And here he would just advert to an argument used against those
who complained of cruelty in our islands, which was, that it was the
interest of masters to treat their slaves with humanity: but surely it
was immediate and present, not future and distant interest, which was
the great spring of action in the affairs of mankind. Why did we make
laws to punish men? It was their interest to be upright and virtuous:
but there was a present impulse continually breaking in upon their
better judgment, and an impulse, which was known to be contrary to their
permanent advantage. It was ridiculous to say that men would be bound by
their interest, when gain or ardent passion urged them. It might as well
be asserted, that a stone could not be thrown into the air, or a body
move from place to place, because the principle of gravitation bound
them to the surface of the earth. If a planter in the West Indies found
himself reduced in his profits, he did not usually dispose of any part
of his slaves; and his own gratifications were never given up, so long
as there was a possibility of making any retrenchment in the allowance
of his slaves.--But to return to the subject which he had left: he was
happy to state, that as all the causes of the decrease which he had
stated might be remedied, so, by the progress of light and reformation,
these remedies had been gradually coming into practice; and that, as
these had increased, the decrease of slaves had in an equal proportion
been lessened.
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