An Appeal to the Religion, Justice, and Humanity of the Inhabitants of the British Empire: In Behalf of the Negro Slaves in the West Indies |
Common terms and phrases
abolition abolitionists abuses advocates aggravated alleged Almighty ation Barbadoes blessings British Empire Burke cause character Christianity circumstances civil colonial assemblies colonists coloured condition consequences contrary countrymen creatures crime cruel cruelty declared degree Dundas duty effects emancipation endeavours estimating evils extinction of slavery extreme degradation fact favour feelings Governor house of assembly House of Commons human improvement Indian Slavery instances intercourse irreligion Jamaica justice late laws Leeward Islands less licentious Lord Seaforth manumission marriage institution master measure ment mind mitigate murder native nature Negro race Negro slaves neral norance Obeah object owners pagan Parliament planters poor population practice prevailed principles Privy Council proposed punishment racter religious and moral remark rience Sierra Leone Slave Trade species strongly supposed sure TILDEN FOUNDATIONS tion truth ture vices West Indian colonies West Indian proprietor West Indian slave West Indian system West Indies whip wretched
Popular passages
Page 14 - Jamaica declared to the privy council, in 1788, that they "ascribed a very considerable portion of the annual mortality among the Negroes in that island to that fascinating mischief." I know that of late, ashamed of being supposed to have punished witchcraft with such severity, it has been alleged, that the professors of Obeah used to prepare and administer poison to the subjects of their spells : but any one who will only examine the laws of Jamaica against these practices, or read the evidence...
Page 41 - That if any negro, or other slave, under punishment by his master, or his order, for running away, or any other crime or misdemeanor...
Page 42 - I enclose four papers, containing, from different quarters, reports on the horrid murders I mentioned in some former letters. They are selected from, a great number, among which there is not one in contradiction of the horrible facts, though several of the letters are very concise and defective. The truth is, that nothing has given me more trouble than to get at the bottom of these businesses, so horribly absurd are the prejudices of the people...
Page 31 - ... exist in the minds of its assertors. A Briton to compare the state of a West Indian slave with that of an English freeman, and to give the former the preference! It is to imply an utter insensibility of the native feelings and moral dignity of man, no less than of the rights of Englishmen! ! I will not condescend to argue this question, as I might, on the ground of comparative feeding and clothing, and lodging, and medical attendance. Are these the only claims? Are these the 9 India.
Page 5 - Children, and it being unnecessary and even improper to enforce the Celebration of any religious Rites among the Slaves in order to sanctify Contracts, the faithful Performance of which can be looked for only by a regular Improvement in Religion, Morality, and Civilization...
Page 19 - Pagan inhabitants but those whom we ourselves have compulsorily brought into it, — inhabitants too, who, from all the circumstances of their case, had the strongest possible claims on us, both for the reparation of their wrongs, and the relief of their miseries, — such a system should have been continued for two centuries, and by a people who may, nevertheless, I trust, be affirmed to be the most moral and humane of nations, is one of those anomalies which, if it does not stagger the belief,...
Page 31 - nugas ca. norse,' you say that your feelings are shocked by hearing ' some of the partisans of the West Indies have re-echoed the assertion, that these poor degraded beings, the negro slaves, are as well, or even better off than our British peasantry.