A history and defense of African slavery

Introduction

As the African slave population in the United States now number about four millions, and are greatly on the increase — a population which, in the capacity of slaves, are as useful to the commerce of the world, or more so, than any other number of people of any class, and in the condition of slaves are better satisfied than in any other ; and many different and erroneous opinions having been entertained, in relation to this class of people, by those who neither know anything practically or theoretically about them, in consequence of which much disturbance has been caused to exist in the political part of the different States of the United States and elsewhere for the want of the proper knowledge of the true nature and condition of African slavery, and no other book has ever been written containing as complete a history of the African race and nature

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IV INTRODUCTION.

of African slavery — I have written this book for the purpose of placing the subject fairly before the public in a condensed form, embracing as much information as possible in a few words.

Having been raised in a country where African slavery was tolerated, and having been the owner and manager of many of them, my opportunities for understanding their nature and disposition are equal to any other author who has ever written on the subject ; and having made a careful examination into the histories and writings of able authors and eminent travelers, and procured the best information which can possibly be gleaned from the writings of others, I have embraced within this work information which will be of immense value to all classes — the non-slaveholder as well as the slaveholder — not only as to the nature and origin of African slavery, but the mode of treatment and management of African slaves, in order to make them profitable ; and I am also convinced that no unprejudiced, reflecting mind can ever read this little book through, and afterward be opposed to African slavery.

WM. B. TROTTER.

Chapter I

The Origin of the Negro Race. — The Descendants of Ham, the youngest Son of Noah. — The Curse pronounced on Ham and his Posterity by Noah. — Bible Evidence of Slavery 9

CHAPTER 11.

The Utility of African Slavery, and of Slavery in the United States ; and Transportation. — Further Bible Evidence of Slavery , 25

Chapter III

Nature of the African Race. — 1st. His Physical Qualities; 2d. His Peculiar Color and Hair ; 3d. His Mental Qualities; 4th. His Disposition and Habits 33

Chapter IV

The Relative Condition of the African Race. — Comparison between the Wild African and American Slave 57 vi CONTENTS.

Chapter V

The Trobable Result as to Universal Slavery of the African Race.— All Civilized Nations would be benefited by having them as Slaves.— Their Probable Destiny.— The Destruction of the English Possessions in the West Indies by Freeing their Slaves.— Evil Result of Freeing the Slaves in San Domingo 67

Chapter VI

The People of the Slave States, of all others, have a right to own their Slaves. — Slavery introduced by Great Britain and France into the United States. — Judicial Decisions by the Courts of Great Britain and the United States on the Subject of African Slavery 76

CHAPTER TIL The Probable Result of African Slavery 117

The Conclusion, with Seven Maxims as Advice to Young Men 202

A HISTOEY AND DEFENSE

AFRICAN SLATERY.

Chapter I

The Origin of the Negro Race. — The Descendants of Ilam, the youngest Son of Xoah, — The Curse pronounced on Ham and his Posterity by Noah. — Bible Evidence of Slavery.

When we look around us, on every side, and examine the book of nature, we find that there is a great variety of everything which meets our view or comes in contact with our senses, both in the animal and the vegetable kingdoms ; and, although different things may bear in some respects a close resemblance to each other, in other respects they are very widely different, and intended for very different uses. Thus, we find in the vegetable kingdom many kinds of oaks, many kinds of willows, many kinds of hickories, many kinds of corn, and of everything we behold many

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kinds of the same species. So among animals, from the smallest insect up to man, many kinds of each, in some respects alike, in others very widely different. Thus, we find that the greyhound, though very swift, cannot scent like the long-eared hound; neither can the bull-dog scent like the one or run as the other, but he is better adapted to fio'ht than either. God has made them as they are, and each have their particular duties to perform, and it would be perfectly absurd for either to attempt to cope with the other in the particular occupation for which God has formed them; hence, when we look at a tree, we find that it has bark, sap, heart, root, trunk and branches, all difierent from each other, yet the wdiole combined forms the tree, neither able to perform the duties of the others, yet all in the performance of the duties assigned to each add to the life and nutriment of the whole. So with the human system; there is the head, the hands, the body, the legs and the feet, besides many other portions, each having a separate duty; none able to perform the duties of the rest, none able to do without the others, yet all combined makes the man complete. It would not do for all to be head, neither for all to be hands, legs or feet, but it is all-important that there should be a due proportion of each, and no one portion can say to any of the rest, I have no need of thee.

