RpapB 



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30f) 



IMPOLICY OF THE SLAVE-TRADE. 



Constituted as society is in civilised states, 

 the poor must depend upon those who are suf- 

 ficiently wealthy to give them employment ; and 

 again, the latter must depend upon the former 

 for the execution of their projects. But the 

 situation of Brazil excludes the lower ranks from 

 the aid of those who are above them, and de- 

 prives the rich of the assistance which they 

 might receive from the labour of the poor. The 

 peasant is under the necessity of planting for his 

 own subsistence, without possessing the capital 

 which is requisite for the undertaking. If the 

 crop fails he remains totally destitute. The 

 exertions of a number of individuals, each occu- 

 pied singly in clearing and cultivating separate 

 plots of land, cannot accomplish so easily, or 

 with so much perfection, the work which might 

 be done by the united efforts of the same num- 

 ber of persons. Even if the slave-trade was to 

 continue for a considerable length of time, the 

 natural order of things would probably have 

 their course, and free labourers would be em- 

 ployed upon every well-regulated estate, con- 

 jointly with the slaves. The lower ranks of 

 people would become too numerous for each 

 family to be able to possess a sufficient quan- 

 tity of land for its own support, and this would 

 oblige them to hire themselves to those who 

 could afford to pay them ; the planters would 

 see the advantages of hiring their workmen ; 





