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[6]
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A letter from the celebrated Colonel William Byrd of
"Westover" to Lord Egmont, under date of July 12, 1736, will
serve to illustrate this fact. Colonel Byrd writes, "Your Lord's
opinion concerning Rum and Negroes is certainly very just, and
your excluding both of them from your colony of Georgia will be
very happy....
I wish, my Lord, we could be blessed with the same prohibition.
They import so many negroes here that I fear this colony will
some time or other be confirmed by the name of New Guinea. I am
sensible of the many bad consequences of multiplying the
Ethiopians amongst us. They blow up the pride and ruin the
Industry of our White People, who seeing a Rank of poor creatures
below them, detest work for fear it should make them look like
slaves. Then that poverty which will ever attend upon Idleness
disposes them as much to pilfer as it does the Portuguese....
But these private mischiefs are nothing if compared to the
publick danger. It were therefore worth the consideration of a
British Parliament, my Lord, to put an end to this unchristian
traffick of making merchandise of our Fellow Creatures. At least,
the further importation of them into our Colony should be
prohibited lest they prove as troublesome and dangerous elsewhere
as they have been lately in Jamaica.... All these matters duly
considered, I wonder the Legislature will Indulge a few ravenous
traders to the danger of the Publick Safety." (From Unpublished
Byrd Manuscripts at Lower Brandon, Va.)
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