So it is in society; there must be some to govern and some to be governed; there must be some to trade, some to navigate the seas, some to cultivate the soil, and some to manufacture, and all combined adds to the benefit of themselves and each other; and thus has God formed all things according to his good pleasure and for his own glory. Some men he has made black, some red, and some white; some he has made wise, and some he has made for one purpose and some for another; and we can no more raise the negro to the equality of the white man than we could change the color of his skin, or the form of his hair, or the circulation of his blood.

The next question will then arise as to the origin of the different races of men, as it respects the three colors — the black, the red, and the white man. These seem to be the three distinct races of men, differing materially in coIoFj in disposition^ in intellect, and in habit. We read in the Book of Genesis that God formed Adam, the first man, ont of the dust of the earth, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and that God brought on him a deep sleep and took a rib from his side, out of which he formed a woman and gave her to the man; that they were both placed in the Garden of Eden, and commanded that of a particular tree of the garden they should not eat of the fruit thereof; that by the temptation of the devil they were induced to partake of the forbidden fruit, and thereby fell from their state of purity and were driven out of the garden in consequence of their disobedience; that they soon began to multiply, until there were a great many human beings on the earth; that the human race became very wicked, and God was offended at them; that in consequence of which, God destroyed, by means of the flood, all the human race from the face of the earth except Noah and his family, who were saved by means of an ark which God had instructed Noah to build; that Noah had three sons, to wit, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, with their families, from whom sprang all the human race which has since inhabited the earth; and there can be little doubt but that God created the different colors of men in that noted family; that as he intended to repeople the earth after the flood by the family of Noah, and wrought a miracle in their preservation, he also wrought a miracle in the formation of the different colors in the three sons of Noah; hence, it is generally agreed by all authors on the subject, from the best authority we can obtain, that Shem was a red man, and that he is the same with Melchizedek — mentioned as a great high priest in the Bible, for he preached to the descendants of Noah for four hundred years after the flood, and was held in great reverence; that Ham was a black man, and took his name from his color, for the word Ham means black; and that Japheth was a white man. Thus, in this remarkable family, the family of Noah, from the best authority we have, commenced the different races of men.

After the waters of the flood had subsided, Noah planted a vineyard, (see Genesis, 9th chapter, from the 20th to the 2Tth verse in-

9* elusive;) and being on one occasion drunk by drinking too freely of the Avine, Ham, one of his sons, seeing him lie thus exposed naked, made sport of him and pointed him out to Shem and Japheth, his two brothers, who took a garment and walked backwards and covered their father; in consequence of which, Noah, when he came to himself, pronounced this curse on Ham, to wit, 25th verse: Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

26th V. And he said. Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

27th V. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

Ham, the black son of Noah, who was called Canaan, settled Africa, and the curse pronounced on him by his flither, on that memorable occasion, is verified by the enslavery of his posterity down to the present day.

The first introduction of Africans into the United States was not a matter of haste, but the subject was deliberately investigated and entered upon by wise men and philanthropists. Shortly after the settling of the colonies by Great Britain, in North America, a skillful navigator, by the name of Hudson, suggested to some of the nobility of England and France that the African race was peculiarly adapted to hard, rough work, such as clearing land and making fences, and if properly trained they might be made of great value in the performance of the rough work in the colonies, and the trade would be a profitable one and pay well for the capital invested; that it would redound to the good of the African as well as the white man; that the African kings were in the habit of killing promiscuously all of their prisoners, and sometimes would eat them for food, and that if they could procure the value of a hog of the same weight, they would gladly make the exchange, and thereby the life of man, a poor unfortunate prisoner, v/ould be saved and be taken to a Christian land, where he would hear the gospel preached and have an opportunity of becoming a Christian. This seemed very feasible to the nobility, but they were unwilling to embark in the speculation unless they could becom.e thoroughly convinced that it was morally right for them to engage in such a speculation.

