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Friday, October 8, 1773. [Number 312.]
CONNECTICUT JOURNAL,
AND THE
NEW-HAVEN POST-BOY.
Printed by THOMAS and SAMUEL GREEN, near the COLLEGE.
Some Observations upon the Slavery of
NEGROES.
It has often been surprising to me, that
while we in the American colonies,
have been so jealous of our own liber-
ties, and so cautious to guard against
every encroachement upon them from our
mother country; we have been so inatten-
tive to our own conduct in enslaving the
Negroes, or at least in joining in the trade,
whereby they are enslaved. Has it not a
shrewd appearance of inconsistence, to make
a loud outcry against British parliament
for making laws to obliged us to pay certain
duties, which amount to but a mere trifle
for each individual; when we are deeply
engaged in reducing a large body of peo-
ple to complete and perpetual slavery? Is
it lawful and right for us to reduce the
Africans to a state of slavery, why is it not
as right for Great Britain, France of Spain,
not merely to exact duties of us, but to
reduce us to the same state of slavery, to
which we have reduced them? What argu-
ments can be offered in favour of the one,
which will not operate equally in favour of
the other? It is said, that we in this new
settled country, stand in great need of la-
bourers, and that were it not for the slave
trade, they would be so scarce, that it would
be impossible to cultivate our lands? The
same may be said of France or Spain; they
stand in great need of slaves to cultivate
their plantations in the West Indies and
South America. Therefore they have a
right to send a fleet heither, and carry off,
from time to time, as many of us and our
children as they need.
If we need the help of the Negroes, so
does Great Britain need our help, to pay off
their national debt. If we desire to grow
rich and rest at ease, by their toils and la-
bours; so does Great Britain desire the same
at our expense.-So that while we persist in
this practice of enslaving the Africans, our
mouths ought to be shut entirely as to any
duties or taxes, which Great Britain may
see cause to lay upon us: otherwise I see
not but that out of our own mouths, or
by our own practice, we may justly be
condemned.
But it will be said, that the cases are by
no means parrallel. We are Cristians;
but the Africans are heathen; therefore it is
right for us to enslave them, that we may
bring them into this land of gospel light,
and convert them to Christianity. In an-
swer to this, I ask, is this the end, for which
they are enslaved? If it be not, the argu-
ment is nothing to the purpose of justifying
our conduct. If it be, it only shows, that