I shall now consider the disadvantages to Africa in taking so many of its natives away yearly. But it is needless to speak much on this head, as most of my Readers will perceive the prejudices to Africa in thus draining it of the inhabitants yearly in the manner Britain and the Plantations do. I shall mention a few of them. 1st. There can be no loss to any country (particularly to one like Africa that is yet mostly to cultivate) equal to that of depopulating it. 2d. It prevents the inland country, where the incessant broils are carried on, from defending themselves against the attacks and encroachments made on their properties by the Kings and Chiefs, whereby many thousands of their subjects being taken prisoners, are sold to the Coasters, they being nourished and caressed by the Europeans, particularly by Britain and the Colonies, in doing so, for the sake of the Slave Trade to America, and the West-Indies; and further, in consequence of this depriving them of defending themselves against these base assaults, it prevents them entirely from cultivating and manuring that fruitful and rich country, to the degree it is capable of. 3d. It ever obstructs the civilizing of those people, and consequently of propagating amongst them the Christian religion, and extending the Trade into the bowels of Africa, which by contrary means might be easily practicable. 4th. That whilst the slaving Trade of those people, continue to be the great object of the powers that trade there it is to be feared it will ever, as it does at present spirit up wars and hostilities amongst the Negro Princes and Chiefs, for the sake of making captives of each other for sale. And 5th. The greatest disadvantage to Africa, by thus draining it of the inhabitants is, that it prevents them from cultivating and peopling that great fertile country, of introducing European arts and sciences amongst them, and of carrying on a friendly, civil, and christian Commerce with them into the heart of their region.
The second branch alluding to the third head was, to treat of the prejudice to Africa, and its trade with Europe. It is an absolute fact, that these people are incessently at war with their neighbouring Princes so that they cannot get their business looked into or followed, and consequently a great hinderance to the manufacturing such quantities of their country’s produce of every kind, to send to Europe and America, &c. as they might do, were this Slave Trade abolished, and the Rulers in amity, friendship, and concord, one with another.
It is further a hurt to the African trade with Europe, for the Slave Trade has so gained upon the minds of those men that traffick to Africa, that they never once think of the other commodities, at least in such quantities as Europe might consume were the attention necessary paid to it by making this the only object of the traders notice. I believe it would turn out much more profitable to keep wholly to the produce of this country, viz. gums, ivory, gold and silver dust, &c. and to resign that base unchristian Trade of Man-selling.
Lastly, on this head, To shew the disadvantages to the British Plantations in America, &c. in bringing Black people into them. This will be made very easily appear when you consider, that these numerous Black People, which are yearly brought into the southern-most parts of North-America and the West-Indies were very poor at that time, not having a penny to command, and never so much as once in their lifetime had it in their power to make one half that sum for themselves, so that the different Provinces in the Continent, and the Islands in the West-Indies are filled with these necessitous Black People, and must be put upon the townships to which they belong, in case this enslaving them be ever abolished, which I flatter myself, and I hope not vainly, will be done in time, and that with effect. Further, why do they fill their Plantations with Black People, so unnatural to the Whites, the Proprietors of the different Colonies, when it seems no way difficult to obtain White People to serve free in their stead? Europe in general affords numbers of poor and distressed objects for that purpose, and if these were not overworked, as the Negroes generally are, they would make as good Servants for the American and West-India Plantations as the Blacks do. And if the Europeans were upon a level with regard to the price of labour, in their Colonies, I cannot but think they would reap great advantage in laying aside the Slave Trade, and cultivate a friendly and civilised Commerce with the Africans. Until this is done it does not seem possible that the inland trade of that country should ever be extended to the degree it is capable of; for while the spirit of Butchery and making Slaves of each other, is promoted by the Europeans, Americans, &c. amongst those people, they will never be able to travel with safety into the heart of the country, or to cement such commercial friendship and alliance with them, as will actually introduce our arts and manufactures.
The IVth General Head was, To shew the advantages arising from abolishing this base custom. This Head I propose dividing into two parts, 1st. The advantages to Africa, and 2d. The advantages to Europe particularly to Britain and the Plantations in America and the West-Indies.