Consequently, as some of them were of the Roman Catholic religion, they sent a special delegation to the Pope of Rome, and asked his opinion on the subject, whether or not it was right for them to transport Africans to the colonies in order to make slaves of them. The Pope, after mature deliberation, replied that he had searched the Scriptures and maturely considered the subject, and that he found, on examining the ninth chapter of the Book of Genesis, that Noah had pronounced a curse upon Ham, that he positively should be a servant of servants, and that the African race w^ere the descendants of Ham, and that it was right and proper in a moral point of view for them to engage in the business, and, as far as he was concerned, he would grant them the privilege; in consequence of wliich a company was tlien formed by the nobility of England and some of the French nobility with the navigator Hudson to embark in the slave trade. A few vessels were fitted out in New York and Boston and sent to the coast of Africa for slaves ; the vessels were gone but a short time before they returned^ well stored with slaves which cost them but a trifle, and they were soon disposed of at a very large profit in New York and Boston. Hence originated the first traffic in African slaves in the United States; but they had been dealt with as slaves in Africa and many other places long before.

When they were first brought on board the vessel, they supposed that the white people intended to eat them, and had bought them for food; as many of the African tribes eat their prisoners, they supposed that the white people would do so likewise. But great was their surprise and joy when they were informed that they were intended to work, and would be treated with humanity and kindness as friends. Most of them were entirely naked when purchased, and others had only a small piece of raw hide on their hips to hide their nakedness; and when they were clothed and informed that they were intended as slaves, that if they behaved well they would be protected by their masters, clothed, fed, and properly cared for, they could scarcely be made to believe it ; and after they were convinced of the fact, not one could be induced to return to their old condition, but rejoiced that they had been rescued from the hands of their own race, and saved from the horrid fate of being eaten by the Africans.

African slavery is objected to by some, because they say it is morally wrong for one individual to keep another as a slave to serve him. To such I would say, where do you go to get your moral code, is it not to the Bible ? It certainly is to the Bible, the great book of morals and religion, we must all look for the best code of morals which has ever been given to the human race. Then if you believe the Bible, you must believe that African slavery is right, and that slavery existed in the world long before America was discovered by Columbus, and was very common among the Jews immediately after their entrance into the promised land. That it is entirely consistent with the doctrine of the Holy Bible, see Leviticus, chap. 25th, verses 44, 45, and 4G, which reads thus : Both thy bondmen and thv bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about yon ; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. Moreover, of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land; and they shall be your possession. And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen forever.

Thus we find that the children of Israel were not only permitted to make slaves or bondmen of the heathen, but actually commanded so to do, and that such should be their bondmen to them and their children forever.

And, as before observed, the Africans are heathens, the descendants of Ham; that the different races of men commenced with the family of Noah; that Shem was red. Ham black, and Japheth a white man; and that a miracle was wrought in the birth of Noah's three sons, as well as in the preservation of that family from the destruction of the flood ; that as the earth was to be repeopled by the family of Noah, God formed the difierent races in that peculiar family according to his good will and pleasure, and suited the different branches for the purposes for which they were designed. That we are warranted in coming to this conclusion, is very evident. The word Ham means black; thus, Ham being black at his birth, and of different color from any other individual, Avas called after his color; and not only this, his descendants are also, in most cases, distinguished by kinky wool on their heads, like a merino sheep, only it is black and coarse ; other races have hair on their heads. Thus it seems that Ham, the black son of Noah, possessed a color in conformity with his disposition, for he was certainly very vile and base to have treated his father with such indignity as he did in making sport of him, and pointing him out as an object of ridicule. Ham was noticed by his two brothers to rush out of his father's tent almost bursting with laughter; but as soon as the fit had somewhat abated, Shcm and Japheth made inquiry respecting the cause of so much mirth and uproar, when they found that their lather, Noah, was laying naked, exposed; fuiding a garment, they seized it and placed it on their shoulders and walked backward and covered him with it; when Noah ^woke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done unto him, he said: Cursed be Canaan, (Ham;) a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan (Ham) shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan (Ham) shall be his servant.

But, lest the reader should become perplexed respecting the application of this anathema, on account of the text above referred to being in the English, cursed Canaan, instead of cursed Ham, as it should have been translated, we state that the Arabic copy of the Book of Genesis, which is a language of equal authority with the Hebrew, and originally the very same, reads. Cursed be Ham, the father of Canaan ; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

In this sense it has ever been understood by all the commentators, in every age, on the sacred writings. Bishop Newton thus understood the passage, who also refers the reader

22 A UISTORY AND DEFENSE

to the Arabic Bible for the true reading, as does also Adam Clark.

