An Essay on the Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species, Particularly the African - Thomas Clarkson
But the most important doctrine is that, by which we are assured that
mankind are to exist in a future state, and to give an account of those
actions, which they have severally done in the flesh. This strikes at
the very root of slavery. For how can any man be justly called to an
account for his actions, whose actions are not _at his own
disposal?_ This is the case with the _proper_[112] slave. His
liberty is absolutely bought and _appropriated_; and if the
purchase is _just and equitable_, he is _under the necessity_
of perpetrating any crime, which the purchaser may order him to commit,
or, in other words, of ceasing to be _accountable for his actions_.
These doctrines therefore are sufficient to shew, that slavery is
incompatible, with the Christian system. The _Europeans_ considered
them as such, when, at the close of the twelfth century, they resisted,
their hereditary prejudices, and occasioned its abolition. Hence one,
among many other proofs, that Christianity was the production of
infinite wisdom; that though it did not take such express cognizance of
the wicked national institutions of the times, as should hinder its
reception, it should yet contain such doctrines, as, when it should be
fully established, would be sufficient for the abolition of them all.
Thus then is the argument of you _receivers_ ineffectual, and your
conduct impious. For, by the prosecution of this wicked slavery and
commerce, you not only oppose the propagation of that gospel which was
ordered to be preached unto every creature, and bring it into contempt,
but you oppose its tenets also: first, because you violate that law of
_universal benevolence_, which was to take away those hateful
distinctions of _Jew_ and _Gentile_, _Greek_ and _Barbarian,
bond_ and _free_, which prevailed when the gospel was introduced;
and secondly, because, as every man is to give an account of
his actions hereafter, it is necessary that he should be _free_.
Another argument yet remains, which, though nature will absolutely turn
pale at the recital, cannot possibly be omitted. In those wars, which
are made for the sake of procuring slaves, it is evident that the
contest must be generally obstinate, and that great numbers must be
slain on both sides, before the event can be determined. This we may
reasonably apprehend to be the case: and we have shewn[113], that there
have not been wanting instances, where the conquerors have been so
incensed at the resistance they have found, that their spirit of
vengeance has entirely got the better of their avarice, and they have
murdered, in cool blood, every individual, without discrimination,
either of age or sex. From these and other circumstances, we thought we
had sufficient reason to conclude, that, where _ten_ were supposed
to be taken, an _hundred_, including the victors and vanquished,
might be supposed to perish. Now, as the annual exportation from
_Africa_ consists of an hundred thousand men, and as the two
orders, of those who are privately kidnapped by individuals, and of
those, who are publickly seized by virtue of the authority of their
prince, compose together, at least, nine-tenths of the _African_
slaves, it follows, that about ten thousand consist of convicts and
prisoners of war. The last order is the most numerous. Let us suppose
then that only six thousand of this order are annually sent into
servitude, and it will immediately appear that no less than
_sixty-thousand_ people annually perish in those wars, which are
made only for the purpose of procuring slaves. But that this number,
which we believe to be by no means exaggerated, may be free from all
objection, we will include those in the estimate, who die as they are
travelling to the ships. Many of these unfortunate people have a journey
of one thousand miles to perform on foot, and are driven like sheep
through inhospitable woods and deserts, where they frequently die in
great numbers, from fatigue and want. Now if to those, who thus perish
on the _African_ continent, by war and travelling, we subjoin
those[114], who afterwards perish on the voyage, and in the seasoning
together, it will appear that, in every yearly attempt to supply the
colonies, an _hundred thousand_ must perish, even before _one_
useful individual can be obtained.
Gracious God! how wicked, how beyond all example impious, must be that
servitude, which cannot be carried on without the continual murder of so
many and innocent persons! What punishment is not to be expected for
such monstrous and unparalleled barbarities! For if the blood of one
man, unjustly shed, cries with so loud a voice for the divine vengeance,
how shall the cries and groans of an _hundred thousand_ men,
_annually murdered_, ascend the celestial mansions, and bring down
that punishment, which such enormities deserve! But do we mention
punishment? Do we allude to that punishment, which shall be inflicted on
men as individuals, in a future life? Do we allude to that awful day,
which shall surely come, when the master shall behold his murdered
negroe face to face? When a train of mutilated slaves shall be brought
against him? When he shall stand confounded and abashed? Or, do we
allude to that punishment, which may be inflicted on them here, as
members of a wicked community? For as a body politick, if its members
are ever so numerous, may be considered as an whole, acting of itself,
and by itself, in all affairs in which it is concerned, so it is
accountable, as such, for its conduct; and as these kinds of polities
have only their existence here, so it is only in this world, that, as
such, they can be punished.
