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(14) nation begins to manifest an inclination to remove or to lessen this gigantic evil. The petition which was lately presented to the house of commons, by the people called Quakers, in favour of the negroes, though not granted, yet was received with many demonstrations of respect. A sermon was not long ago preached before the society for the propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts, by the bishop of Chester. In this it is said, "If ever then we hope to make any progress in our benevolent purpose of communicating to our negroes the benefits and the blessings of religion, we must first give them some of the benefits and blessings of society and of civil government. We must, as far as is possible, attach them and their families inseparably to the foil, must give them a little interest in it; must indulge them with a few rights and privileges to be anxious for; must secure them by fixed laws from injury and insult; must inform their minds, correct their morals, accustom them to the restraints of legal marriage, to the care of a family and the comforts of domestic life; must improve and advance their condition gradually, as they are able to bear it; and even allow a certain number of the most deserving to work out their freedom by degrees, (according to the plan said to be established in some of the Spanish settlements) as a reward of superiour merit and industry, and of an uncommon progress in the knowledge and the practice of Christianity. The Spanish regulation here alluded to, is said to have taken place at the Havannah, and is as follows: As soon as a slave is landed, his name, price, &c. are entered in a public register; and the master is obliged by law to allow him one working day in every week to himself, besides sunday; so that if he chooses to work for his master on that day, he receives the wages of a freeman for it; and whatever he gains by his labour on that day is so secured to him by law, that the master cannot deprive him of it. As soon as the slave is able to purchase another working day, the master is obliged to sell it him at a proportionable price, viz. one fifth part of his original cost; and so likewise the remaining four days, at the same rate, as soon as the slave is able to redeem them, after which he is absolutely free. See "Mr. Sharp's Appendix to the just limitation of slavery," &c. page 53. ( 15 ) In regard to this custom of enslaving and tyrannizing over the Africans, there is, perhaps more occasion There is something wonderfully pleasing and benevolent in this institution. It were greatly wished that some expedient of this kind might be tried, at least as an experiment, in some of the English islands. It is believed (on very just grounds, and after the maturest consideration of the subject) by men of great judgement and long experience in the management of West-India estates, that if the negroes on any of our plantations were emancipated gradually (for every improvement of their situation must be very gradual) in some such way as is here proposed, and retained afterwards by their owner as day-labourers, at a certain fair stipulated price, it would be an alteration no less advantageous to the planter, than kind and compassionate to the negroes. Having been previously habituated to the climate, and to hard labour, and animated at the same time by that spirit, which freedom and gratitude, and the prospect of some little property, never fails to inspire, he would do three times the work of a languid, feeble, heart-broken slave; and the plantation would be cultivated with far less expense to the proprietor than the frequent purchase of fresh negroes, and their maintenance in health, sickness and old age amount to. See "History of Jamaica," page 502 & 505. I have been informed that in the most flourishing state of Barbadoes, the sugar-cane there was principally cultivated by hired white servants." Vide Bishop of Chester's sermon, page 21, 22, 23. That this regulation might in a great measure answer the end proposed appears from the memoirs of Guilma, superiour of the indiam Missions on the great river Oronoko, where he resided thirty years. He informs us, That a great
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Reopened for Editing 2023-05-12 09:22:47