BOOK II. CHAP. VTI. 87 



were reftored again to the ifland. This I leiioiifly believe, but it 

 is no argument to juftify the detainers of them; for, fiirely, if 

 they had pi inciple enough to do what thelaws of nations, of juilice, 

 and common honcfty, require, they would either re-dcnver the 

 perlons of thefe Negroes, or a pecuniary indemnification ; they 

 tlicmfelves not beftowing a gratis freedom to thefe poor people, but 

 kihng it to them for a vakiable conilderation, exadled in moiicv, 

 apart of which booty their illuftrious (overeign (or I am mifin- 

 formed) difdains not to participate. What are we to think of a 

 fociety of men, who are Cc pable of committing fuch pious frauds 

 under the malk of pretended righteoufneis! The very fame pretence 

 might be brought by a highwayman, or pick-pocket, to juftify 

 their malefaftions.. It is flagrant robbery, a breach of good fiiith 

 between the two nations, and ought to be anfwered with reprifals 

 to make good the damages fuftained by the plundered parties. The 

 fovereign of Great -Britain holds an intereft in all the Negroes pof- 

 fefled by his colony-fubjeirts; for his revenue is very greatly bene- 

 fited and fupported by the produce of their peifonal labour. The 

 nation at large holds an intereft in them by the number of ma- 

 nufadturers fet to work; by the fhipping and mariners; by the ar- 

 ticles neceffary to cloathe, feed, and employ thefe labourers j and- 

 by their general confumption of Britifli merchandizes. Hence, 

 in every refpe<fl:, this grievance feems to rife into a national con- 

 cern, ^and to deferve a powerful national interpofition, that fuch 

 a£ls of perfidy aad injuftice may ceafe for the future. That fome 

 judgement may be formed of the height of infolence to which the 

 Spaniards have carried their pretenfions, 1 muft not omit to mention 

 that, fo recently as the year 1768, the aflembly of t];ie ifland ad- 

 drefl'ed his majefty ; fetting forth, that numbers of their flaves were 

 actually detained and employed in the fervice of the Catholic king, 

 or his fubje(5i:s; and that, application haviiig been made to the go- 

 vernor of St. Jago in Cuba for the delivery of fome of thofe flaves, 

 he declared, " that although he knew many Negroes were at that 

 *' place, who had made then- elopement from Jamaica, yet; he 

 *' would not deliver them up ; having received orders from the 

 •' court of Spain, injoining, that all Negroes coming thither from 

 "the Britifh iflajids, in what manner foever, ftiould be employed 



*'in; 



