And because he could not work, this same master, in the
same spirit of perversion, which extorts from Scripture a justification
of the Slave Trade, had fulfilled the apostolic maxim, that he should
have nothing to eat. The use he meant to make of this instance was to
show the unprotected state of the slaves. What must it be, where such an
instance could pass not only unpunished, but almost unregarded! If, in
the streets of London, but a dog were to be seen lacerated like this
miserable man, how would the cruelty of the wretch be execrated, who had
thus even abused a brute!
The judicial punishments also inflicted upon the Negro showed the low
estimation, in which, in consequence of the strength of old customs and
deep-rooted prejudices, they were held. Mr. Edwards, in his speech to
the Assembly at Jamaica, stated the following case, as one which had
happened in one of the rebellions there. Some slaves surrounded the
dwelling-house of their mistress. She was in bed with a lovely infant.
They deliberated upon the means of putting her to death in torment. But
in the end one of them reserved her for his mistress; and they killed
her infant with an axe before her face. "Now," says Mr.
Pages:
749
750
751
752
753
754
755
756
757
758
759
760
761
762
763
764
765
766
767
768
769
770
771
772
773