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Show 162 ON THE SLAVERY AND CoMMERCF. [elves, who caufe thefe unfortunate people to be .flo/en! And how much greater is your crime, who are robbers if human liberty! The next charge which you exhibit againil: them, is general, it is that of rebellion; a crime of fuch a latitude, that you can impofe it upon almoil: every action, and of fuch a nature, that you always annex to it the moil: excruciating pain. But what a contradiction is this to common fenfe! Have the · wretched Africans formally refigned their freedom? Have you any other claim upon their obedience, than that of force ? If then they are your fubjects, you violate the laws of government, by making them unhappy. But if they are not your fubjects, then, even though they lhould refill: your proceedings, they are not rebellious. But what do you fay to that long catalogue of offences, which you punilh, and of which no people but yourfelves take cognizance at all ? You fay that the wifdom of legillation has inferted it in the colonial laws, and that you punilh by authority. But do you allude to that execrable code, that authorifts murder? that tempts an unoffended perfon to oF THE HuMAN SPECIES. to kill the llave, that abhors and flies your fervice? that delegates a power, which no hoil: of men, which not all the world, can po!Tefs ?-- • Or,-What do you fay to that daily unmerited feverity, which you confider only as common difcipline? Here you fay that the Africans arc vicious, that they are all of them ill-difpofed, that you mull: of necellity be fevere. But can they be well-difpofed to their opprefiors? In their own country they were jull:, generous, hofpitable: qualities, which all the African hiil:orians allow them eminently to pofiefs. If then they are vicious, they mull: have contracted many of their vices from yourfelvcs; and as to their own native vices, if any have been imported with them, are they not amiable, when compared with yours I Thus then do the excufes, which have been hitherto made by the receivers, force a relation of fuch circumil:ances, as makes their conduct totally inexcuf.~ble, and, infiead of diminilhing at all, highly aggravates their guilt. L z CHAP. |