42 LETTER IV. CHRISTIAN BRETHREN, THE origin of negro slavery in this country-the monstrous injustice and wickedness that attended the slavetrade the state of servitude in Europe, and especially in England, compared with that to which negroes were subjected, and the leading features of slavery, as now existing among us, may very properly be noticed, before we apply the Scriptures to it, to ascertain its moral character. It is generally known that negro slavery was introduced into this country about two hundred years ago, soon after the first settlements were made. The number at first was small, but continued gradually to increase, until slaves became a constant article of traffic. The manner in which they were obtained in Africa, enabled those engaged in it to realize such a profit as tended greatly to keep it up; and at the same time held out great temptation to conceal the monstrous iniquity with which it was attended. Plausible pretences were used to excuse, and even give the colour of piety to a trade which was carried on in violation of all the commands of God, and every principle of humanity and justice. It is distinctly stated in the histories of those times, that both queen Elizabeth and Louis XIII., in whose days it began, had scruples about the lawfulness of it; and did not give their consent until they were assured that the negroes were brought over with their own free consent, and that it was the most ready way to convert them to Christianity. It was easy then, to what it is now, to conceal things from the great mass of the community. There was not one-thousandth part the means of gaining information of what was going on. There was not in existence until 1588, such a thing as a newspaper. The one then established did not indeed deserve that name, but was rather, if my recollection of its history be correct, a circular issued a few times and then discontinued and forgotten. It was long afterwards before regular newspapers were printed; and all know that it was not until lately that they, together with Magazines, Reviews, Journals, &c. became so important a vehicle of information. The mode in which the great body of slaves brought from Africa were obtained, was known to few, except those who were deeply interested in the trade, until thirty or forty years ago, when the question of putting a stop to it was before the English parliament. The trade had been going on for one hundred and fifty or two hundred years. Great opposition was made to having it stopped. Long and repeated efforts were made to conceal the manner in which slaves were obtained. So deep was the offence which Clarkson committed in Liverpool, by his efforts to induce persons who personally knew the facts, to come forward and state them, that he had to seek his personal safety by flying from that place. So much informa tion, however, was brought out by long examination of witnesses, that thousands and tens of thousands were shocked and confounded at the monstrous guilt that attended it; and parliament passed a law prohibiting the trade. Clarkson estimated that at least one-half of those brought over were kidnapped, more or less privately, and carried and sold into perpetual slavery in this country, without even the charge of an offence. He thus classed the whole, after a long and careful examination of the subject:-1. Kidnapped. 2. Inhabitants of villages broke up. 3. Convicts for some real or alleged crime. 4. Prisoners taken in wars mostly waged for the purpose of procuring them for the slave-traders. 5. Those born slaves. 6. Those who had lost their liberty by gambling. 7. Sold for debt. None of these could be a just cause for perpetual slavery. But of most of them it will not be pretended that they were. More than one half literally kidnapped! Add to these the prisoners, those sold for debt, &c. and you will have perhaps six-sevenths of those sold for slaves in this country, and whose children are now in slavery, who were as free in their own country as you are-had their property and family comforts about them, and have, without any crime been torn from all, and doomed with their children to perpetual slavery! And some even take offence at all efforts to induce those who hold them to let them go out free! Very soon after the trade commenced, it was found more cheap to kidnap, seize by force, or take by fraud, than to buy from those who may have had a few to sell. Other Some Although a kind of slavery prevailed more or less among the Africans, it was of a very mild character. Much of a supply could not be obtained by fair purchase, and that at an expense which the traders wished to avoid. ways than that of fair purchase were resorted to. times means were taken to get a large number of persons on ship-board, and then all were seized and made slaves. Companies landed and took forcibly all they could get hold of; villages were surrounded in the night-set on fire; those who resisted were killed or disabled, and all they could take sold into slavery. By going to different parts of the coast, many were obtained in these ways. At length, however, so much alarm was produced that many tribes either left the coast, or, taught by experience the wiles of the trader, were so much on their guard, that new measures were found necessary. Trading-houses were then established on the coast, and engagements made with the kings and head-men to furnish slaves. They were induced by presents of spirits and goods to make war on other tribes for the sake of getting prisoners-to