I 



228 



SLAVERY. 



merit is attached to its accomplishment by him 

 whose orders are obeyed ; nor does the slave 

 feel that he is doing in any degree more than 

 would be enforced if he had made any doubts. 

 The world has heard so much, and from so 

 many quarters, of the enormities which have 

 been committed by slave-owners in the colonies 

 with which England has had any communica- 

 tion ; both from her own possessions, and from 

 those of other nations, that no doubts can be 

 entertained of their existence. That such evil 

 deeds are of frequent occurrence, I would not 

 wish to suppose, though that they are dreadfully 

 too frequent is well known ; I had rather not be 

 persuaded that man in so depraved a state is 

 often to be met with ; — that many civilised 

 beings should have made such rapid returns to 

 barbarism. I have to say, that in Brazil, too, 

 such instances of barbarity are spoken of — that 

 they do exist ; they are, however, of rare occur- 

 rence, they are seldom heard of, and are always 

 mentioned with abhorrence ; but it is enough 

 that instances should be recorded, of the abuse of* 

 this absolute power of one man over another ; it 

 is enough that this absolute power itself should 

 be allowed to continue, to render the system 

 upon which it is founded an evil of such great 

 importance, as to sanction all exertions for its 

 removal, as to make any government overlook 

 many inconveniences rather than increase the 



