James Swan

“ It is not easy to say what vast quantities of the above British and American productions would be exhausted yearly among so great a people, and in so very extensive a country, were the Slave Trade stopped. It is the interest of every Merchant in Britain and the Plantations who are now concerned in traffick to Africa, to cultivate the inland commerce in its utmost extent, as having no manner of concern with the Slave Trade, there being the greatest reason to believe, that where they now export twenty shillings worth of commodities thither, they would then export an hundred pound ”

“ Europe in general affords numbers of poor and distressed objects for that purpose, and if these were not overworked, as the Negroes generally are, they would make as good Servants for the American and West-India Plantations as the Blacks do. And if the Europeans were upon a level with regard to the price of labour, in their Colonies, I cannot but think they would reap great advantage in laying aside the Slave Trade, and cultivate a friendly and civilised Commerce with the Africans. ”

“ For no money can be equal to the worth of a man: Buying, I admit that word because Ship-masters and others in this Trade, say, for their justification that they purchased the Negroes, but as there are no laws, either of God or man, for the buying and stealing of Africans, I am inclined to think it cannot be supposed, but they justly deserve death. ”

“ Whether, if trade was carried on with them for a series of years, as it has been with most other savage countries, and the Europeans gave no incouragement whatever to the Slave Trade, those cruel wars among the Blacks would not cease, and a fair and honourable Commerce in time take place throughout the whole country? ”

“ There can be no loss to any country (particularly to one like Africa that is yet mostly to cultivate) equal to that of depopulating it. 2d. It prevents the inland country, where the incessant broils are carried on, from defending themselves against the attacks and encroachments made on their properties by the Kings and Chiefs, whereby many thousands of their subjects being taken prisoners, are sold to the Coasters, they being nourished and caressed by the Europeans, particularly by Britain and the Colonies, in doing so, for the sake of the Slave Trade to America, and the West-Indies ”

“ The greatest disadvantage to Africa, by thus draining it of the inhabitants is, that it prevents them from cultivating and peopling that great fertile country, of introducing European arts and sciences amongst them, and of carrying on a friendly, civil, and christian Commerce with them into the heart of their region. ”

“ It is astonishing how a people who so much value themselves upon their Freedom can continue in the practice of so much oppression. Will not the groans of this afflicted and miserable people reach Heaven! ”

“ And as you would that men should do to you, do ye so to them likewise. Who is that proud one that will not receive these instructions? And who is that man that will do unto any person, either white or black, Christian or Savage, contrary to what he would that he should do to him? This would be acting contrary to reason and common sense. Would any person consent to have himself torn from his friends and native country, and be made a Slave for life, and to have his dear, [35] dear little children continue in the same condition from one generation to another? ”

“ It is a known custom among the Factors who reside in Africa, and the Ship-masters who trade there, to corrupt many Negroes on the sea coast, who stop at no act of cruelty for gain. They make it a practice, to steal abundance of [23] little Blacks of both sexes, when found on the roads, or in the fields, where their Parents keep them all day to watch the corn, &c. Can it be denied that the Africans are stolen after so many proofs of it, and if it is not direct stealth in the Ship-masters, &c. ”

“ Their Owners make great gain by their Slaves’ labour. They lay heavy burdens on them, and yet feed and cloath them very sparingly, and some scarcely at all; so that it cannot be wondered that these poor creatures are obliged to shift for their living as they do, which occasions many of them being killed in stealing potatoes or other food to satisfy hunger. If they are detected in taking any thing from the plantation they belong to, which they have so hardly laboured for, they are cruely whiped.” Lastly. With respect to the beating which these poor people meet with in the West-Indies. ”

“ It is further a hurt to the African trade with Europe, for the Slave Trade has so gained upon the minds of those men that traffick to Africa, that they never once think of the other commodities, at least in such quantities as Europe might consume were the attention necessary paid to it by making this the only object of the traders notice. I believe it would turn out much more profitable to keep wholly to the produce of this country, viz. ”

“ It is likewise certain, that those who carry on this Trade, do not unto men as they would men should do to them; for if these poor people which they, the Ship-masters take from their own Country and then sell for Slaves, were doing to them as they are done to, they would (were it in their power, which seldom is the case, the owners being conscious of the wrong they are doing, and dreading what naturally would follow) revenge the injury they receive in being made Slaves, and resume that Liberty again, which was wrongfully taken from them ”

“ He does not reject the prayer of the poor and destitute, nor disregard the cry of the meanest Negro.” When speaking of the oppression and unchristian usage these poor Negroes meet with from the Ship-masters in their passage, and from the Masters they are sold to in the south parts of America and the West-Indies, he adds, “The blood of the Negroes spilt for these many years in your respective Provinces will rise up to Heaven against you,” together with that lost in Africa, occasioned by the Traders that go thither. ”

“ Will he allow himself to be cursed by God in every thing that he doeth for the small gain he can make by their services? This charming promise of a blessing in all that thou doest, and the dreadful events that may take place in contradicting the command of God, I hope will make such impressions upon the minds of men, that they will not bind Servant to serve above six years; but will set him at liberty in the seventh year, and give him liberally of what the Lord hath blessed them with, as required in the above cited text. ”

“ Africa which groans under a heavy load of oppression.
The next thing in course is, the advantages that would arise to Europe in thus carrying on a Christian-like Commerce with Africa. This trade even in its present state, excluding that of the Slaves, is as advantageous as any that is now followed; and what will it be when a friendly traffick is carried on? It is as it were all profit, the first cost being some things of European, particularly of British manufactures, and others generally purchased with them ”

