I Understand you have thoughts of being concern­ed in the African slave-trade. My regard to the welfare of all mankind, and particular affection for you, leads me at this time to write you my sentiments upon Slavery, and the slave-trade.— And I doubt not but you will excuse my thus med­dling in your business, when you consider I have no private ends to answer. If what I shall offer upon the subject, should be thought of no weight, it will only in­terrupt you a few minutes; but if I should be so hap­py as to convince you, that however profitable the trade may be to some adventurers, yet that it is contrary to humanity, christianity, the interest of the province, and of private families, I shall not only be sure of your de­sisting from so vile a trade, but have great hopes, that your example and influence in this place, will, in time, produce an act of government to prevent the further [Page 4] importation of slaves among us; and I can flatter my­self, that the example of this province may influence others; but if not, we can be gloriously single.

Great-Britain, the envy of the world, does not per­mit a slave on her happy island; but gives to every one freedom, which stamps him image of his God.

Before I enter upon the arguments for and against the trade, permit me to contrast a Briton and a negro slave in America, neither chargeable with any crime cognizable by the public—A Briton has the free dispo­sal of his time, to employ it in that way he likes best; all he gains by his industry, he hath sole right to; none of it can be taken from him, but by his consent; he may marry, no man can seperate him from the ob­ject of his affections; his house is his castle; none (un­less he has made himself obnoxious to the public) may intrude upon him. Happy Briton! The slave has neither command of his time, nor choice of his em­ploy; must labour incessantly during his master's pleasure; can make no claim to the produce of his own industry; a bare subsistance is all he receives; and tho' he has labour'd 20 years, and earn'd his master an estate, yet even then he is liable to be sold, and of­ten is, for want of employ, or for fear that in his old age he should be a burthen upon the wealthy heirs. He can't marry, because marriage is founded on promise, and slaves can promise nothing. They are indeed, sometimes, to please them, indulged a sham-marriage, which is dissolved again at the master's will, without consulting the slaves' inclination. He is sold out of the country, and so shifted from hand to hand (if he lives to be old) 'till he is a burthen, and wished out of life to save expence. Shocking contrast! Whatever ends a wise God may have in permitting such various [Page 5] fortunes to the children of men, yet surely no man can be justified in being instrumental of such hard fate to any of his fellow creatures.

Humanity makes us feel for the evils we know any of our species labour under; and unless hardened by education or custom, we naturally resent the pain or hardships of others; especially, when we see them im­posed on innocence by the hand of oppression, which is certainly the case of all those poor children, who are dragg'd from their mother's arms, and never taste the sweets of liberty.

