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Show 214 ON THE SLAVERY AND CoMMERcr. " the chain of nature," as far as it depended on their capacity and colour, we !hall now only take notice of an expreilion, which the recezvers before-men tioned are pleafed to make ufe of, " that they are made for fla" very." H ad the Africans been made for )lavery, or to ~e:ome the property of any focicty of men, It IS clear, from the obfervations that have been made in the fecond part of this Effii~, that they mull: have been created devozd or rea'o . b t h · · . :1 .1' n · u t IS IS contra ry to fact. It IS clear alfo, that there mull: have bew ma':Y and evident figns of the inferiority qf thetr nature, and that this fociety of men ~ull: have had a natural right to their domimon: bu~ this is equally falfe. No fuch figns of mferiority are to be found in the ?n~, ~nd the right to dominion in th e other IS znczde~tal: for in what volume of nature or religiOn IS tt written, that one focietv of men ilwuld breed )laves for the beneli~ of another? Nor is it lefs evident that they would have wanted many of thor 1 .. . lC qua !tieS which they have, and which brutes have no t : they would have wanted that jpirit if OF TilE HUMAN S PE CIES . qf liberty, that * jim)e of ignominy and jbame, which to frequently drives them to the horrid extremity of finilhing their own exifl:ence. Nor would they have been endowed with a contemplative j>o,ver; for fuch a power wou ld have been unneceil:u·y to people in Juch a !ituation; or rather, its only ufe could have been to incrcafc their pain. We cannot fuppofc th erefore that God h as made an order of beings, with fuch men tal qualities and powers, for the fole purpofe of being ufed as beajls, or injlruments of labour. And here, what a dreadful argument prefents itfelf againll: you receiwrs? For if they have no underfl:andjngs as you confefs , then is your conduct impious, bccaufe, as they cannot perceive the intention of your punilhmcnt, your fevcrities cannot make them better. But if, on the other hand, they have had underJhndings, (which has evidently appeared) • There are a particular people among thofe tranfported from Africa to the colonie s, who immediately on receiving punifhment, deftroy thcmfelves. This is a faa which the rectivers are unable: to contradict. 0 4 then |