BOOK 111. CHAP. V. 4,;(; 



cendiarles, and rioters; runaways, found carrying unlawful wea- 

 pons; and fuch as ftubbornly and wilfully refufe to labour; for it 

 is in confiftent with the general welfare, that any fliould be rebellious, 

 guilty of outrage and violence, idle, or vagrant. 



Lenity in fome points, rigid feverity in others, proteftion to the 

 well-difpoled, and difcouragement to the abandoned and difaffefted, 

 might prove the means of polifhing their manners, inciting them to 

 induflry, and cnfuring their voluntary obedience. But nothing 

 would more effedually operate to thefe purpofes, than the admitting 

 fome alteration in the prefent laws. for recovery of debts. 



I have already pointed out, that making Negroes liable to be 

 feized for bond and fimple contrail debts, and hurried from one part 

 of the illand to another, conllitutes the chief oppreflion under 

 which they labour ; renders their fervitudc more bitter, and into- 

 lerable ; and produces a very great annual lofs to the public, by the 

 mortality which it occafions. 



I am fenfible, that the exigency of commercial contra£ls, and the 

 mixt nature which the laws of commerce have afiigned to Negroes, 

 combat ftrongly againfl an alteration. But the law of humanity, 

 and the general intereft of the ifland, plead more forcibly in favour 

 of it ; and fince the utmoft a creditor can defire, is the payment of 

 his debt, or as good fecurity for it as his debtor can give, no injury 

 is done him, by changing an oppredive mode, for one that is 

 not fo. 



If, for example, Negroes were made glebio adfcripthl't ^ affixed 

 to the foil, and only liable to pafs with it; it is evident, they ftill 

 might pals in defcent, or payment of contrads, or in fale. If bonds 

 and fmiple contrails were left to take their remedy folelv againft 

 other perfonal aflets, or againft the produce of the Negroes labour ; 

 or, thefe proving deficient, that then the whole eftate, land, and 

 Negroes, were liable to be fold colle£tively, for yielding full fat f- 

 fa£lion ; would the bond or fimple contraft creditor be put into any 

 worfe fituation than a mortgagee, who has at prefent identically 

 the fame remedy r Perhaps no fcheme might anfwer the intention 

 better, than the committing debtors eftates in tru/t, as I have pro- 

 pofedin thecourfe of tliis work : a variety of plans indeed might be 

 formed, for faving the creditor harmlefs; none however could be 



S 1 f 2 carried 