"Now, whether we consider the crime, with respect to the individuals
immediately concerned in this most barbarous and cruel traffick, or
whether we consider it as patronized[115] and encouraged by the laws of
the land, it presents to our view an equal degree of enormity. A crime,
founded on a dreadful pre-eminence in wickedness,--a crime, which being
both of individuals and the nation, must sometime draw down upon us the
heaviest judgment of Almighty God, who made of one blood all the sons of
men, and who gave to all equally a natural right to liberty; and who,
ruling all the kingdoms of the earth with equal providential justice,
cannot suffer such deliberate, such monstrous iniquity, to pass long
unpunished[116]."
But alas! he seems already to have interfered on the occasion! The
violent[117] and supernatural agitations of all the elements, which, for
a series of years, have prevailed in those European settlements, where
the unfortunate _Africans_ are retained in a state of slavery, and
which have brought unspeakable calamities on the inhabitants, and
publick losses on the states to which they severally belong, are so many
awful visitations of God for this inhuman violation of his laws. And it
is not perhaps unworthy of remark, that as the subjects of Great-Britain
have two thirds of this impious commerce in their own hands, so they
have suffered[118] in the same proportion, or more severely than the
rest.
How far these misfortunes may appear to be acts of providence, and to
create an alarm to those who have been accustomed to refer every effect
to its apparent cause; who have been habituated to stop there, and to
overlook the finger of God; because it is slightly covered under the
veil of secondary laws, we will not pretend to determine? but this we
will assert with confidence, that the _Europeans_ have richly
deserved them all; that the fear of sympathy, which can hardly be
restrained on other melancholy occasions, seems to forget to flow at the
relation of these; and that we can never, with any shadow of justice,
with prosperity to the undertakers of those, whose success must be at
the expence of the happiness of millions of their fellow-creatures.
But this is sufficient. For if liberty is only an adventitious right; if
men are by no means superiour to brutes; if every social duty is a
curse; if cruelty is highly to be esteemed; if murder is strictly
honourable, and Christianity is a lye; then it is evident, that the
_African_ slavery may be pursued, without either the remorse of
conscience, or the imputation of a crime. But if the contrary of this is
true, which reason must immediately evince, it is evident that no custom
established among men was ever more impious; since it is contrary to
_reason, justice, nature, the principles of law and government, the
whole doctrine, in short, of natural religion, and the revealed voice of
God_.
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FOOTNOTES
[Footnote 111: Epist. to Philemon.]
[Footnote 112: The _African_ slave is of this description; and we
could wish, in all our arguments on the present subject, to be
understood as having spoken only of _proper slaves_. The slave who
is condemned to the oar, to the fortifications, and other publick works,
is in a different predicament. His liberty is not _appropriated_,
and therefore none of those consequences can be justly drawn, which have
been deduced in the present case.]
[Footnote 113: See the description of an African battle (Footnote 049).]
[Footnote 114: The lowest computation is 40,000, (Footnote 060).]
[Footnote 115: The legislature has squandered away more money in the
prosecution of the slave trade, within twenty years, than in any other
trade whatever, having granted from the year 1750, to the year 1770, the
sum of 300,000 pounds.]
[Footnote 116: Sermon preached before the University of Cambridge, by
the Rev. Peter Peckard.]
[Footnote 117: The first noted earthquake at Jamaica, happened June the
7th 1692, when Port Royal was totally sunk. This was succeeded by one in
the year 1697, and by another in the year 1722, from which time to the
present, these regions of the globe seem to have been severely visited,
but particularly during the last six or seven years. See a general
account of the calamities, occasioned by the late tremendous hurricanes
and earthquakes in the West-Indian islands, by Mr. Fowler.]
[Footnote 118: The many ships of war belonging to the British navy,
which were lost with all their crews in these dreadful hurricanes, will
sufficiently prove the fact.]
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FINIS.
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