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accounts of travellers who have been.in various parte- of Africa, the
same viciousness of manners: prevails among. the various' tribes of
negroes in their native land-; from whence it is- natural enough to
conclude, that they are in general kept in aa great a state of slavery
in- Africa as int the colonies,«* that they have a peculiar propensity
tq this course of life.- ' -
AH who have had an opportunity of making, observations ©n the
character and Gondoet of the negroes, admit that they possess- for the
most pari a great vivacity of temper which, united witheonsiderable
bodily strengthoften hurries their passions into violent extremes»
since they are not kept i® bounds by civilization, nor controlled
by their religious opinions.
"ffhe Dutch laws which were given to Surinam at the first estab-
lishment of the colony, and by which a negro is declared to be free
the moment he embraces Christianity, have unquestionably very
much chocked the zeal of their masters in promoting the» conversion.
It ought,- however, to be considered, that the Christian religion
does n d interfere with civil rights; but, without altering the
condition or station of those who embrace it, recommends humanity
Oil the part of masters, obedience on that of servants, and mutual
attachment between both. In the course of time, therefore, as the
nature of this religion is understood, and its beneficial influence experienced,
the minds of men become gradually prepared» for Such a
degree of moral refinement as may excite in those who are in power
a desire of enacting milder laws; and in those who are to be go*
vCrned by them, a temperate and submissive disposition not to
abuse those laws;
That the negroes are dpt destitute of genius and talents, abundant
instances have sheWn; but that their progress in civilization is so
slow as to be almost imperceptible, the present state of the whole
negro coast of Africa, incontestibly proves. We have, therefore
reason to expect, that even when greater care and better means shall
fee adopted for the instruction of the blacks in the West India colonies,
yet that their minds will not improve so rapidly as to make
them sopn capable of-enjoying properly the -same rights as are possessed
5by the labourers of the civilized-states o f Europe ; and, c o n sequently,
to give -them sudh privileges before -they hnow how to
conduct themselves, is a measure more -generous 'than prudent, as
experience has demonstrated.
'If then we And that in many Of the »plantations of 'Surinam, it is
utterly impossible to keep up the -requisite stock of labourers by
the 'increase kfc'tifrédlê^egfdès,''<Éwin^::Ü:1j the -disproportion there
is between; the 'two sexes; and -that teven -on -others who are better
jfrovided for;in -this rcs-pect,.and where all due encouragement has
béèn given "’fed the rearing of negro children, the increase of -the
creoles is still very inconsiderable, it is natural to suppose, that
many planters finding their income failing, by the death of -their
negroes,without having the means of supplying -their plaoe-w-ith new
recruits, whl.force4he'survivors to add to -their work the labour of
thosfe who died. While the loss will be immediate to other planters,
who may not adopt ‘this cruel method, when they »see : their fields
‘becoming daily moré neglected; as will certainly happen to landed
proprietors of the most r*es pec table character, and amongst whom
are many who left their native country inconsequence of the frowns
of »fortune, and -since their settlement in-the colony have (employed
all their assiduity in agriculture, as sanctioned by government,
whereby they have -at last acquired an income ;fey which they cun
maiiitam aiargefamily: now, it certainly must be hard.upon them,
if they have no time to prepare for the new regulation, nor are al-
‘towed-anyIndemnification for the-loss they may sustain.
That at present there are not by far so many negro- children, born
in‘the colonies as toTkèep up a necessary supply-of labourers, is
generally admitted in Europe; but it isa tthe sam e time expected,
»that by the prohibition of importing more-negroes from the coast of