I should have thought none but the harden'd wretch could have entertained a thought of planning a voyage to Africa with design to bring off its inhabi­tants, and curse them with perpetual slavery; even supposing they were in some sort our enemies; but how is it aggravated when we know that the Africans are an harmless people, having never gone beyond their own bounds, to trouble mankind; and but for the in­terruption from white people might enjoy all the sweets of a rural life; being bless'd with a fine fruitful soil, which yields with small labour all the necessaries of life. This is the people who by some strange fatality are pitched upon by the Europeans for slaves; and how are they made such? not by giving an open chal­lenge to fight them that the captivated on either side may expect to be enslaved; this would have the appearance of heroism. No! but the basest means are used to accom­plish the basest end. It is well known we have been above a century past crouding our luxuries upon the Africans; and when the gold dust of their land could not satisfy us, they were tempted to sell their brethren, to purchase our intoxicating liquors and childish toys; thus we imposed upon their weakness, and encouraged [Page 6] their barbarity by appearing ready purchasers of their people for perpetual slaves: This trade for the lives of men being once established, has set all Africa by the ears; all honest industry among them is laid aside for the more profitable business of trapaning one ano­ther; all common confidence is destroyed; and indeed their natural affections are very much weaken'd by their immoderate fondness for our luxuries ^*—Pray Sir, is not this inhumane in us?—But further, I find by the accounts of that trade, that when a powerful black Prince has collected by force or artifice a num­ber of his colour, they are offer'd to the whites for sale; then an inspector, perhaps a physician, is em­ploy'd by the purchasers to view the slaves, who are stripped of every rag which modesty had procured, ana male and female handled in a manner not to be related, to select the sound in wind and limb: in their choice they pay no regard to former connections, hus­band and wife are parted, parents and children are se­perated, the weakly wife will not be taken to accom­pany the healthy husband. Oh! methinks I hear their screeches, rending the very Heavens, when these horrid scenes take place! the unhappy healthy are im­mediately hand-tied, and then two and two are yoked by their necks like horses for shipping, and drove in herds by their masters to the sea-coast, and stow'd in the hold of a vessel: Owners are so greedy of a large freight that they croud the negroes in such numbers and under such close confinement least they should rise, as renders their passage almost intolerable. Upon a moderate computation it is reckon'd that 10, or 12,000 die yearly on their passage, and, in seasoning, either [Page 7] in the sickly islands or in the cold climates, those that sur­vive are fix'd for life to their destined slavery—It is well known that the greatest number by far of these mise­rable creatures, are fix'd on the West India islands, where their fate in general is so extremely hard as to shock a humane tongue to relate or a humane ear to hear.—Tho' they spend 6 days in 7, in unremitted la­bour for their masters, constantly over-looked, by cruel drivers, yet the master does not think himself obliged to provide food for his slaves; indeed he allows them Sundays to till a small piece of land for them­selves, and carry the produce to market, by which they subsist—If one day's labour in a week is sufficient to sup­port a man and his children, how excessive hard is it to be obliged to work the other six, for those whom they must hate? I need not relate any particulars of the unbounded whippings which they are exposed to, and commonly experience upon every slight offence. The least opposition discover'd in them, or attempt to free themselves from their miserable state is sure and certain death, and that with all the aggravation that cruelty can invent, such as starving to death in the midst of plenty, in which state I have heard Gentlemen say, they live in a cage from 7 to 9 days. Oh! horrid! Pray Sir consider, is it for any moral evil that this part of our fellow men, are thus extremely tormented? Can the stale and flimsy pretence that Africans used to kill their captives before we appear'd to buy 'em, justify the hellish practice of the present day? even tho' it should be granted that that was the fate of some; for without all doubt a much greater number are now yearly destroyed in the extra-wars occasioned by the demand for slaves.

The shocking noisome passages, as mentioned above, [Page 8] besides the self-murthers they are drove to by despair, such as starving, or strangling themselves, beating their brains against the ship, or jumping over-board; the sickly climates to which they are carry'd; the excessive labor to which the greatest part are drove, which we may well think vastly shorten their days: for a slave of 40 years is scarce worth owning When you take all these cir­cumstances into consideration, I doubt not, Sir, but you'll be convinced that there are more lives lost now among the Africans yearly, than before the present practice of slavery commenced; and that the Balance of misery is vastly increased against them; and all this by us christians.

Nor do I think that the scandalous vindication which some have had the effrontery to offer, will satisfy a lover of truth and justice, viz. that but for the slave-trade, the West-India islands could not be cultivated to such amazing profit, let them sink then—Others have said, that if the slave trade was prohibited, many gentlemen of immmense fortunes must be ruin'd, let them, and beg. 'Tis more honourable to seek a sup­port by begging than by theft, as every man does who lives by the forced labour and privation of the liberty of any of his fellow-creatures; and tho' many a palliative have been compounded by some, even of the right reverend clergy for the consciences of those who have been troubled, in a serious hour; yet I be­lieve they have been too modest to think them suffi­cient cures for such malignant wounds. This leads me Sir, to address you as a christian, for such you ap­pear to be: and pray how can this practice be recon­ciled with the great law of charity, so much applaud­ed by all, viz. Do to others, as ye would that they should do to you. I never found a man but was stag­gered [Page 9] at that short sentence, when apply'd to the pre­sent subject. I know indeed the great advantages 'tis pretended slaves receive, by being brought from a land of heathenish darkness and idolatry, to a land highly favoured with the light of the glorious gospel; and so bless'd with the means of salvation. But let those that appease their consciences with this specious argument, consider first, that we are not to do evil that good may come of it: and further, what a very small ^* propor­tion of these poor transported slaves have the least chance of being benefited by christianity. For I take it, and doubt not you join me, that it is no breach of charity to say, that all those Africans, which are carry'd to our West-India islands, are carried from a land of ignorance and innocence to a land of glaring wickedness, where they have constant examples of every vice, and where they are likely to be­come seven-fold more the children of satan, than when in their native country.

