i39 



not the fofteft {hade— not the flighted tinge of 

 the acquired darknefs of hands or face is com- 

 municated to the defendants —the children 

 being, invariably, born as perfect whites as 

 thofe of Europe. If, therefore, it could, for 

 a moment, be admitted that merely the tanned 

 countenance were an approach to the negro 

 ftate, this being completely extinguiihed ia 

 each fucceeding race, it could never advance 

 beyond the feeble change effected in a fingle 

 generation. 



But the very ftrong and incontrovertible 

 fadt with refpeft to the American Indians, 

 militates fo decidedly agamft this doctrine of 

 converfion, that fcarcely another argument can 

 be neceflary to its refutation. Although living 

 for unknown ages under the fame parallel of 

 latitude as the Africans, and expofed to pre- 

 cifely fimilar habits and occupations, not an 

 individual of them has ever been known to 

 turn negro, either in fkin or feature. Nor, 

 indeed, would it be lefs reafonable to expecl: 

 that the negroes of Africa, or thofe of the 

 Weft India iflands, fhould change to Indians, 

 than that Indians, or Europeans, fhould be 

 converted into Africans ! 



