On the Slave-Trade
To the Editor of the Federal Gazette
March 23d, 1790
Sir,
Reading last night in your excellent Paper the
speech of Mr. Jackson in Congress against their meddling with
the Affair of Slavery, or attempting to mend the Condition of
the Slaves, it put me in mind of a similar One made about 100
Years since by Sidi Mehemet Ibrahim, a member of the Divan of
Algiers, which may be seen in Martin's Account of his Consulship,
anno 1687. It was against granting the Petition of the Sect called
Erika, or Purists who pray'd for the Abolition of Piracy and Slavery
as being unjust. Mr. Jackson does not quote it; perhaps he has
not seen it. If, therefore, some of its Reasonings are to be found
in his eloquent Speech, it may only show that men's Interests
and Intellects operate and are operated on with surprising similarity
in all Countries and Climates, when under similar Circumstances.
The African's Speech, as translated, is as follows.
"Allah Bismillah,&c. God is great,
and Mahomet is his Prophet."
"Have these Erika considered the Consequences
of granting their Petition? If we cease our Cruises against
the Christians, how shall we be furnished with the Commodities
their Countries produce, and which are so necessary for us?
If we forbear to make Slaves of their People, who in this hot
Climate are to cultivate our Lands? Who are to perform the common
Labours of our City, and in our Families? Must we not then be
our own Slaves? And is there not more Compassion and more Favour
due to us as Mussulmen, than to these Christian Dogs? We have
now about 50,000 Slaves in and near Algiers. This Number, if
not kept up by fresh Supplies, will soon diminish, and be gradually
annihilated. If we then cease taking and plundering the Infidel
Ships, and making Slaves of the Seamen and Passengers, our Lands
will become of no Value for want of Cultivation; the Rents of
Houses in the City will sink one half; and the Revenues of Government
arising from its Share of Prizes be totally destroy'd! And for
what? To gratify the whims of a whimsical Sect, who would have
us, not only forbear making more Slaves, but even to manumit
those we have.
"But who is to indemnify their Masters
for the Loss? Will the State do it? Is our Treasury sufficient?
Will the Erika do it? Can they do it? Or would they, to do what
they think Justice to the Slaves, do a greater Injustice to
the Owners? And it we set our Slaves free, what is to be done
with them? Few of them will return to their Countries; they
know too well the great Hardships they must there be subject
to; they will not embrace our holy Religion; they will not adopt
our Manners; our People will not pollute themselves by intermarrying
with them. Must we maintain them as Beggars in our Streets,
or suffer our Properties to be the Prey of their Pillage? For
men long accustom'd to Slavery will not work for a Livelihood
when not compell'd. And what is there so pitiable in their present
Condition? Were they not Slaves in their own Countries?
"Are not Spain, Portugal, France, and
the Italian states govern'd by Despots, who hold all their Subjects
in Slavery, without Exception? Even England treats its Sailors
as Slaves; for they are, whenever the Government pleases, seiz'd,
and confin'd in Ships of War, condemn'd not only to work, but
to fight, for small Wages, or a mere Subsistence, not better
than our Slaves are allow'd by us. Is their Condition then made
worse by their falling into our Hands? No; they have only exchanged
on Slavery for another, and I may say a better; for here they
are brought into a land where the Sun of Islamism gives forth
its Light, and shines in full Splendor, and they have an Opportunity
of making themselves acquainted with the true Doctrine, and
thereby saving their immortal Souls. Those who remain at home
have not that Happiness. Sending the Slaves home then would
be sending them out of Light into Darkness.
"I repeat the Question, What is to be
done with them? I have heard it suggested, that they may be
planted in the Wilderness, where there is plenty of Land for
them to subsist on, and where they may flourish as a free State;
but they are, I doubt, to little dispos'd to labour without
Compulsion, as well as too ignorant to establish a good government,
and the wild Arabs would soon molest and destroy or again enslave
them. While serving us, we take care to provide them with every
thing, and they are treated with Humanity. The Labourers in
their own Country are, as I am well informed, worse fed, lodged,
and cloathed. The Condition of most of them is therefore already
mended, and requires no further Improvement. Here their Lives
are in Safety. They are not liable to be impress'd for Soldiers,
and forc'd to cut one another's Christian throats, as in the
Wars of their own Countries. If some of the religious mad Bigots,
who now teaze us with their silly Petitions, have in a Fit of
blind Zeal freed their Slaves, it was not Generosity, it was
not Humanity, that mov'd them to the Action; it was from the
conscious Burthen of a Load of Sins, and Hope, from the supposed
Merits of so good a Work, to be excus'd Damnation.
"How grossly are they mistaken in imagining
Slavery to be disallow'd by the Alcoran? Are not the two Precepts,
to quote no more, 'Masters, treat your Slaves with kindness;
Slaves, serve your Masters with Cheerfulness and Fidelity,'
clear Proofs to the contrary? Nor can the Plundering of Infidels
be in that sacred Book forbidden, since it is well known from
it, that God has given the World, and all that it contains,
to his faithful Mussulmen, who are to enjoy it of Right as fast
as they conquer it. Let us then hear no more of this detestable
Proposition, the Manumission of Christian Slaves, the Adoption
of which would, by depreciating our Lands and Houses, and thereby
depriving so many good Citizens of their Properties, create
universal Discontent, and provoke Insurrections, to the endangering
of Government and producing general Confusion. I have therefore
no doubt, but this wise Council will prefer the Comfort and
Happiness of a whole Nation of true Believers to the Whim of
a few Erika, and dismiss their Petition."
The Result was, as Martin tells us, that the
Divan came to this Resolution; "The Doctrine, that Plundering
and Enslaving the Christians is unjust, is at best problematical;
but that it is the Interest of this State to continue the Practice,
is clear; therefore let the Petition be rejected."
And it was rejected accordingly.
And since like Motives are apt to produce in
the Minds of Men like Opinions and Resolutions, may we not, Mr.
Brown, venture to predict, from this Account, that the Petitions
to the Parliament of England for abolishing the Slave-Trade, to
say nothing of other Legislatures, and the Debates upon them,
will have a similar Conclusion? I am, Sir, your constant Reader
and humble Servant,
HISTORICUS.
