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Show 104 ON THE SLAVERY AND COMMERCE " which he is bound to fecure and defend " by the very nature of his contract; or, " in other words, that he may an Jiver the " end of government." If actuated th e11 by this principle, he lhou ld adjudge ilavery to an offender, as a juil: punilhmen t for his offence, for whoJe benefi t mull: the convicl: labour? If it be anfwcrecl, " for the bene" lit of the il:ate," we allow that the puniiltment, in whatever ligh t it is contidcred, will be found to be equ itable: but if it be anfwerecl, " for the benefit of any individual " •~hom ht pleafes to appoint," we deny it to be j uil:. The '* il:ate alone is conlidered to l1ave been injured, and as tiljurt£•s c11nnot pq;: .Jibly be tra?J~ferred, the il:ate alone can j uiU y receive the advantages of his labour. But if the African prince, when he thus condemns him to labour for the benefi t of an uttqfji!ltded individual, ihould at the fame time fentencc • This fame notion is entertained even by the Afric:m princes , who do not permit tile perfon injured to revenge his. injury, or to receive the convict as his !lave. But if the very pcrfon who has been injured, does not poiTefs him, much lcfs ought any other perfon whatfocvcr. * him oF THE HuMAN SPECIEs. him to become his property ; that is, if he lhould make the perfon and life of the convict at the abfolute difpof:tl of him, for whom he has fentenced him to labour; it is evident that, in addition to his former injuil: ice, he is ufurping a power, which no rul er or rulers of a il:ate can poifefs, and which the great Creator of the univerfe never yet gave to any order whatever of created beings. That this reafoning is true, and that civilized nations have conlidered it as fuch, will be bell: teil: ilied by their practice. We may appeal here to that jlavery, which is now adjudged to delinquents, as a punilhment, among many of the il:ates of Europe. Thefe delinquents are fentenced to labour at the oar, to work in mines, and onforti.Jicatirms, to cu t and clear rivers, to make and repair roads, and to perform other works of national utility. They are employed, in lhort, i11 the publick work; becaufe , as the crimes they have committed are conlidered to have been crimes againft the publick, no in divi dual can juftly receive the emolument> of thei r labour ; and they are neither fild, nor made |