Shall I be answered, that what I complain of are evils which must be borne, because the welfare and profperity of the nation require it! And may not the West Indians avail themselves of the fame plea, against the prefent clamour? Fully am I convinced, in the present ftate of the world, of the impracticability of a nation exifting without foldiers and failors; but, I infift upon it, they are in a state of slavery. Well I know, that "the rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is the servant of the lender." Sure I am, that the labourer in England, who is the flave of neceffity, ferves a harder task.mafter then the African finds in the Weft-Indies. No feverities, there exercifed, are equal to the cruelty of enticing poor people, by a small addition of wages, to work in lead, quick-filver, or other metals, or deleterious manufactories, which in a very few months, or years, render the life of the poor victim an unremitting fçene of torture and mifery, which death alone can relieve him from. Is purchafing negroes in Africa, and keeping them in flavery, fo great an act of cruelty as the declaring them free, and then suffering them to perish with cold, hunger, and disease, in the streets of the metropolis?|| Such is too frequently the lot of the poor d that the negro When the determination of Lord MSomerset was entitled to the writ of Habeas Corpus, and it was declared, in confequence of his being brought before the court, that his mafter was not authorized to fend him back to Virginia, it was immediately understood, by the negroes in England, that they were free in that country; and fo many left their masters, that their numbers were faid to amount to near 15,000; many of them had fenfe enough to return to their duty, and of those who did not, poor of Great Britain, to be regarded; the members of the fociety met in the Old Jewry profefs their abhorrenee of Weft Indian cruelty, while they feem not to be fhocked at the fcenes of mifery which are daily before their eyes. Although, I allow that many of the evils which exift in England, cannot be totally eradicated, yet I hope I may be permitted to fay, to the gentlemen who are members of the fociety abovementioned, and the other petitioners for procuring the abolition of the Slave Trade, that we have a right to expect, if they are actuated by the true fpirit of Chriftianity, they will begin by alleviating the fate of their own poor, as far as may be poffible, before they trouble themselves about us, When we have the fatisfaction to know that the brave and undaunted feaman, is fecure from being torn from the arms of the partner of his foul, and from the children of his love, whofe happiness, certainly, and whofe exiftence, probably, depends upon the exertion of his industry and skill: When we fee that the man, who has been, perhaps, forced to enlist as a foldier, but whose nerves are fo unftrung, as to render him incacapable of facing his enemy, can with facility, procure his release from a flavery he is incapable of fupporting-when for the fale, or lofs, of a pair of spatterdashes, or trifling accoutrement, he shall not be subjected to a punishment at the halberts, feverer than those which negroes in the Weft Indies undergo, for burglaries and other felonies of equal enormity?—When we know that the industrious peafant in England fhall be allowed to work for his living, wherever he can find employment, without fe ar of being feized on by an unfen g parish officer, the greater part perifhed miferably. Some, indeed, were, happily for themfelves, impelled by hunger and want, to commit crimes which caufed their mifery to be more fpeedily terminated by the c. rd. officer, and paffed back to his native parish.-When we learn that the young people of both fexes, are encouraged, or even permitted, to avow their mutual inclinations for each other, and fuffered to marry, without fear or threats of being difmiffed from their employments, under the apprehenfion they may encrease the number of honeft and induftrious poor; we may acknowledge their right to cenfure, and regulate our conduct. Those who act from religious motives, are entitled to have great allowances made for them, however they may be mistaken; but can the prelates, and other dignified clergymen, or even the pious and humane Mr. Ramfey,' think it poffible, we should be perfuaded that their present outcry is occafioned by a zeal for the Christian religion, and a regard for its precepts? We know that establishes a perfect equality among its profeffors, even in point of rank. Matth. 20 and 27, Mark 6 and 27,— and the disciples of our bleffed Mafter are enjoined to fell all they have and give to the poor. Chriftians, when the influence of the gofpel had a proper effect on their lives and converfations, had all poffeffions in common. Mark 10, v. 21, Acts, c. 4, 32, 34, 35• Perhaps it is not poffible a nation can exist as fuch, if the people, in every circumftance, conformed strictly to the laws of Chriftianity. But thofe who particularly devote themfelves to the fervice of God and his Church, might obey the pofitive precepts, and follow the examples above cited. There is nothing therein which is impoffible; nothing which will disturb, or be injurious to fociety; on the contrary, nothing would contribute fo much to influence the laity, as fuch bright examples of forbearance and charity; and therefore have we not a right to say to these reformers, fhew us, gentlemen, that you act from principle, by obeying the laws laws of that religion, which alone can give you a right to confider that fpecies of fervitude, you call flavery, unlawful; or, entitle you to endeavour to put a stop to a commerce which has exifted throughout the whole world, from the remoteft antiquity, and which is authorized and encouraged, not only by the municipal laws of your own country, but by thofe of every other commercial nation in Europe. When you have fhewn, gentlemen, your fincerity, by the unequivocal proof of giving up your own fortunes, to be divided among the poor, and diftreffed, you may expect we shall not fo ftrongly oppose your difpofing of ours; we may then think it worth our while to read the fermons and pamphlets with which we hear the pulpit and the prefs have been groaning for fome months paft; until then, gentlemen, you must excufe us, if we think the beft excufe which can be made for you, is " ye know not what ye do." It is of the effence of innocence to be unfufpicious, Although the planters, in the Weft Indies, have long found themselves the objects of abuse, they have, as I before obferved, treated the calumnies and idle ftories circulated refpecting them, with the filent contempt they have merited. They could not help, however, being furprised, when they faw a letter from a native of the Weft Indies, a dignified clergyman, give a fanction to reports, which they confidered it fcarcely poffible he fhould believe himfelf; when they learned that not only private men, but prelates, univerfities, and other public communities, refpectable for learning and knowledge, had flood forth to folicit the legislative body of the kingdom to interfere, in putting a stop to a commerce of the utmost importance to the public at large, as well as to the private intereft of fome of the petitioners in particular. They are, however, but flightly alarmed alarmed at the attempt; nay, I believe I may say, that it is confidered, by them, as incredible, that Parliament will confent to abolish a trade, on which the very exiftence of the fugar colonies depend. They doubt not the minifters will act with greaf caution, before they rifque fo bold a measure as will hazard the deftruction of fettlements, whofe productions alone pay duties to the amount of more than two millions fterling per annum. If the commerce of Africa was not carried on by Great Britain, it would be by our commercial rivals the French and Dutch, from whom we must be contented to get a clandeftine fupply of negroes, or our colonies would decline fo rapidly, as to be no longer worth the national attention or regard. But though the planters are very clear the wisdom of Parliament may be depended on, not to put a stop to this trade, and they may as foon expect the humane fubfcribers would prevail on the legiflature to abandon the commerce of India, on account of the enormities faid to have been committed there, (that commerce would, indeed, in no flight degree be affected, if the prefent attempt should fucceed) yet they are not without their doubts, but the minifters may be impelled by public clamour, or induced by a defire to increase or secure their well deferved popularity, to recommend or form fome regulations refpecting the management of negroes in these parts of the world, which may have ferious bad confequences. Whether any interpofition of the legislature of Great-Britain, in this business, may be neceffary or prudent, will perhaps, appear problematical to those who will inform themselves of the actual fituation and treatment of the flaves in the Weft Indies. It fhall be my endeavour to give fuch information, and vindicate the character of the |