And as to those few who are called happy in being brought into these Northern Colonies, very little can be said of the advantages which they receive, or the im­provement they make of it, for from the best obser­vations that I have been able to make (and I have long thought on the subject) I don't believe there is one in Ten of those that have had the best opportunity that know any more of the christian religion, except the name, than their brethren now in Guinea; and of those that do know something more than the heathen, how few have we reason to think are influenced by the mo­tives and principles of our holy religion.

[Page 10]I shall next point you to a few passages of that BOOK, the injunctions of which we confess to be universally binding upon all that know them.

The jews were strictly forbid man-stealing, as in Exod. 21.16. He that stealeth a man and selleth him, or if he be found in his hands, he shall be surely be put to death—I know that the Jews in their traditions con­fined this prohibition to their own nation; because in Deuteronomy 24, & 7. it is said, If any man be found stealing any of his brethren, &c. then that thief shall die— but even according to their explanation, they held that the thief was obliged to restore the person stolen, tho' a stranger, to his liberty again.

But whatever distinctions the Jews made between themselves and other nations, we know that the wall of partition has long since been taken down, and we are taught in the Gospel to esteem all men, our brethren especially, those who have not injured us in any respect, either as a nation or private person: of this we can not have the least doubt, when we hear our Lord saying on the Mount, ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, &c. that ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven’—If this be scripture, or the word of God to mankind, and the enslaving a poor in­nocent People, in the method now practiced, be con­sistent therewith, I acknowledge all my ideas of the words are confounded, and the scriptures are wrote in an unknown language to me.

But if there still remains any doubt in your mind whether the writers of the new testament had any res­pect to the practice I am now condemning, please to read St. Paul's first epistle to Timothy 1 Chap. 9th, and 10th Verses, in which men stealing is placed in the midst [Page 11] of a very black catalogue of vices, viz. ‘Profane, mur­therers of parents, whoremongers, men stealers, lyers and perjured persons, &c. all which are contrary to sound doctrine according to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God.’—How trifling must be the excuse, which some, who hold slaves, have made, viz. That they are not men stealers, having bought them with their money: that they would not be concerned in the trade upon any account, but seeing they are brought here, and will be sold to somebody, they may as well buy as others, they will treat 'em as well or better. Oh! ye fools or knaves, for in one of these classes I think you must be ranked, Is reason to be blinded with such a thin veil? Is the most valuable blessing in life, liberty, to be thus trifled with?—It is most certain that were there no purchasers, there would be no sellers—the prospect of a market here and else­where, to those who employ slaves, is the sole cause, and constant support, of that ungenerous and wicked trade. I don't conceive a whit odds between the man who goes personally and steals a negro lad from his parents hut, in Guinea, and brings him here, and en­slaves him for life, and the man who purchases one, that others have brought here: except in the first case, some degree of courage is requisite, which is valu­able in its self,—in the latter case there is baseness, in­finite meanness without the shadow of a virtue—Were we exposed to the same curse, should not we think that the abettors of our misery, were the children of the devil, suffered by the wrath of God to dwell on the Earth, to encrease the heavy load of human woes? Can any who are concerned in this black hellish business, pretend to the character of christians? I can't conclude this part, without making the following application to [Page 12] any one that ever purchased a slave. Can you lay your hand on your breast, and declare in the presence of al­mighty God, that you verily think, after the most ma­ture consideration, that in purchasing one of the hu­man race as innocent as yourself, and making him sub­survient to your sovereign will, all his days, without a chance of freedom, that you in no respect deviate from that rule laid down by Christ, whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them—if you can say thus, and think you shall be able to say so, when closing the scene of this life, and have no compunctions of conscience in your last moments, for having so far promoted and encouraged the slave trade, as to be a pur­chaser; if this is your sober thoughts, go on, buy more, dip largely in the trade, for it is profitable, and blacken these fair northern climates, as the West-Indies are black.

What I next propose, Sir, is, to show that the slave trade is inconsistent with the interest of the Province; and I doubt not but that alone would be a sufficient reason with you to desist.

