SLA 



in thofe times (many of which are ftill extant), were 

 granted " pro amore Dei, pro mercede animas." They 

 were founded, in (hort, on rehgious confiderations, " that 

 they might procure the favour of the Deity, which they 

 conceived themfelves to have forfeited, by the fubjugation 

 of thofe, whom they found to be the objefts of the divine 

 benevolence and attention equally with themfelves." 



Thefe confiderations, which had thus their firft origin in 

 Chriftianity, began to produce their effefts, as the different 

 nations were converted ; and procured that general liberty 

 at laft, which, at the clofe of the twelfth century, was 

 confpicuous in the weft of Europe. 



Within two centuries after the fuppreflion of flavery in 

 Europe, the Portuguefe, in imitation of thofe piracies 

 which exifted in the uncivilized ages of the v/orld, made 

 their defcents on Africa, and committing depredations on 

 the coaft, firft carried the wretched inhabitants into flavery. 

 This praftice, thus inconfiderable at its commencement, 

 became general ; and our own anceftors, together with the 

 Spaniards, French, and moft of the maritime powers of 

 Europe, foon followed the piratical example : and thus did 

 the Europeans, to their eternal infamy, revive a quftora, 

 which their own anceftors had fo lately exploded, from a 

 confcioufnefs of its impiety. The unfortunate Africans fled 

 from the coaft, and fought, in the interior part of the coun- 

 try, a retreat from the perfecution of their invaders ; but 

 the Europeans ftill purfued them ; they entered their rivers, 

 failed up mto the heart of the country, furprifed the Afri- 

 cans in their receffes, and carried them into flavery. The 

 next ftep, which the Europeans found it necefl"ary to take, 

 was that of fettling in the country ; of fecuring themlelves 

 by fortified pofts ; of changing their fyllem of force into 

 that of pretended liberality ; and of opening, by every 

 fpecies of bribery and corruption, a communication with 

 the natives. Accordingly they erefted their forts and fac- 

 tories ; landed their merchandize ; and endeavoured, by a 

 peaceable deportment, by prefents, and by every appear- 

 ance of munificence, to allure the attachment and con- 

 fidence of the Africans. 



The Portuguefe erefted their firft fort at D'Elmina, in 

 the year 1481, about 40 years after Alonzo Gonzales had 

 pointed out to his countrymen the fouthern Africans as 

 articles of commerce. 



The fcheme fucceeded : an intercourfe took place be- 

 tween the Europeans and Africans, attended with a con- 

 fidence highly favourable to the views of ambition and Ava- 

 rice. In order to render this intercourfe permanent as well 

 as lucrative, the Europeans having difcovered the chiefs of 

 the American tribes, paid their court to thefe ; and at 

 length a treaty of peace and commerce was concluded ; in 

 which it was agreed, that the kings, on their part, ftiould, 

 from this perioil, fentence prlfoners of luar and convi^s to 

 European fervitude j and that the Europeans (hould fupply 

 them, in return, with the luxuries of the north. This agree- 

 ment immediately took place, and laid the foundation of 

 that commerce, of which the following articles contain a 

 brief hiftory. 



Slavery is abfolutely abolifhed in England and France as 

 to perfonal fervitude ; our fervants are not flaves, but only 

 are fubjeft to certain determinate fervices. It is faid, that 

 the moment a flave fteps on Englifti ground, he by law be- 

 comes free. See Negro. 



When an attempt was made to introduce flavery within 

 this nation, by ftat. i Edw. VI. c. 3. which ordained, that 

 all idle vagabonds (hould be made flaves, and fed upon 

 bread, water or fmall drink, and refufe of meat ; ftiould 

 wear a ring of iron round their necks, arms, or legs ; and 



SLA 



fiiould be compelled, by beating, chaining, or othenvife, 

 to perform the work afligned them, were it ever fo vile ; 

 the fpirit of the nation could not brook this condition, even 

 in the moft abandoned rogues ; and, therefore, this ftatute 

 was repealed in two years afterwards. 3 & 4 Edw. VI. 

 c. 16. 



For the cuftom of marking or ftigmatizing flaves, fee 

 Stigmatizing. 



SLAVE-TRADE. At the clofe of the preceding 

 article we have ftated the manner in which this fpecies of 

 commerce commenced ; nor is it necefl'ary to mention one 

 oftenfible reafon that was alleged for introducing the Afri- 

 cans, in particular, as labourers into the newly difcovered 

 parts of the weftern world, and placing them under Euro- 

 pean mafters, viz. the duty of converting the heathen ; be- 

 caufe this was but an idle pretence. It was foon found that 

 a ufage, different from that which Chriftianity would have 

 diftated, was necedary, where people were tranfported, and 

 made to labour againft their will. A fyftem, therefore, of 

 feverity fprung up, as it related to their treatment, which 

 became by degrees ftill more cruel and degrading ; fo that 

 when in after-times the fituation of mafter and flave came to 

 be viewed, as it exifted in praftice between the two, the 

 mafters feemed to have attained the rank of monarchs, and 

 the flaves to have gone down to the condition of brutes. 

 Hence, very early after the commencement of the flave- 

 trade, the objefts of it began to be confidered as an inferior 

 fpecies, and even their very colour as a mark of it ; and 

 under this latter notion they continued to be tranfported 

 for years and years, till different perfons, taking an intereft 

 in their fufferings, produced fuch an union of public fenti- 

 ment in their favour in England, that the parliament there 

 were obliged, as it were, to confider their cafe, by hearing 

 evidence upon it. It is from this evidence, as from the 

 higheft authority, which was heard in the years 1791 and 

 1792, that we ftiall chiefly give our account of the trade in 

 queftion. 



The treaty to which we have referred, ftipulated to 

 fupply the Europeans with captives and convifts ; but 

 thefe were not fufficient for their demand, on the eftablifli- 

 ment of their vveflern colonies. In order, therefore, to 

 augment the number, not only thofe who were fairly con- 

 vifted of offences were now fentenced to fervitude, but 

 even thofe who were fufpefted ; and with regard to prifoners 

 of war, they delivered into flavery not only thofe who 

 were taken in a ftate of public enmity and injuftice, but 

 thofe alfo who, confcious of no injury whatever, were 

 taken in the arbitrary ikirmifhes of the venal fovereigns of 

 Africa. Wars were made, not as formerly, from motives 

 of retaliation and defence, but for the fake of obtaining pri- 

 foners alone, and the advantages relulting from the fale of 

 them. When an European ftiip came in fight, this was 

 confidered as a motive for war, and a fignal for the com- 

 mencement of hoftilities. The defpotic fovereigns of Africa, 

 influenced by the venal motives of European traiHc, firft 

 made war upon the neighbouring tribes, in the violation of 

 every principle of juftice ; and if they did not thus fucceed 

 in their main objeft, they turned their arms againit their own 

 fubjefts. Tlie firft villages at which they arrived were im- 

 mediately furrounded, and afterwards fet on fire ; and the 

 wretched inhabitants feized, as they were efcaping from the 

 flames. Thefe, confifting of whole families, fathers, bro- 

 thers, hufbands, wives, and children, were inifantly driven 

 in chains to the merchants, and configned to flavery. 

 Many other perfons were kidnapped, in order to glut the 

 avarice of their own countrymen, who lay in wait for them ; 

 and they were afterwards fold to the European merchants : 



while 



I 