kidnap all they could-to procure by any means slaves for the traders. Thence arose a systematic course of war and plunder among the tribes. Head-men made war for the sake of getting prisoners. Private individuals kidnapped whom they could, (often of their own tribe,) hurried them to the trader, who gave them some trifle, and sold the sufferer into perpetual bondage. Selling to the trader became the common punishment for crime-for suspected crime-for pretended crime; and often a whole family was sold for the pretended crime of one of its members. The spirit of retaliation between tribes, and jealousy and revenge among families of the same tribe, were thus kept alive, and furnished perpetual objects for the trader. The lives lost by the wars and plundering to obtain slaves, far exceeded, it is supposed, the number sold into slavery. The avidity of the trader for slaves-the fact that few, if any, of the slaves ever returned to relate what was done with them,-gave an awful horror to being sold to the traders. So overwhelming was this fear, that it was common for slaves, if not prevented, to throw themselves overboard and drown themselves. The hazard of the climate, and the love of gain, induced most traders to crowd into their vessels more slaves than they could carry with comfort, and to feed them on the coarsest fare; and if scarcity of food or water took place, they often threw slaves overboard. None but those who have read detailed accounts, can well conceive the sufferings of the poor slaves. On an average it has been computed that from one-fourth to one-third died during the passage. I have noticed accounts of many vessels that lost a larger proportion. And when arrived at the place of their future bondage, they were sold, and with little if any regard to their connections as husband and wife, parent and child, or brother and sister. The injustice, the guilt, the blood; the groans and sorrows which none pitied; the tears which no kind hand wiped away; the broken hearts which no one bound up ;-who can tell! They are all known to Him who is no respecter of persons, and who hath declared himself a God of recompenses. One of the most plausible excuses for bringing them over was, that they might be converted to Christianity. Many of them no doubt have been converted. That, however, could not justify the means used to procure them; it could not justify selling them into perpetual slavery; it could only be a pretence, as the whole case showed. Many, I doubt not, who became slave-holders in this country, have used a commendable degree of zeal, to instruct their slaves in the principles of Christianity. There are, however, some painful facts on this matter. Several things clearly show, that had the negroes professed Christianity in their own country, enslaving them would not have been tolerated by the governments of Europe, under whose protection the colonies were planted. An opinion appears then to have prevailed, that the heathen had no rights; that their lands and property might be taken, and themselves enslaved, simply on the ground that they were heathen. The Pope gave away whole countries, being heathen. The kings of Europe took possession, as of right, of all lands being heathen discovered by their subjects; and made grants or settled colonies in them at pleasure. The influence of Christianity had either put an end to slavery in Europe, or at least so modified it, that it hardly deserved that name: and had produced a very general impression that a Christian could not lawfully be held in slavery. Some negro slaves, taken to England soon after the trade commenced, learning this fact, obtained baptism at the hands of some minister, and their owners did not venture to retain them forcibly in bondage. Although the conversion of the negroes to Christianity was the imposing excuse for bringing them over, yet the impression that as soon as they professed religion, and were baptized, they would be free, soon began to operate; and there is incontrovertible proof that it operated, and that extensively, so as to prevent their being instructed and received into the church. There is on record legislative enactments prohibiting the baptism of slaves, without the consent of their owners, and on the alleged ground that it might interfere with the rights of property. So much did this opinion and feeling operate against the religious instruction of slaves, that the bishop of London, to whose diocese the English colonies belonged, addressed a circular to the colonists, and attempted to reconcile them to the instruction and baptism of their slaves, by laying it down as a principle, that religion had nothing to do with civil rightsthat whatever rights they had in their slaves before baptism, they would continue to have afterwards. This opinion gradually supplanted the other. A remnant, however, of the first opinion still remained, and uniting with a general impression that much information, except how to work, was dangerous in slaves, has led almost universally to discourage, and often directly to prevent, giving instruction to that people. Slavery may be said to have terminated in England, and been near its end in most of Europe, at the time negro slavery began to be regulated by law in this country. The civil institutions, the rights and privileges of England, were transplanted to America for the benefit of the colo * See Stroud and Stephens. See the letter in an account of missions in the British colonies, by D. Humphrys, D. D. Page 257—275. |