By the importation of black slaves, we prevent the importation of white servants; and it is well known that there are thousands in Europe, who would gladly come among us, and might be brought here for a quar­ter the cost of a black man: these white people would do all the labour for us, that we have any right to re­ceive from others; those that cannot pay a passage, must doubtless sell part of their time for it; after that is ex­pired, they can let themselves as servants at as low a rate as a negro can be maintained, reckoning his cost, the risque of his life, &c. (perhaps I may in my next give you an account of the particulars of the annual cost of a slave) These white people when they have served some years in the lowest capacities, turn out [Page 13] upon our waste-lands, marry and in a few years we see a Town well settled; and in less than fifty years, there will be four fold increase: by this means our country will fill up, we become respectable, and secure from an enemy, and furnished with every conveniency of life: Tho' it has been plead, that prohibiting the impor­tation of slaves, would cut off a large branch of trade, yet it must be remembered that upon the whole, it is an unprofitable one for the community, because real riches (if rum may be called so) are sent from this place for an article which we either might have from among ourselves, or we might import with little or no expor­tation; and tho' individuals may make a good advance upon their stock, yet the riches are wholly got from ourselves, a trade which you well know Sir, is always esteem'd disadvantageous to a community. I take it to be the policy of a state to consult measures to have the greatest number of laborers, and those so interested in the welfare of the community, as to be always de­sirous and ready to support and defend it: But how con­trary to all this is the policy of suffering the importati­on of a sett of people, which at best puts a gain into the pockets of but a few men, and indulges the vani­ty and haughty tempers of a few more; instead of being a defence and support of the common wealth, are often its terror, and sometimes its destruction: For it must be constantly expected that a slave will improve every opportunity to throw off his burthen, and impo­sition: New-York, & most of the Southern colonies, and West-Indies, have experienced something of that, which is enough to make all those that set a just value upon domestic security, to tremble: it has been objected that their numbers are at present so inconsiderable, that no­thing of that can be feared. I grant it for the present, [Page 14] but what security have we that this will be the case long. I will remind you of another great evil to the community, consequent upon our having black slaves which doubtless you have observed, and that is, the great inconvenience our poorer sort of People are put to by this means, who would gladly serve us for a sup­port, but then they must be upon a level with negro slaves; they being born free, can't think of such a disgrace as they esteem it, and so often spend their youth in idleness, and for want of proper employ and government then, become ever after poor vagrants; and as to the female part of our poor youth, its too well known what courses they often take, and rather than work in the low employments, chuse to trust their fa­ces for a living,—This is big with evils, that I shall not pretend to enlarge upon—

I shall now consider, as I promised in the beginning, how this trade affects private families; and evils that begin there seldom end 'till the public feel them. When a slave is introduced into a family, at once commences an amazing distinction: they are indeed a­mong us allowed to be of the human species; yet so very inferior, as scarcely to be intitled to any of its priviledges: Nay, when I think of it, I don't know of one priviledge they have above the brutes; for as to eating, drinking and sleeping, they are allowed them for the same reason that the beasts are, to support life and vigour, to do our labour; but as to choice or property, it is certain they can have none: Notwithstanding, I say, they are allowed by us to be of our species, yet so very low, that the first idea which children have of slaves, is, that they are not intitled to the same tender­ness, nor even justice, that whites are. This produces an haughty and imperious conduct towards them, and [Page 15] often cruelty; this spirit indulged towards the servants of the family, naturally influences their behaviour to all they esteem their inferiors in any sort, and ten to one this temper grows up with them, and they ever after be despised by the wise and humane, and hated by all.—All writers upon the education of youth, have held it a sacred point to keep the minds of children as susceptible as possible, of kindness and compassion, for their fellow creatures. I think the great Mr. Lock, would not have them familiar to hurting any of the domestic animals, least that heavenly spark, compassion, should be extinguished, or prevented growing into that flame, which is the light and glory of the human spe­cies.—But I fear your patience is exhausted, and so conclude,

P. S. I here inclose a few Lines, which I think must please you. They are taken from a POEM wrote by James Grainger, M. D. at St. Christo­pher's, one of the English West-India Islands.

THIS brings you my consent to publish the Let­ter I wrote you some years ago, upon the African slave trade: My objection arose from a hope that some abler hand would undertake a subject, in my apprehension, worthy the best head and best heart: But as yet nothing has appeared, tho' the very enlarged sentiments of Liberty which have lately prevailed, among all ranks of people, one would think, naturally tended to raise up many writers against that cruel practice of enslaving the Blacks.

