OCR Text |
Show 4-2 ON THE SLAVERY AND CoMMERCE jifjl carried the wretched inhabitants into flavery. This practice, however trifling and partial it might appear at fidl:, foon became ferious and general. A melancholy infiance of the depravity of human noture; as it lhews, that neither the laws nor religion of any country, however excellent the forms of each, are fuflicient to bind the confciences of fome; but that there are always men, of every age, country, and perfuafion, who are ready to facrifice their dearefi principles at the £brine of gain. Our own ancefiors, together with the Spaniards, French, and moll: of the maritime powers of Europe, foon followed the piratical example; and thus did the Europeans, to their eternal infamy, renew a cufiom, which their o•vn ancefiors had fo lately exploded, from a conftientiolf!nifs of its impiety. Portugutft were the firft of the Europtmts, who made their pira"' tical expeditions. and fhewed the way to that jlarvery, which .. now makes fo difgraceful a figure in the weftcrn colonies of the EuroptaJtJ. In the term " Europeans/' wherever it fhaU occur in the remaining part of this firft ditrertation, we include the Portugueft, and thoji nations only, who followed their ex .. wple. The OF THE HuMAN SPECIES. 4-3 The unfortunate Africans, terrified at thefe repeated depredations, fled in confufion frotn the coafi, and fought, in the intcriour parts of the country, a retreat from the perfecution of their invaders. But, abs, they were miferably dif.1ppointcd! There arc few retreats, that can efcape the penetrating eye of avarice. The Europeans fiill purfued them; they entered their rivers; failed up into the heart of the count••y; furprized the unfOrtun ate Africans again ; and carried them into lhvery. But this conduct, though fuccefsful at firfi, defeated afterwards its own ends. It created a more gene ral alarm, and pointed out, at the fame infiant, the bell: method of fecurity from future depredations. The banks of the rivers were accordingly deferterl, as the coafis had been before ; and thus were the Chrijlian invaders left without a profpect of their prey. In this fitu ation however, expedients were not wanting. They now formed to themfelves the rcfolution of fcttling in the country; '> |