hunger, and thirst? To pin them down to the ground, and then burn them by degrees, from the feet, to the head? To roast them alive?--When did a Turk or a Heathen find it necessary to use a fellow-creature thus?
I pray, to what end is this usage necessary? “Why, to prevent their running away: and to keep them constantly to their labour, that they may not idle away their time. So miserably stupid is this race of men, yea, so stubborn and so wicked.” Allowing them to be as stupid as you say, to whom is that stupidity owing? Without question it lies altogether at the door of their inhuman masters: who give them no means, no opportunity of improving their understanding: and indeed leave them no motive, either from hope or fear, to attempt any such thing. They were no way remarkable for stupidity, while they remained in their own country: the inhabitants of _Africa_ where they have equal motives and equal means of improvement, are not inferior to the inhabitants of _Europe_: to some of them they are greatly superior. Impartially survey in their own country, the natives of _Benin_, and the natives of _Lapland_. Compare, (setting prejudice aside) the _Samoeids_ and the _Angolans_. And on which side does the advantage lie, in point of understanding? Certainly the _African_ is in no respect inferior to the _European_. Their stupidity therefore in our plantations is not natural; otherwise than it is the natural effect of their condition. Consequently it is not their fault, but _your’s_: you must answer for it, before God and man.
9. “But their stupidity is not the only reason of our treating them with severity. For it is hard to say, which is the greatest, this or their stubbornness and wickedness.”----It may be so: But do not these as well as the other, lie at _your_ door; are not stubbornness, cunning, pilfering, and divers other vices, the natural, necessary fruits of slavery? Is not this an observation which has been made, in every age and nation?----And what means have you used to remove this stubbornness? Have you tried what mildness and gentleness would do? I knew one that did: that had prudence and patience to make the experiment: Mr. _Hugh Bryan_, who then lived on the borders of _South-Carolina_. And what was the effect? Why, that all his negroes (and he had no small number of them) loved and reverenced him as a father, and chearfully obeyed him out of love. Yea, they were more afraid of a frown from _him_, than of many blows from an overseer. And what pains have _you_ taken, what method have _you_ used, to reclaim them from their wickedness? Have you carefully taught them,
“That there is a God, a wise, powerful, merciful being, the Creator and Governor of heaven and earth? That he has appointed a day wherein he will judge the world, will take an account of all our thoughts, words and actions? That in that day he will reward every child of man according to his works: that “then the righteous shall inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world: and the wicked shall be cast into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” If you have not done this, if you have taken no pains or thought about the matter, can you wonder at their wickedness? What wonder, if they should cut your throat? And if they did, whom could you thank for it but yourself? You first acted the villain in making them slaves, (whether you stole them or bought them.) You kept them stupid and wicked, by cutting them off from all opportunities of improving either in knowledge or virtue: and now you assign their want of wisdom and goodness as the reason for using them worse than brute beasts!
V. 1. It remains only to make a little application of the preceding observations.--But to whom should that application be made? That may bear a question. Should we address ourselves to the public at large? What effect can this have? It may inflame the world against the guilty, but is not likely to remove that guilt. Should we appeal to the _English_ nation in general? This also is striking wide; and is never likely to procure any redress for the sore evil we complain of.--As little would it in all probability avail, to apply to the Parliament. So many things, which _seem_ of greater importance lie before them that they are not likely to attend to this. I therefore add a few words to those who are more immediately concerned, whether captains, merchants or planters.
2. And, first, to the captains employed in this trade. Most of _you_ know, the country of _Guinea_: several parts of it at least, between the river _Senegal_ and the kingdom of _Angola_. Perhaps now, by _your_ means, part of it is become a dreary uncultivated wilderness, the inhabitants being all murdered or carried away, so that there are none left to till the ground. But you well know, how populous, how fruitful, how pleasant it was a few years ago. You know the people were not stupid, not wanting in sense, considering the few means of improvement they enjoyed. Neither did you find them savage, fierce, cruel, treacherous, or unkind to strangers. On the contrary, they were in most parts, a sensible and ingenious people. They were kind and friendly, courteous and obliging, and remarkably fair and just in their dealings. Such are the men whom you hire their own countrymen, to tear away from this lovely country; part by stealth, part by force, part made captive in those wars, which you raise or foment on purpose. You have seen them torn away, children from their parents, parents from their children: husbands from their wives, wives from their beloved husbands, brethren and sisters from each other. You have dragged them who had never done you any wrong, perhaps in chains, from their native shore. You have forced them into your ships like an herd of swine, them who had souls immortal as your own: (only some of them, leaped into the sea, and resolutely stayed under water, till they could suffer no more from you.) You have stowed them together as close as ever they could lie, without any regard either to decency or convenience. And when many of them had been poisoned by foul air, or had sunk under various hardships, you have seen their remains delivered to the deep, till the sea should give up its dead. You have carried the survivors into the vilest slavery, never to end but with life: such slavery as is not found among the Turks at _Algiers_, no nor among the Heathens in _America_.
3. May I speak plainly to you? I must. Love constrains me: love to _you_, as well as to those you are concerned with.
Is there a God? You know there is. Is he a just God? Then there must be a state of retribution: a state wherein the just God will reward every man according to his works. Then what reward will he render to _you_? O think betimes! Before you drop into eternity! Think now, _He shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy_. Are you a _man_? Then you should have a _human_ heart. But have you indeed? What is your heart made of? Is there no such principle as compassion there? Do you never _feel_ another’s pain? Have you no sympathy? No sense of human woe? No pity for the miserable? When you saw the flourishing eyes, the heaving breasts, or the bleeding sides and tortured limbs of your fellow-creatures, was you a stone, or a brute? Did you look upon them with the eyes of a tiger? When you squeezed the agonizing creatures down in the ship, or when you threw their poor mangled remains into the sea, had you no relenting? Did not one tear drop from your eye, one sigh escape from your breast? Do you feel no relenting _now_? If you do not, you must go on, till the measure of your iniquities is full. Then will the great God deal with _you_, as you have dealt with _them_, and require all their blood at your hands. And at that day it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for _you_! But if your heart does relent, though in a small degree, know it is a call from the God of love. And to-day, if you will hear his voice, harden not your heart. To-day resolve, God being your helper, to escape for your life. Regard not money! All that a man hath will he give for his life! Whatever you lose, lose not your soul: nothing can countervail that loss. Immediately quit the horrid trade: at all events, be an honest man.
4. This equally concerns every Merchant, who is engaged in the Slave-trade. It is _you_ that induce the _African_ villain to sell his countrymen; and in order thereto, to steal, rob, murder men, women and children without number: by enabling the _English_ villain to pay him for so doing; whom you over pay for his execrable labour. It is _your_ money, that is the spring of all, that impowers him to go on: so that whatever he or the _African_ does in this matter, is all _your_ act and deed. And is your conscience quite reconciled to this? Does it never reproach you at all? Has gold entirely blinded your eyes, and stupified your heart? Can you see, can you _feel_ no harm therein? Is it doing as you would be done to? Make the case your own. “Master,” said a Slave at _Liverpool_ (to the Merchant that owned him) “what if some of my countrymen were to come here, and take away my mistress, and master _Tommy_ and master _Billy_ and carry them into our country, and make them slaves, how would you like it?” His answer was worthy of a man: “I will never buy a slave more while I live.” O let his resolution be your’s! Have no more any part in this detestable business. Instantly leave it to those unfeeling wretches, “Who laugh at human nature and compassion!” Be _you_ a man! Not a wolf, a devourer of the human species! Be merciful, that you may obtain mercy!