It has always appeared very strange to me, how people can be so sensibly affected with what has but a [Page 18] remote tendency to deprive them of their smallest right or priviledge, and yet remain so insensible of the de­plorable state of so many of our species that live among us; and further, can actually plan and execute the most sordid views of gain, at the expence of the pro­perty, and every priviledge (held dear by all mankind) of those poor Africans, whom the white pleople have strangely fix'd upon as the objects of their rapine.

With what consistency can an American-Captain, tra­ding upon the Guinea Coast for slaves, open his mouth and plead for liberty, and his natural rights? Perhaps the ignorance and poverty of some of that sett of men may be offer'd, as an extenuation of their guilt; espe­cially as they'll immediately ask, why do the learned and rich, and even professed christians engage in the same traffic, and yet talk loudly of liberty, civil and re­ligious, and tell us that without liberty, and the free disposal of a man's time & property, life itself is not worth having? When an Englishman would paint the greatest curse that can befall him, it is to be no better off than an African slave; and yet he will deliberately plan a scheme to increase the number of these wretches, with no greater temptation perhaps than to add a few more pounds to his crowded bags. Oh miserable slaves to wealth! did you never once consider your baseness as men, thus to plot and design the ruin of so many of your harmless fellow creatures? Can you consider your­selves, as enjoying the blessings of the British constitu­tion, whose first principle is the security of your liberty and property; and feel no pity or compassion for those unhappy people, whose lot has fallen under the severe rod of tyranny and oppression? Can you devise to rob them of those few remains of liberty, which they en­joy, and not only break up their tenderest connections, [Page 19] but drag them into every part of the American world, and put them into the power of even the greatest villian, if he has money to purchase? Is this the effect of your progress in all the noble arts and sciences? is this the effect of your christian knowledge? Shameful fruit! Oh! ye sons of liberty, pause a moment, give me your ear, Is your conduct consistent? can you review our late struggles for liberty, and think of the slave-trade at the same time, and not blush? Methinks were you an African, I could see you blush. How should we have been confounded and struck dumb, had Great Britain thrown this inconsistency in our faces? how justly might they, and all mankind have laughed at our pretensions to any just sentiments of Liberty, or even humanity? We claim our descent from the anci­ent Britons, who have resolved from time to time, that no inhabitant of their island shall be a slave; and shall we, whose Fathers fled to America for greater Liberty than they enjoyed in Britain; shall we, I say, suffer Slavery to be so much as once named among us?— The years 1765 & 1766, will be ever memorable for the glorious stand which America has made for her Liberties; how much glory will it add to us, if at the time we are establishing Liberty for ourselves and chil­dren, we show the same regard to all mankind that come among us? that while we are preventing the chains being put upon us, we are knocking them off from those who already have them on?—This will shew all the world, that we are true sons of Liberty, and will be expressive of such noble, disinterested and generous sentiments, as will give us the highest esteem among mankind, and will for ever prevent any bad ministry harbouring a thought of making the least in­fringement upon our privileges; for the people that [Page 20] will forego so lucrative a trade, on such principles, must be a noble, must be an unconquerable people.

I can't but hope this subject will appear of impor­tance to most people: If so, no doubt the honorable house of Representatives, and the other branches of Government, will take it into their most serious consi­deration, and rejoice to have the opportunity, and be the means of fixing such lasting honor upon the peo­ple they represent and govern. Oh! what heart-felt joy must possess the breast of every one, while he is tasting the sweets of Liberty, while he is setting under his own fig-tree, and under his own vine, while he is delighting himself with his sweet companion, and his smilling offspring around him, and none to make him afraid; if at the same time he is conscious that he has done his utmost that all his fellow-men might enjoy the same happiness?—It is not for me to point out to my superiours what particular laws are necessary to be made, to effect so noble and christian a design. With­out all doubt, it will be thought necessary immediately to prohibit any future importation of slaves, which, as Dr. Franklin says, has already blackened half America. —As we are one of the greatest colonies, and have in more instances than one, given the lead in affairs of high importance; let us not wait for the example of any other of our sister colonies: It is praise-worthy to follow good examples: but much more so to set them.