These were founded in absolute despotism.
Every subject was an actual slave. The inhabitants were slaves to the
great men, and the great men were slaves to the prince. Prisoners of
war, too, were by law subject to slavery. Such being the case, he saw no
more cruelty in disposing of them to our merchants, than to those of any
other nation. Criminals, also, in cases of adultery and witchcraft,
became slaves by the same laws.
It had been said, that there were no regulations in the West Indies for
the protection of slaves. There were several; though he was ready to
admit that more were necessary; and he would go in this respect as far
as humanity might require. He had passed ten months in Jamaica, where he
had never seen any such acts of cruelty as had been talked of. Those
which he had seen were not exercised by the Whites, but by the Blacks.
The dreadful stories which had been told, ought no more to fix a general
stigma upon the planters, than the story of Mrs. Brownrigg to stamp this
polished metropolis with the general brand of murder. There was once a
haberdasher's wife (Mrs. Nairne) who locked up her apprentice girl, and
starved her to death; but did ever any body think of abolishing
haberdashery on this account? He was persuaded the Negroes in the West
Indies were cheerful and happy.
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