Slave entirely in the power of her master, and greatly in the power of others, it permits this injustice; it provides no remedy; it refuses to redress this insufferable grievance; it denies even the small privilege of complaining.

From our definition it will follow, that a Slave is a free moral agent legally deprived of free agency, and obliged to act according to the will of another free agent of the same species: and yet he is accountable to his Creator for the use he makes of his own free agency.

When a man, though he can exist independent of anoth er, cannot act independent of him, his agency must depend upon the will of that other; and therefore he is deprived of his own free agency: and yet, as a free agent, he is accountable to his Maker for all the deeds done in the body. This comes to pass through a great omission and inconsistency in the legislature. They ought farther to have enacted, in order to have been consistent, that the Slave should not have been accountable for any of his actions; but that his master should have answered for him in all things, here and hereafter.

That a Slave has the capacities of a free moral agent, will be allowed by all. That he is, in many instances. deprived by law of the exercise of these powers, evident, ly appears from his situation. That he is accountable to his Maker for his conduct, will be allowed by those, who do not believe that human legislatures are omnipotent, and can free men from this allegiance and subjection to the king of heaven.

The principles of conjugal love and fidelity in the breast of a virtuous pair, of natural affection in parents, and a sense of duty in children, are inscribed there by the finger of God; they are the laws of heaven: but an enslaving law directly opposes them, and virtually forbids obedience,

The relation of husband and wife, of parent and child, are formed by divine authority, and founded on the laws of nature. But it is in the power of a cruel master, and often of a needy creditor, to break these tender connexions, and forever to separate these dearest relatives. This is ever done, in fact, at the call of interest or humour. The poor sufferers may expostulate; they may plead; may plead with tears; their hearts may break; but all in vain. The laws of nature are violated, the tender ties are dissolved, a final separation takes place, and the duties of these relations can no longer be performed, nor their comforts enjoyed. Would these Slaves perform the duties of husbands and wives, parents and children? The law disables them, it puts it altogether out of their pow

er.

In these cases, it is evident that the laws of nature, or the laws of man, are wrong; and which, none will be at a loss to judge. The divine law says, Whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder: the law of man says, to the master of the Slave, Though the divine law has joined them together, you may put them asunder, when you please. The divine law says, Train up your child in the way he should go: the law of man says, You shall not train up your child, but as your master thinks proper. The divine law says, Honour your father and mother, and obey them in all things: but the law of man says, Honour and obey your master in all things, and your parents just as far as he shall direct you.

Should a master command his Slave to steal or rob, and he should presume to disobey, he is liable to suffer every extremity of punishment, short of death or amputation, rom the hand of his master; at the same time he is liable to a punishment equally severe, if not death itself, should

he obey. He is bound by law, if his master pleases, to do that for which the law condemns him to death.

Another consequence of our definition is, that a Slave, being a free moral agent, and an accountable creature, is a capable subject of religion and morality; but deprived by law of the means of instruction in the doctrines and duties of morality, any farther than his master pleases.

It is in the power of the master to deprive him of all the means of religious and moral instruction, either in private or in public. Some masters have actually exercised this power, and restrained their Slaves from the means of instruction, by the terror of the lash. Slaves have not opportunity, at their own disposal, for instructing conversation; it is put out of their power to learn to read; and their masters may restrain them from other means of information. Masters designedly keep their Slaves in ignorance, lest they should become too knowing to answer their selfish purposes, and too wise to rest easy in their degraded situation. In this case, the law operates so as to answer an end directly opposed to the proper end of all law. It is pointed against every thing dear to them: against the principal end of their existence. It supports, in a land of religious liberty, the severest persecutions; and may operate so as totally to rob multitudes of their religious priviligès, and the rights of conscience.

If my definition is just, a Slave is one who is bound to spend his life in the service of another, to whom he owes nothing, is under no obligation; who is not legally bound to find him victuals, clothes, medicine, or any other means of preservation, support, or comfort.

That a Slave is bound to spend his life in the service of his master, no one will dispute; and that he is not indebted to his master, is under no obligations to him, is also evident. How can he possibly be indebted to him, who de

prives him of liberty, property, and almost every thing dear to a human creature? And all he receives is the bare means of subsistence; and this not bestowed, until he has earned it; and then not in proportion to his labour, nor out of regard to him, but for selfish purposes? This bare support the master is not bound by law to give; but is left to be guided by his own interest or humour: and hence the poor Slave often falls short of what is necessary for the comfortable support of the body.

The master is the enemy of the Slave; he has made open war against him, and is daily carrying it on in unremitted efforts. Can any one then imagine, that the Slave is indebted to his master, and bound to serve him? Whence can the obligation arise? What is it founded upon? What is my duty to an enemy, that is carrying on war against me? I do not deny, in some circumstances, it is the duty of the Slave to serve; but it is a duty he owes himself and not his master. The master may, and often does, inflict upon him all the severity of punishment the human body is capable of bearing; and the law supports him in it, if he does but spare his life and his limbs; he does not complain; none can hear and relieve him; he has no redress under heaven.

When we duly consider all these things, it must appear unjust to the last degree, to force a fellow creature, who has never forfeited his freedom, into this wretched situaion; and confine him and his posterity in this bottomless gulph of wretchedness for ever. Where is the sympathy, the tender feelings of humanity? does not melt at this scene of woe? or that is not fired with indignation to see such injustice and cruelty countenanced by civilized nations, and supported by the sanction of law

Where is the heart, that

If slavery is not consistent with justice, it must be inconsistent with good policy. For who would venture to assert, that it would be good policy, for us to erect a public monument of our injustice, and that injustice is necessary for our prosperity and happiness? That old proverb, that honesty is the best policy, ought not to be despised for its age.

But the inconsistency of slavery with good policy will fully appear, if we consider another consequence of our definition, viz.

A Slave is a member of civil society, bound to obey the laws of the land; to which laws he never consented; which partially and feebly protect his person; which allow him no property; from which he can receive no advantage; and which chiefly, as they relate to him, were made to punish him. He is therefore bound to submit to a government, to which he owes no allegiance; from which he receives great injury; and to which he is under no obligations; and to perform services to a society, to which he owes nothing, and in whose prosperity he has no interest.

That he is under this government, and forced to submit to it, appears from his suffering the penalty of its laws. That he receives no benefit by the laws and government he is under, is evident from their depriving him of his liberty and the means of happiness. Though they protect his life and his limbs, they confine him in misery, they will not suffer him to fly from it; the greatest favours they afford him chiefly serve to perpetuate his wretchedness.

He is then a member of society, who is, properly speaking, in a state of war with his master, and his civil rulers, and every free member of that society. declared enemies, having, in him, made every thing dear to a human creature.

They are all his war upon almost It is a perpetual