“ As detestable and shocking as these usages to the poor Negroes may appear to such whose hearts are not yet hardened by the practise of that cruelty which the love of wealth by degrees introduceth into the human mind, it will not be strange to those who have been concerned or employed in the Trade. ”

“ Should they think themselves on a death-bed, what agonies and troubles of mind must they undergo in the thoughts of enslaving so many miserable [55] creatures, of murdering so many thousands of innocent people in the wars they occasion, treacherously taking them out of their own country, using them barbarously, massacring numbers of them in all the cruel ways imaginable on the passage, selling them for life, and depriving them even of a comfortable living, notwithstanding they serve for nothing else ”

“ In the Islands, the allowance for a Slave’s cloathing is seldom more than six yards of oznabrigs a year, and in the Southern Colonies, where the piercing westerly winds are long and sensibly felt, these poor Africans suffer much for the want of sufficient cloathing ”

“ That whilst the slaving Trade of those people, continue to be the great object of the powers that trade there it is to be feared it will ever, as it does at present spirit up wars and hostilities amongst the Negro Princes and Chiefs, for the sake of making captives of each other for sale. ”

“ So that I expect the inhabitants of the American Provinces will not give any person an opportunity of charging them with that infamous character of making or keeping any man or woman Slaves, when they are complaining daily that their Liberties are wrested from them, and little think how they deprive these poor Black People of their Freedom, when there is as little reason for it as there is for making Slaves of British Subjects. The above cited clause in the Charter, says, Those born in or shall come to and dwell within the Province of the Massachusetts-Bay are FREE ”

“ Whether therefore, there is not a probability that those people might in time, by proper management in the Europeans, become as wise, as industrious, as humane, and as good Christians, as the people of any other country? ”

“ Until this is done it does not seem possible [50] that the inland trade of that country should ever be extended to the degree it is capable of; for while the spirit of Butchery and making Slaves of each other, is promoted by the Europeans, Americans, &c. amongst those people, they will never be able to travel with safety into the heart of the country, or to cement such commercial friendship and alliance with them, as will actually introduce our arts and manufactures. ”

“ As to this I answer, that those companies have a sum of ten thousand pounds sterling annually, from the Crown of Britain, for maintaining and upholding the forts and castles that are built upon the British Colonies, which with the duties arising from the Trade will be sufficient to maintain, uphold, and defend them with strength superior to the strongest enemy. ”

“ Thus an insatiable desire of gain prevails with their Kings, who, instead of being protectors of their people, for this alluring bait laid before them, by the European [20] and American Factors, or Ship-masters, invade the Liberties of these unhappy people, and occasion their oppression. These Kings, whenever they want goods send to the Ship-masters, acquainting them they have Negroes, and sometimes the Factors and Ship-masters send to acquaint them, that they have a quantity of goods, and want Slaves for the same. ”

“ The crimes attending the Slave Trade are greatly aggravated by the extreme cruel [37] usage the Negroes meet with in the Plantations, as well with regard to food and cloathing as the hard and unreasonable labour that is exacted from them, and what cannot be forgot, the severe chastisements they frequently suffer, which is bounded by the wrath and pleasure of their hard task-masters. ”

“ It is supposed that the above extraordinary number of Blacks are taken out of Africa yearly, and either murdered or made Slaves of, by the ships that go there out of Boston, &c. and what advantages may arise to the inhabitants in peopling, and consequently of cultivating and manuring their ground, and of bringing their rich trade to the perfection it is capable of, with Britain, &c. ”

“ However, admit they are Heathens, (although it is well known they are not) it must be owned by those who know them, that the natives of Africa have exalted notions of a Deity. It is an odd method these Traders take to civilize and teach them [30] the Christian religion, by importing one hundred thousand of them yearly into Virginia and other Southern Provinces, together with the West-India islands, where they are kept in greater darkness than before, as they are not allowed to worship God on the Sabbath ”

“ In Virginia, &c. in case a Negro gives the slightest affront to a white person, he goes to the Negroe’s Master and demands satisfaction, the Master delivers [40] him to the white person to take what satisfaction he pleases; who whips him, strikes him with clubs, and, as is often done, cuts off his ears, and marks him by cuting his face, or other parts of his body. ”

“ And in the second sense, the man who buys the Africans or Negroes is full as culpable as the stealer, and liable to the same punishment, for Scripture does not point [29] out particularly either of them, but only just, If he be found in his hands, that is, in any man’s hands, so that it can be proved he stole or bought him, he surely shall be put to death.
The third part was, He that buyeth a Servant and serveth him six years, shall set him free the seventh, and furnish him liberally with what he hath. ”

“ This is being Bond-men with a witness, and as we have great reason to believe they are poor enough when they steal them, they are kept so forever after, not having means to make a penny themselves. The Africans will be understood, if not primarily intended, to be the people mentioned in this text! It is said, Thy Brother who dwelleth by thee: When they are in Africa it is certain they are at a great distance; but when they come to America or the West-Indies they then dwell by us ”

“ There is a blessing promised to those who do this thing in ver. 18 of the above chap. After enjoining that it may not [32] seem hard unto you in sending away this Servant, as he hath been worth a double hired one, in serving thee six years, he says, and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest. Sweet encouragement for poor sinful souls! To be blessed in every thing that they do. What man will forfeit this great blessing for the sake of the service of one, two, or more Servants for life? ”