goods to feed the poor, and even though he devote his body to the flames, to gain the glorious crown of martyrdom, he has lived in vain, and all these fplendid distinctions will profit him nothing.

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ESSAY XXIII.

On the AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE.

THERE are fome truths which all mankind agree to regard as first principles; the clearnefs and certainty of them are fuch as preclude even the poffibility of a doubt; and all attempts, therefore, to establish or confirm them by argu ment, are not only fuperfluous, but abfurd and ridiculous; and we laugh, without fcruple, at the Philofopher who gravely exclaims, "Cogito ergo "fum." There are other truths of great magnitude and importance, which cannot indeed properly be stiled self-evident; for they are capable of being oppofed, and of being fupported by argu ment; but the arguments, on the one fide, are fo obvious and convincing, and on the other, fo weak and futile, that candour itself cannot, without difficulty, believe the most ignorant and prejudiced of mankind incapable of discerning the difparity. The question relating to the African Slave Trade, confidered either in a civil or a moral view, may be adduced as an inftance exactly

exactly in point. It is fo flagrant and enormous a violation of the moft facred and fundamental laws of justice and humanity, it fo evidently sets at defiance all thofe obligations which result from the nature of civil fociety, and the unalterable principles of equitable and legitimate government, that one cannot, without aftonishment and indignation, view the neceffity of entering into a regular difcuffion of the queftion, and of formally exhibiting a train of arguments, in order to prove this horrible traffic to be the height of moral and political depravity. The famous Abbé Terrai, Comptroller of the Finances in France, during the latter part of the reign of Lewis XV. on being informed that a certain iniquitous measure, proposed by him, was univerfally condemned as highly oppreffive and unjuft, replied coolly, "Who pre"tends that it is juft?" This may be ftiled the magnanimity of villainy. That abandoned Minifter at least was not guilty of the crime of lowering the ftandard of moral rectitude, and of endeavouring to debase the fentiments of mankind to a level with his own practice: but the advocates for the Slave Trade do not reft fatisfied with practical villainy; they are ambitious of distinguishing themselves by a fpeculative attachment to it. Rather than renounce an hypothesis which they are interested to maintain, they would reverse the general order of the universe, and the constitution of nature. They would fain perfuade us, that virtue may fubfift, though it is not nourished with

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the

the milk of human kindness; and that vice does. not confift in cruelty, rapine, treachery, and violence. It is not my prefent purpose to enter exprefsly into the confideration of those arguments which demonstrate the contrariety of this practice to the first and plaineft principles of moral and political rectitude. They have been repeatedly urged, with irrefiftible force, by writers of dif tinguished merit, in various recent publications. I mean to offer only a few remarks on the pleas which are usually advanced in defence or extenuation of this outrage against the common rights of humanity.

First, It is alledged, that "the Negroes are an "inferior and fubordinate race of men; and it is, "therefore, allowable to treat them as fuch, "without incurring the imputation of cruelty and "injuftice." What! to borrow the language of Shylock, "Hath not a Negroe eyes, hands,

organs, dimenfions, fenfes, affections, paffions? "fed with the fame food, hurt with the fame weapons, fubject to the fame difeafes, healed

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by the fame means, warmed and cooled by the "fame Winter and Summer that a Christian is ?" Say, ye profound Philofophers, ye enlightened Sages, who inhabit the fhores of Mersey and of Avon, by what medium of proof have you dif covered and afcertained the intellectual inferiority of this devoted race? Will you venture to affirm, that the inhabitants of Alrica are, at prefent, in a state of greater inferiority, compared with

you,

you, their high and mighty lords; you who hold fo confpicuous and fo honourable a rank amongst rational and intelligent beings, than your anceftors, the Ancient Britons, compared with the Romans of the Auguftan age? But fuppofing this to be the cafe, their inferiority only gives them an additional claim to your indulgence and protection. That the power implies the right of oppreffion, is a discovery in political morality worthy of fuch fagacious and profound inveftigators of the natural rights of mankind, as the Lockes, the Blackftones, and the Montefquieus, trading to the coaft of Guinea.

Secondly, The Slave Trade, mirabile dictu, is gravely vindicated on the principles of humanity, as being highly beneficial to those who are apparently the victims of it; for they are affirmed to be principally compofed of prifoners of war, who would, in all probability, be flaughtered in cold blood, if their enemies were deprived of this more advantageous mode of difpofing of them. What is it then the voice of humanity that we hear pleading in defence of a practice, the very idea of which must excite, in every breast susceptible of the feelings of humanity, amazement and horror! View yon veffel, with fails expanded, ploughing the deep.-Contemplate for a moment the fcene which it exhibits.-Within that receptacle of human mifery, are contained hundreds of beings, poffeffing paffions and feelings congenial to thine own.-Behold them bereft of every enjoyment

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