504 J A M A 1 C A. 



and their adaptation to the cHmate, would enable them to pafs from 

 the lowtft to the higheil ftations, and give the law to their mailers, 

 if they were willing unanimoufly to attempt it; but when thofe 

 who fill the loweft rank, are ufed with equity and benevolence, lb 

 far from becoming dreadful, by flocking together in order to tra-mple 

 upon us, they comply with whatever we require of them ; they offer 

 themfelves willingly to be our dtfenders, and are themfelves the 

 inffruments made ufe of to reftrain one .anxjther within the bounds 

 of their allotted condition. Among all the nations of antiquity, 

 flaves v»'ere no where treated with greater humanity than at Athens, 

 fo celebrated for the wifdom of its laws, and the refined manners of 

 its inhabitants. 



Their (laves had an aflion againil their owners, for a£ls of outrage 

 and ill ufage; if the fail was proved, the owner was obliged to fell 

 his flave, who while the procefs depended, might retire into an 

 .afylum appointed to fccure him from all intermediate violence [cj. 

 The liberty of which the Athenians were fo jealous w-as not inter- 

 didled to their flaves ; the latter were authorized to purchafe their 

 freedom, in defpite of their owners, whenever they had amafled 

 the fum which the law had fixed for that purpofe. It was not 

 even unufual for a patron, who was content with the fervices of his 

 ilave, to grant him his liberty for a reward ; this was a flate ot 

 fcrvitude fo mildly regulated, that it differed but little in effentials 

 from abfolute freedom. Let the planters copy from this bright 

 example, as flir as prudence, and the difpofition of Negroes, can ad- 

 mit ; if the native flaves in our colony can with fafety be brought 

 under an enlarged degree of proteftion, and fecured by rational pro- 

 vifions from violence and barbarity ; or be permitted to redeem 

 themfelves from perpetuity of fervitude, with the fliir and honed 

 earnings of their private induftry ; it feems highly ju(l, humani^ 

 and politicj to favour them; that their allegiance to the country 

 and white inhabitants, may be more firmly engaged ; after obtaining 

 their freedom, it ftill remains by kgil regulations to enforce their 

 employing themfelves in fome honelT: courfe of livelihood; they 

 will then contribute largely not to the ftrength alone, but to 



[c] This refembles tlie procefs under the antlent Englifli writ de Ubertate probanda, pending 

 which, the villein, laying claim to freedom, was protefted from the ve:xation of the fuitorwho 

 challenged him. 



, . ' the 