This light and frivolous disposition of Ham, and great want of filial respect for his parents, has extended itself to his whole posterity. The negroes of the United States and Africa, and elsewhere, are all given to loud laughter, game-making, and sport with everything around them, and a great want of reverence or respect for parents; they will frequently laugh at trivial matters so loud that they can be heard at the distance of half a mile or more. After the Hood, Shem, who became a high priest, and is by historians considered to be the same as Melchizedek, preached to the increasing population of the descendants of Noah ; but Ham and his posterity gave no heed to him, but forsook the true religion and became idolators, and thus became the most base, vile, and degraded of all others of the human race. Bowen, in his travels in Central Africa, says that he found some cities containing sixty thousand inhabitants, and some of them had their iarms as far distant as twenty miles, and none of them even possessed so much as a sled to haul it in with.

OP AFRICAN SLAVERY. 2S

but packed their provisions on their backs, entirely destitute of any of the improvements in arts and sciences ; they live in little mud huts, made of mud and sticks, and many of them go naked winter and summer, as the beast of the forest, and feed on lizards, snakes, or any vile thing they can get hold of, and are entirely void of chastity, giving a loose rein to their animal passions; they cohabit promiscuously with one another, and their lust is not confined to one another, but in many cases, men with each other, and with beasts ; they are continually at war, one tribe with another, and they do not scruple to eat each other as quick as they would eat a bit of a hog or a monkey ; in their market-places they frequently have the limbs of each other hung up in the stall for sale as they would a sheep or a pig; and thus in this degraded, fiillen state they live, devoid of religion, morals, or even common decency ; and therefore the great necessity of the balance of mankind who feel for the sufferings of human beings, and would wish to ameliorate their woes and bring to a knowledge of the truth and of the religion of Jesus Christ, uniting ill their ofTorts to bring them in a state of shavery to Christian masters, who will correct their morals, feed and clothe them, and make them work and cultivate the soil, so as to become useful to themselves and the balance of mankind. This can only be done by first reducing them to a state of slavery; missionaries have heretofore been sent among them to no purpose ; they pay no attention to their teachings, but fref_[uently kill and eat them for food.

CHAPTER 11.

The Utility of African Slavery, and of Slavery in tlie United States; and Transportation.— Further Bible Evidence of "Slavery.

That the African is only an incnmberer of the ground in his wild and native state, needs only to be pointed to, in the wilds of Africa; for although it contains a population of perhaps two hundred millions of souls, they produce nothing for transportation; they manufacture nothing; they invent nothing; the wdld African is but a little ahead of the orang-outang in his habits. They possess a fine fertile country, yet it is comparatively uncultivated. The African possesses a strong frame, a robust constitution, a fertile country, and delightful climate; yet he walks about, up and down in the forest, as naked as when he came into the world, feeding on fruits and reptiles, fills himself and lays down and sleeps, and then rises and pursues the same course again, occasionally meeting with the child of 3* an enemy and killing and eating it as he would a rabbit or squirrel ; and such is his native condition. But when they are taken by the white people and taught to work in the field, they are clothed and fed as human beings, they become as a matter of necessity civilized, and, by frequently hearing the gospel preached, they become Christianized and elevated far above their former condition in the scale of human beings. By their labor they become very useful, and add greatly to the commerce of the world. In the United States there are now, in A.D. 18G0, about three and a half millions of African slaves, the proceeds of whose labor contribute, in exports to foreign countries, more than one-half of the exports in value of all the exports of the nation. In the single article of cotton alone, the nation exports 3,500.000 bales, which, at §50 per bale, is worth Si 75,000,000, the proceeds of slave labor, besides toljacco, sugar, and ilour, and many other articles, which would amount to more than fii'ty millions more — making a .<um-total of exports from slave labor alone amount to over two hundred and twenty millions of dollars annual] \-, IVom the United

