The Slave Trade, Domestic and Foreign | Page 3

colonies; and it is often urged that we should follow her example.
Before doing this, however, it would appear to be proper to examine
into the past history and present situation of the negro race in the two
countries, with a view to determine how far experience would warrant
the belief that the course thus urged upon us would be likely to produce
improvement in the condition of the objects of our sympathy. Should
the result of such an examination be to prove that the cause of freedom
has been advanced by the measures there pursued, our duty to our
fellow-men would require that we should follow in the same direction,
at whatever loss or inconvenience to ourselves. Should it, however,
prove that the condition of the poor negro has been impaired and not
improved, it will then become proper to enquire what have been in past
times the circumstances under which men have become more free, with
a view to ascertain wherein lies the deficiency, and why it is that
freedom now so obviously declines in various and important portions
of the earth. These things ascertained, it may be that there will be little
difficulty in determining what are the measures now needed for
enabling all men, black, white, and brown, to obtain for themselves,
and profitably to all, the exercise of the rights of freemen. To adopt this
course will be to follow in that of the skilful physician, who always
determines within himself the cause of fever before he prescribes the
remedy.

CHAPTER II.
OF SLAVERY IN THE BRITISH COLONIES.
At the date of the surrender of Jamaica to the British arms, in 1655, the
slaves, who were few in number, generally escaped to the mountains,
whence they kept up a war of depredation, until at length an
accommodation was effected in 1734, the terms of which were not,

however, complied with by the whites--the consequences of which will
be shown hereafter. Throughout the whole period their numbers were
kept up by the desertion of other slaves, and to this cause must, no
doubt, be attributed much of the bitterness with which the subsequent
war was waged.
In 1658, the slave population of the island was 1400. By 1670 it had
reached 8000, and in 1673, 9504.[1] From that date we have no account
until 1734, when it was 86,546, giving an increase in sixty-one years of
77,000. It was in 1673 that the sugar-culture was commenced; and as
profitable employment was thus found for labour, there can be little
doubt that the number had increased regularly and steadily, and that the
following estimate must approach tolerably near the truth:--
Say 1702, 36,000; increase in 29 years, 26,500 1734, 77,000; " " 32 "
41,000
In 1775, the total number of slaves and other coloured persons on the
island, was................. 194,614 And if we now deduct from this the
number in 1702, say........................................ 36,000 ------- We obtain,
as the increase of 73 years............ 158,614 =======
In that period the importations amounted to......... 497,736 And the
exportations to............................. 137,114 ------- Leaving, as retained in
the island................ 360,622 [2]
or about two and two-fifths persons for one that then remained alive.
From 1783 to 1787, the number imported was 47,485, and the number
exported 14,541;[3] showing an increase in five years of nearly 33,000,
or 6,600 per annum; and by a report of the Inspector-General, it was
shown that the number retained from 1778 to 1787, averaged 5345 per
annum. Taking the thirteen years, 1775-1787, at that rate, we obtain
nearly ........... 70,000
From 1789 to 1791, the excess of import was 32,289, or 10,763 per
annum; and if we take the four years, 1788-1791, at the same rate, we
obtain, as the total number retained in that period................. 43,000

------- 113,000 =======
In 1791, a committee of the House of Assembly made a report on the
number of the slaves, by which it was made to be 250,000; and if to
this be added the free negroes, amounting to 10,000, we obtain, as the
total number, 260,000,--showing an increase, in fifteen years, of
65,386--or nearly 48,000 less than the number that had been imported.
We have now ascertained an import, in 89 years, of 473,000, with an
increase of numbers amounting to only 224,000; thus establishing the
fact that more than half of the whole import had perished under the
treatment to which they had been subjected. Why it had been so may be
gathered from the following extract, by which it is shown that the
system there and then pursued corresponds nearly with that of Cuba at
the present time.
"The advocates of the slave trade insisted that it was impossible to keep
up the stock of negroes, without continual importations from Africa. It
is, indeed, very evident,