NEGRO; 687 
ef them at lead as have been any length of time in a Hate 
of fervitude) are of a diftruftful and cowardly difpofition. 
So degrading is the nature of flavery, that fortitude of 
mind is loft as free agency is reftrained. To the fame 
caufe probably muft be imputed their propenfity to con¬ 
ceal or violate the truth ; which is fo general, that the 
vice of falfehood is one of the moft prominent features in 
their character. If a negro is afked even an indifferent 
queftion by his mafter, he feldom gives an immediate 
reply ; but, affefting not to underftand what is faid, com¬ 
pels a repetition of the queftion, that he may have time 
to confider, not what is the true anfwer, but what is the 
moft politic one for him to give. The pronenefs oblerva- 
ble in many of them to the vice of theft has already been 
noticed; and I am afraid that evil communication makes 
it aimoft general. It is no eafy matter, I confefs, to dif- 
criminate thofe circumftances which are the refult of 
proximate caufes, from thofe which are the effects of na¬ 
tional cuftoms and early habits in favage life; but I am 
afraid that cowardice and diffimulation have been the 
properties of flavery in all ages, and will continue to be 
fo till the end of the world. It is a fituation that necef- 
farily fupprefles many of the belt affeftions of the human 
heart. If it calls forth any latent virtues, they are thofe 
of fympathy and compaffion towards perfons in the fame 
condition of life; and accordingly we find that the negroes 
in general are ftrongly attached to their countrymen, but, 
above all, to fuch of their companions as came in the 
fame fitip with them from Africa. This is a ftriking cir- 
cumftance : the term Jhipmate is underftood among them 
as fignifying a relationftiip of the moft endearing nature; 
perhaps as recalling the time when the fufferers were cut 
off together from their common country and kindred, 
and awakening reciprocal fympathy from the remembrance 
of mutual affliftion. But their benevolence, with a very 
few exceptions, extends no further. The fofter virtues 
are feldom found in the bofom of the enflaved African. 
Give him fufficient authority, and he becomes the moft 
remorlelefs of tyrants Of all the degrees of wretchednefs 
endured by the 1’ons of men, the greateft, affuredly, is the 
mifery which is felt by thofe who are unhappily doomed 
to be the Haves of Haves; a moft unnatural relation, which 
fometimes takes place in the fugar-plantations. The lame 
obfervation may be made concerning their conduft to¬ 
wards the animal creation. Their treatment of cattle 
under their direction is brutal beyond belief: even the 
ufefuL and focial qualities of the dog fecure to him no 
kind ufage from an African mafter. One of the moft 
pleafing traits in their character is the refpeft and atten¬ 
tion which they pay to their aged countrymen. The 
whole body of negroes on a plantation muft be reduced 
to a deplorable ftate of wretchednefs, if, at any time, they 
fuft’er their aged companions to want the common necef- 
faries of life, or even many of its comforts, as far as they 
can procure them. They feeni to be actuated on thefe 
occaficns by a kind of involuntary impulfe, operating as 
a primitive law of nature, which fcorns to wait the cold 
dictates of- reafon : among them, it is the exercife of a 
common duty, which courts no obfervation, and looks 
for no applauie.” 
As the colour, and features, and moral qualities, of the 
negroes may be thus eafiiy accounted for by the influence 
of climate and the modes of favage life, fo there is good 
reafon to believe that their intelleftual endowments are 
equal to thofe of the whites who have been found in the 
fame circumftances. Of thofe imitative arts in which per¬ 
fection can be attained only in an improved ftate of fo- 
ciety, it is natural to fuppofe that they have but little 
knowledge; but the fabric and colours of the Guinea 
cloths are a proof of their native ingenuity. In the Weft 
Indies many of them are expert carpenters, fome watch¬ 
makers, and one or two have fuccefsfully praftifed phyfic ; 
whilft others have figured both in Latin and in Englilh 
poetry j fo that we cannot doubt but that “ God, who, 
a 
made the w’orld, hath made of one blood all nations of 
men,” and animated them with minds equally rational. 
