abilities.

mulatto children, born of black mothers, slaves were then subjected to civil disin the colony. It was thought right to hold heathen Africans in slavery; but, as mulattoes must be part Christians, a knotty question came up, for the English law in relation to serfdom declared the

In 1663 the Maryland legislature enacted a law that "all negroes and other slaves within the province, and all negroes and other slaves to be thereafter import

life; and all children born of any negro should be slaves, as their fathers were, for the term of their lives." The same law recited that "divers free-born Englishwomen, forgetful of their free condition, and to the disgrace of the nation, did intermarry with negro slaves," and it was enacted for deterring from such shameful matches" that, during their husbands' lives, white women so intermarrying should be servants to the masters of their husbands, and that the issue of such marriages should be slaves for life.

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condition of the child must be determined ed into the province, should serve during by that of the father. The Virginia law opposed this doctrine in favor of the slaveholders. Some of the negroes brought into Virginia were converted to Christianity and baptized. The question was raised, "Is it lawful to hold Christians as slaves?" The General Assembly came to the relief of the slave-holders by enacting a law that slaves, though converted and baptized, should not therefore become free. It was also enacted that killing a slave by his master by "extreme correction" should not be esteemed a felony, since it might not be presumed that "malice prepense In 1681 the legislature of Maryland would" induce any man to destroy his own passed a new act to remedy the evils of inestate." It was also enacted, as an termarrying of whites and blacks. The evasion of the statute prohibiting the hold- preamble recited that such matches were ing of Indians as slaves, "that all ser- often brought about by the instigation or vants, not being Christians, imported by connivance of the master or mistress, who shipping, shall be slaves for life." Indian took advantage of the former law to proslaves, under this law, were imported from long the servitude of their white feminine New England and the West Indies. Freed servants, and at the same time to raise

up a brood of mulatto slaves. The new all restraints upon their efforts to stop law enacted that all white feminine servants intermarrying with negro slaves were free, at once, after the nuptials, and their children also; and that the minister celebrating and the master or mistress promoting or conniving at such marriages were subjected to a fine of 10,000 pounds of tobacco.

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the importation of slaves, which they called" a very pernicious commerce." In this matter Virginia represented the sentiments of all the colonies, and the King knew it; but the monarch "stood in the path of humanity and made himself the pillar of the colonial slave-trade." Ashamed to reject the earnest and solemn appeal of the In 1682 the slave code of Virginia re- Virginians, he evaded a reply. The conIceived additions. It was enacted that duct of the King caused Jefferson to write runaways who refused to be arrested as follows in his first draft of the Declaramight be lawfully killed. Slaves were for- tion of Independence: "He has waged bidden to carry arms, offensive or de- cruel war against human nature itself, fensive, or to go off the plantations of violating its most sacred rights of life their masters without a written pass, or and liberty in the persons of a distant peoto lift a hand against a Christian, even ple who never offended him, capturing and in self-defence. The condition of slavery carrying them into slavery in another was imposed upon all servants, whether hemisphere, or to incur a miserable death negroes, Moors, mulattoes, or Indians, in their transportation thither. This brought into the colony by sea or land, piratical warfare, the opprobrium of inwhether converted to Christianity or not, fidel powers, is the warfare of the Chrisprovided they were not of Christian par- tian King of Great Britain. Determined entage or country, or, if Turks or Moors, in to keep open a market where men should amity with his Majesty." Nearly a cen- be bought and sold, he has prostituted his tury afterwards Virginia tried to sup- negative for suppressing every legislative press the traffic in African slaves, and in attempt to prohibit or to restrain this 1761 it was proposed in her legislature to execrable commerce." This paragraph was suppress the importation of Africans by stricken out of the Declaration of Indepenlevying a prohibitory duty. Danger to the dence before the committee submitted it to political interest of that colony was fore- a vote of the Congress. boded by her wisest men in the continuance of the trade. An act for levying the tax was passed by the Assembly, but in England it met the fate of similar bills from other colonies to suppress the nefarious traffic. It was sent back with a veto.

The King in council, on Dec. 10, 1770, issued an instruction, under his own hand, commanding the governor of Virginia, upon pain of the highest displeasure, to assent to no law by which the importation of slaves should be in any respect prohibited or obstructed." In 1772 the Virginia Assembly earnestly discussed the question, "How shall we get rid of the great evil?" Jefferson, Henry, Lee, and other leading men anxiously desired to rid the colony of it. "The interest of the country," it was said, "manifestly requires the total expulsion of them." The Assembly finally resolved to address the King himself on the subject, who, in council, had compelled the toleration of the traffic. They pleaded with him to remove

The unwise regulations of the trustees of Georgia, which crushed incentives to industry and thrift, and other causes which exist in all new settlements, made that colony languish. The settlers saw the prosperity of their neighbors in South Carolina, and attributed the difference to the positive prohibition of slavery · in Georgia. This became their leading grievance, and even Whitefield advocated the introduction of slavery, under the old (and later) pretence of propagating, in that way, Christianity among the heathen Africans. Habersham, too, advocated the introduction. Many of the poor slaves in America," he wrote, "have already been made freemen of the heavenly Jerusalem.” The Germans were assured by their friends in Germany of its harmlessness. Word came to them in 1749: "If you take slaves in faith and with the intent of conducting them to Christ, the action will not be a sin, but may prove a benediction." So it was that avarice subdued conscience. Already slaves had been introduced into Georgia

from South Carolina as hired servants, American colonies, the British Parliaunder indentures for life, or for ninety- ment, in 1750, gave liberty to trade in nine years; and at Savannah the contin- negroes, as slaves, to and from any part ual toast was, "The one thing needful," of Africa between Sallee, in South Barwhich meant negro slaves. Leading men bary, and the Cape of Good Hope, to all among the Scotch and Germans who op- the subjects of the King of England. This posed the introduction of slavery were was designed to fill the colonies with threatened and persecuted. Under great slaves, who should neither trouble Great pressure, the trustees yielded, and slavery Britain with fears of encouraging political was introduced on the condition that all independence nor compete with their inmasters should be obliged to compel the dustry with British workshops; neither negroes to "attend, at some time on the would they leave their employers the.enLord's day, for instruction in the Chris- tire security that might enable them to tian religion." In 1752 the charter was prepare a revolt.

surrendered to the crown, the colony had James Somerset, a negro slave of James all the privileges accorded to others, and Stewart, was taken from Virginia to flourished. England, where he refused to serve his To completely enslave the English- master any longer. Stewart caused him