First to Africa. The advantages that would arise to it, in abolishing this base and unchristian-like Commerce are numerous, some of which may be comprehended under the following. 1st. The abolishing this Trade may be a means of peopling this country, and of cultivating it in the same manner with any other country in Europe or Asia, so as to render it capable of bearing in as great abundance as the East-Indies, spices of equal quality to those of Banda, Ternate, and Amboyna; I say, the like spices might be produced on the rich and fruitful shores of Melinda on the east side, or of the slave coast on the west side of Africa, and that as easy and to as great advantage, as where they are now raised, the latitude being the same, and soil not unlike; and, in short, cinnamon and all others, the production of East and West-Indies, by proper management might be raised here as well as in those parts. 2d. It would introduce the Christian religion among them, which is a shame to these nations who pretend to hold fast the principles of Christianity, to keep so long hid, and of consequence, be a means of bringing among them the more civilized arts and sciences. 3d. It will recommend the European dress, and introduce their customs among the natives, and of course civilize them like other Christian nations. Lastly. It will be a means of bringing this country to as great perfection in trade, riches, and grandeur, as any in Europe, it being a much more fertile and plentious soil for many valuable productions.
Much more could I say upon the numerous advantages arising to this excellent country: But let what has been said suffice, I leave the rest to the Reader’s own feeling, if he has any for this poor distressed Africa which groans under a heavy load of oppression.
The next thing in course is, the advantages that would arise to Europe in thus carrying on a Christian-like Commerce with Africa. This trade even in its present state, excluding that of the Slaves, is as advantageous as any that is now followed; and what will it be when a friendly traffick is carried on? It is as it were all profit, the first cost being some things of European, particularly of British manufactures, and others generally purchased with them; for which there is in return, gold, elephant’s-teeth, wax, gums, cotton-wool, divers dying-woods, and Slaves: But this last piece of Commerce, viz. Man-slaving, I am far from making a part of the British trade, and I dare say every humane person will be likeminded. These are articles which the country abound in, and would be still cheaper to an immense degree, were the inland parts settled with their own people; but instead of that, a hundred thousand are yearly carried away. Britain pays but little for the commodities it exports to Africa, being mostly, as observed before, its own produce, such as worsted and cotton cloths of all kinds, brass, iron, and copper work of every sort, particularly large quantities of all kinds of defensive arms, with powder and shot in proportion; East-India goods, every kind of British manufactures, and a good deal of American and West-India rum, &c. It is not easy to say what vast quantities of the above British and American productions would be exhausted yearly among so great a people, and in so very extensive a country, were the Slave Trade stopped. It is the interest of every Merchant in Britain and the Plantations who are now concerned in traffick to Africa, to cultivate the inland commerce in its utmost extent, as having no manner of concern with the Slave Trade, there being the greatest reason to believe, that where they now export twenty shillings worth of commodities thither, they would then export an hundred pound; and I am inclined to think when the trade comes to be extended to the degree it will admit of, notwithstanding those goods that are imported from Africa, there will still be discovered an infinite variety of trafficable articles, with which the present Traders are totally unacquainted, and this Trade become the most beneficial to Britain, America, and the West-Indies, of any that is at present on foot, as it is common to every individual, and of which the government has taken much notice, by granting an annual sum of ten thousand pounds sterling for the maintaining and upholding the forts and castles in the British Settlements in Africa, so that they are entirely defended against the attacks of any enemy, and their Trade and Colonies secured by irresistible strength of forts and castles.
A great deal more could be mentioned on the thousands of advantages that may arise to the interest of Britain and the Plantations in abolishing this wicked Trade: However, I shall detain my Readers no longer on this head, but as proposed,
Conclude the whole with some short admonitions to those concerned, and a method to put this Trade to Africa upon a just and lawful footing. I advise every Merchant and Ship-master who is in this Trade of Man-slaving to renounce and give it up. What arguments or reason, pray, can be advanced for his justification, when he sees such threats and curses against him, particularly mentioned in the first head? Why should any person incur the penalties of God’s Law so daringly for the sake of gain? Should they think themselves on a death-bed, what agonies and troubles of mind must they undergo in the thoughts of enslaving so many miserable creatures, of murdering so many thousands of innocent people in the wars they occasion, treacherously taking them out of their own country, using them barbarously, massacring numbers of them in all the cruel ways imaginable on the passage, selling them for life, and depriving them even of a comfortable living, notwithstanding they serve for nothing else; surely the judgment of God must come upon such men who will thus use their own Brethren who were born to inherit the same salvation with us, and if his judgment does not come upon them, it will pursue their children unto the third and fourth generation, until the riches that have been thus scandalously amassed be squandered away, and they become as poor as these Negroes themselves, by selling of whom such unjust gain was made. But this is only one way out of thousands that God chuses to afflict his enemies in this world. And,