Seeing, then, that we are all derived from one common 
parent, is it not barbarous and inhuman to make per¬ 
petual flaves of our fellow-creatures, merely becaufe they 
differ from us in colour, and are lefs informed in the arts 
and fubtilties of life ? To thofe foreign nations who 
ftill perfift in the unnatural trade of bargaining for human 
fleffi, and configning their innocent but unfortunate 
brethren to eternal fervitude and mifery, we may addrefs 
the words of a fine writer: “ Let avarice defend it as it 
may, there is an honeft reluftance in humanity, which 
will ever revolt againft buying and felling our own fpe- 
cies, and regarding them as our cattle, or our wealth and 
poffeffions.” Happy are we to fay, that this commerce 
was interdicted to Britifli fubjeCts from the iff of May, 
1807. and our brethren of America aboliflted it from and 
after the ill of January, 1808. 
By the treaty of Paris, (May 30, 1814.) upon the ab¬ 
dication of the emperor Napoleon, the Have-trade was to 
ceafe in France within five years. Napoleon, upon his 
return in March following, ordered it immediately to 
ceafe; and the king, upon his return to power, was obliged 
to confirm this decree, though it was not made an article 
in the treaty of Nov. 20, 1815. 
Ferdinand VII. king of Spain, figned a treaty with Great 
Britain on the 23d of September, 1817, w'hereby, in con- 
fideration of the fum of 400,0001. he agreed to abolifli the 
Have-trade from and after the 30th of May, 1820. The 
money has been paid by Great Britain ; and it remains to 
be feen if the treaty will be fulfilled. 
William king of the Netherlands has engaged, by a 
treaty figned May 4, 1818, to abolifli the llave-trade 
within eight months from that date. 
Portugal has figned a convention with the Britifli go¬ 
vernment for the abolition of the Have-trade north of the 
equator; and the king has publillied a royal alvara, or 
law, dated Riojaneiro, May 6,1818, to enforce the articles 
of that convention. The following are fome of its pro- 
vifions : “ All perfons, of whatfoever quality or con¬ 
dition, who ftiall proceed to fit out or prepare veffels for 
the traffic in Haves in any part of the coaft of Africa lying 
north of the equator, fliall incur the penalty of the lofs of 
the Haves, who fliall be declared free, with a deftination 
herein afterwards mentioned. The veffels engaged in the 
traffic ftiall be confifcated, with all their tackle and appur¬ 
tenances, together with the cargo, of whatever it confift, 
which fliall be on-board on account of the owners or 
freighters of fuch veffel, and the owners of fuch Haves. 
The officers of fuch veffel, to wit, the captain or mafter, 
the pilot and fupercargo, ftiall be baniftied for five years 
to Mofambique; and each ftiall pay a fine equivalent to 
the pay or other interefts which he was to gain by the 
adventure. Policies of infurance cannot be made on fuch 
veffels, or theircargoes ; and, if theyare made, theaffurers 
who fliall knowingly make them fliall be condemned in 
triple the amount of the ftipulaled premium. The Haves 
declared free by the above article, fliall be delivered up to 
the judge of the d iff rift before whom the condemnation 
fliall take place, to ferve, as freed men, for fourteen years, 
in any public fervice of the navy, the fortreffes, agricul¬ 
ture, or public offices, as may be thought moft convenient, 
being for that purpole enrolled in the refpeftive ftations; 
or fliall be hired out to individuals of known property 
and probity, who fliall be bound to fupport, clothe, and 
inftruft, them, teaching them fome handicraft or labour 
that may be agreed upon, during the ftipulated period. 
The time of fervitude may be Ihortened by two or more 
years, according as the good conduct of thefe perfons 
may entitle them to the enjoyment of full freedom; dec.” 
Some laudable but partial attempts have been made to 
abolifli flavery itfelf; but this muft be a work of time, 
and can hardly be expefted to be accompiiflied during 
the prefent generation. The Quakers fee the example, 
and 
