so‘6 HISTORY OF THE [book rv. 
•* world, those who are free, are by far the most 
« proud and jealous of their freedom. Freedom 
« is to them not only an enjoyment, but a kind of 
ec rank and privilege. Not seeing there that, free- 
« dom, as in countries where it is a common bless- 
« ing, may be united with much abject toil, with 
« great misery, with all the exterior of servitude, 
“ liberty looks among them like something that is 
« more noble and liberal. Thus, the people of the 
tc southern colonies of America, are much more 
“ strongly, and with a higher and more stubborn 
« spirit, attached to liberty, than those to the 
* e northward. Such were all the ancient common- 
ec wealths; such were our Gothic ancestors; such 
in our days are the Poles; and such will be all 
* e masters of slaves, who are not slaves them- 
4{ selves.’’* 
Possibly too, the climate itself, by increasing 
sensibility, contributes to create an impatience of 
subordination. But whatever may be the cause of 
this consciousness of self importance in the "West 
Indian character, the consequences resulting from 
it are, on the whole, beneficial. If it sometimes 
produces an ostentatious pride, and a ridiculous af¬ 
fectation of splendour, it more frequently awakens 
the laudable propensities of our nature—frankness, 
sociability, benevolence, and generosity. In no 
part of the globe is the virtue of hospitality more 
generally prevalent, than in the British Sugar 
* Burke’s Speech in Parliament, %z March, 1773. 
