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Show z34 ON THE SLAVEltY AND CoMMERCE frroy themfelves mull: have been infupportably wretched : and if the thought of returning to their country after death, whm they have exp~rienced the colonial joy;, confritutes their fupreme felicity, what are they but a proof, that they think there is as much difference between the two lituations, as there is between mifery and delight? Nor is the alfertion of the receivers lefs liable to a refutation in the in!l:ance of thofe, who terminate their own exifl:ence, than of thofe, whom nature releafes from their perfecutions. They die with a fmile upon their face, and their funerals are attended by a vall: concourfe of their countrymen, with every poffible * demonll:ration of joy. But why this unufual mirth, if their departed brother has left an happy place? Or if he has been taken from the care of an indulge(lt mall:er, who confulted his pleafures, and adminill:ered to his wants? But alas, it arifes from hence, that • A. negroe-fut:tetal is confidered as a, curious fight7 and is attended with finging, dancing, mufick, and every circumfiance that can fhew the attendants to be happy on the occafion. he OF THE HuMAN SPECIES. he is gone to his happy country: a circu~! l:ance fuflicient of itfelf, to lilence a mynad of th;fe fpecious arguments, which the imagination has been racked, and will always be racked to produce, in favour of a fy!l:em of tyranny and oppreffion. It remain s only, that we lhould now conclude the chapter with a faCl:, which will l11ew that the account, which we have given of the lituation of llaves, is !l:riCl:ly true, and will refute at the fame time all the arguments which have hitherto been, and may yet be brought by the receivers, to prove that their treatment is humane. In one of the well:ern colonies of the Europeans, * fix hundred and fifty thoufand llaves were imported within an hundred years; at the ex~iration of which time, their whole poll:emy were found to amount to one hundred and forty thoufand. This faCl: will afcertain the • In g6 years, ending in 1774, Soo,ooo flaves had b~cn imported into the French part of St .. Domingo, of which there remained only zgo,ooo in ' 774· Of this !aft number only 14o,ooo were crcoles, or natives of the ifland, i. c. of6so,ooo flaves, the w~ole poll:erity were J4o,ooo. Conjiderationt fur Ia Colcnit de St. D~;Jini'jMt~ publifued by authority in 177?· treatment |