States to other countries, besides what is consumed at home, bringing in return the products and manufactures of other countries an amount equivalent in exchange for their exports; thus giving an impetus to trade and commerce of the world and manufactories of more than four hundred millions of dollars annually, by being kept in a state of servitude and made to cultivate the soil, for which they were intended; w^hile the whole population of Africa, with her two hundred millions of people in a free and savage state, exports nothing, adds nothing, does nothing for themselves or others. I speak of Africa proper, the kinky heads, which comprise a large portion. If there is any place in Africa which bids fair to achieve anything in the way of civilization and the arts, it is the little colony of Liberia, peopled by about six thousand American slaves who have been sent over from the United States: and they feel as much above the common wild African as a white man would above his slave, or more so; and should they be left to themselves, without the fostering care of the white man, would soon degenerate into their ancient barbarism ^vith the rest of the natives. Thus we see, that for the good of the African himself, for the welfare of mankind in general, that the African may be well provided for while he lives, and brought to a condition where he may become a Christian, and the welf\ire of his immortal soul promoted by hearing the gospel preached, and that he may become useful and happy in his sphere of existence, it is absolutely necessary that he should be made a slave of and placed under a master, who will correct him for his faults and teach him to behave himself as a human being, and make him work for his support.

A negro will never construct a steam-engine or a railroad, or make any new addition to anything of the kind; yet with a good overseer he can dig up the iron ore, aid in melting it ; can dig in the ground and aid in making a railroad, and add as much in the construction of it as white men, with some one to construct and diivct; and in a state of slavery do as much towards internal improvements and [)romoting the arts and sciences as white men. while in a free state they would not .strike a lick or do anything. Therefore, the three and a half millions of slaves in the United States are doing more for the commerce of the nation, its internal improvement at home, and the promotion of industry in the manufacturing nations of the earth, than the same number of people of any color on any part of the globe. Then, is it not right, is it not proper, is it not perfectly in conformity with religion and the doctrine of the Holy Bible, that the African should be placed in bondage to the white man — the only condition in which it seems he can exist as a moral human being and be provided for, or in any manner content, useful, or happy ? It seems to me, that no rejQecting, rational man can doubt for a moment the absolute necessity of making him a slave — for which he was intended. But, it is contended, that even if this should be the case, that the African is more useful, more happy, and better provided for ill a state of slavery than when free, that unless we can find that it is in accordance with the doctrine of the Bible, it is morally wrong. To this, I would again refer the reader to Leviticus, xxv. 44-46 verses : Both thy bondmen and thy bondmaids, which thou

8lialt liavo, shall be of (from, in Hebrew) the heathen that are around alxjut you; of (from) them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. Moreover, of (from) the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them sliall you buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land; and they sliall be your possession, and ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after yon to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen forever: but over your brethren the children of Israel ye shall not rule, one over another with rigor. This shows that the servitude is perpetual. They shall be your bondmen forever, Lc olaitm, and the heathen bondmen are transmitted as property by inheritance to the children.

There is in the Hebrew language, as well as Hebrew society, two classes of servants, represented by two distinct words indicative of diil'erent positions or relations. These are hired servants and l)on(lmen ; the former is represented by one word and the latter by another; these are of dilTerent meaning and ori'-'m.

OF AFEICAN SLAVERY. 31

A hired servant, in the law of Moses, is called saclieer ; a bondman or bond-servant is uniformly denominated geliced : the latter is never called sacJicer, nor the former gelived. Like doulos in the Septuagint and in the New Testament, gelived includes divers sorts of servants not receiving wages, but saclieer indicates simply a hired servant.

They are sometimes found in the same verse in contrast, Leviticus, xxv. 39 : If thy brother that dwelleth by thee become poor, and be sold to thee, thou shalt not compel him to serve as a gelived, a bond-servant, but as a saclieer, a hired servant. Again, verse 42 : He shall not be sold as a gelived, a bondman. Verse 44 : Of the heathen thou shalt or mayest buy bondmen, gelived. Thus, it is clear, that among the Jews there were two kinds of servants: gelived, the bond-servant, or slave as we term it, and saclieer, the hired servant 3 and both classes were tolerated by the laws of Moses, and nowhere condemned in the New Testament. Taking then the Bible as it is, we nowhere find anything condemning the principle of slavery of the heathen 3 but we find it has been tolerated and permitted by the laws of Moses, as laid down in the Holy Bible, and practiced by the Jews, the flivored people of God ; and by others so long that the memory of man runneth not to the contrary; and our observation teaches us, from fair illustration, that the African race is elevated in the scale of human beings by being placed in a state of bondage; that they are only useful when thus situated; that they are more happy, better provided for, more moral, better satisfied in that state, and prefer it to any other.