we QUOBNA OTTOBAH CUGOANO pious example, would have captivated their hearts; and the edge of the truth would have made it very desirous thing for Americans to have those who taught them to settle among the Hiad that been the cae the Americans, in various part, wet have been as eager to have the Europeans come there a, would have been to go, so that the Europeans might have fo settlements enough, in a friendly alliance with the inhabiting without destroying and enslaving them. And had that been case it might be supposed, that Europe and America, long befn now, would both, with a growing lururiancy, have been flour ing with affluence and peace, and their long extended and fruiy branches, loaden with benefits to eich other, reaching over jy ocean, might have been more extensive, and greater advantgy have been expected, for the good of both than what has yer peared, But, alas! at that time there (were] no Christians to sen, (and very few now), these were obliged to hide themselves in ty obscure places of the earth; that was, according to Sir Isaac New. ton," to mix in obscurity among the meanest of the people, hir ing no power and authority; and it seems at that time there wasn power among Christians on earth to have sent such as would har been useful to the Americans; and if there had they would haw Maal te depredators, and rescued the innocent. said before, it is surely to the great shame and scandd of Christianity among all the Heathen nations, that those robber Plunderers, destroyers and enslavers of men should call ther selves Christians, and exercise their power under any Christi government and authority. I would have my African countryme to know and understand, that the destroyers and enslavers of ms can be no Christians; for Christianity is the system of benigaif and love, and all its votaries are devoted to honesty, justice, bw ‘manity, meekness, peace and good-will to all men, But whatett ttle or claim some may assume to call themselves by it, with! Possessing any of its virtues, can only manifest them to be ore abominable liars and the greatest enemies unto it, and #5 © ee fe Synagogue of Satan, and not the adherers to Chis nad pett’t® and oppressors of men, among those that obtained the name of Christians, they are sill acing as its enemies, and contrat Wk Seduine oh otole ‘shoul ry to all its genuine principles; they THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS o therefore be called by its opposite, the Antichrist. Such are fitly wine of her abominations; and the merchant 1 waxed rich through the abundance of her eleases “ oe ficin vais things, and in shoves and souls of men!™ enough for the malignant destroyer of the world to iydrheaded kingdom of evil and wickedness among he Gin dom of men; but also to cause an image to be made unto him, fy something imported in the only true religion that ever was given tomen; and that image of iniquity is described as arising up out of the earth, having two horns like a lamb, which, by its votarice and adherents, has been long established and supported. One of its umbrageous horns of apostacy and delusion is founded, in a more particular respect, on a grand perversion of the Old Testament dis- pensations, which has extended itself over all the Mahometan na- tions in che East; and the other horn of apostacy, bearing an allusion and professional respect to that of the new, has extended itself over all the Christian nations in the West.""? That grand um- brageous shadow and image of evil and wickedness, has spread its malignant influence over all the nations of the earth, and has, by its power of delusion, given countenance and support to all the power of evil and wickedness done among men; and all the adher- ents and supporters of that delusion, and all the carriers on of wickedness, are fitly called Antichrist. But all the nations have drunk of the wine of that iniquity, and become drunk with the wine of the wrath of her fornication, whose name, by every mark and feature, is the Antichrist; and every dealer in slaves, and those that hold them in slavery, whatever else they may call themselves, or whatever else they may profess. And likewise, those nations ‘whose governments support that evil and wicked traffic of slavery, fever remote the situation where it is carried on may be, are, in respect, as much Antichristian as any thing in the world can be. No man will ever rob another unless he be a villain: nor will ‘ny nation or people ever enslave and oppress others, unless them- selves be base and wicked men, and who act and do contrary and against every duty in Christianity. "2 Te was nota QUOBNA OTTOBAH CUGOANO ‘The learned and ingenious athor of Britannia Libera, sg alluding to Great-Britain alone, gives some account of tha, evil and wickedness carried on by the Christian nations, se" ing the direful effects of the great devastations committed in fon eign parts, whereby it would appear that the ancient and nc" inhabitants have been drenched in blood and oppression by qi" merciless visitors (which have formed colonies and Settlemen, among them) the avaricious depredators, plunderers and des, ers of nations. As some estimate of it, “to destroy eleven mil and distress many more in America to starve and oppress twa million in Asa, and the great number destroyed, is not the ways promote the dignity, strength and safety of empire, but to dry down the Divine vengeance on the offenders, for depriving » many of their fellow-creatures of life, or the common blessing. the earth: whereas by observing the humane principles of prey. vation with feictation, the proper principles of all rulers, th; empire might have received all reasonable benefit, with the en. crease of future glory.” But should it be asked, what advantage Great-Britain has gained by all its extensive territories abroad, tx devastations committed, and the abominable slavery and oppr: sion carried on in its colonies? It may be answered according » the old proverb, ie It seldom is the grand-chila’s lot, To share of wealth unjustly got This seems to be verified too much in their present situation: fe however wide they have extended their territories abroad, thy have sunk into a world of debt at home, which must ever rem an impending burden upon the inhabitants, And it is not likely, any plan as yet adopted, to be ever paid, or any part of it, with 4 long continued heavy annual load of taxes.!!3 Perhaps, great st 's some other plan, more equitable for the good of the whole com ‘munity if it was wanted to be done, and without any additio ‘axes, might be so made use of to pay it all off in twenty of thitl Happens ue and in such manner as whatever emergencies mi! tee at never to need to borrow any money at interest. The! debt casts a slugpsh deadness over the whole realm, gi THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS ° stops ingenuity and improvements, promotes idlen: icked- tas, clogs all the wheels of commerce, and dines acy ak ofthe nation. Ifa foreigner buys stock, in the course of yours thes the interest amounts to the principal, he gets all backs sala equitable time the same sum ever after, and in course must take that money £0 foreign parts. And those who hold stock at hawt, area kind of idle drones, as a burden to the rest of the community: sthereas if there were no funds, those who have money would be cbliged to occupy it in some improvements themselves, 0: lend to other manufacturers or merchants, and by that means useful employments, ingenuity and commerce would flourish, But all stock-jobbing, lotteries, and useless busines," has a tendency to slavery and oppression; for as the greater any idle part of the com, munity is there must be the greater labour and hardships resting upon the industrious part who support the rest; as all men are ale lowed in some degree to eat their bread with the sweat of their brow; but itis evil with any people when the rich grind the face of the poor.” Lotteries must be nearly as bad a way of getting money for the good of a nation, as it is for an individual when he ispoor, and obliged to pawn his goods to increase his poverty, l- ready poor. On the reverse, if a nation was to keep a bank to lend money to merchants and others, that nation might flourish, and its support to those in need might be attended with advantage to the whole; but that nation which is obliged to borrow money from others, must be in a poor and wretched situation, and the in- habitants, who have to bear the load of its taxes, must be greatly burdened, and perhaps many of those employed in its service (as soldiers and others) poorly paid. It was otherwise with the people of Israel of old; it was the promise and blessing of God to them, That they should lend unto many nations, but should not bor- row.it Bur when a nation or people do wickedly, and commit cruelties and devastations upon others, and enslave them, it cannot be ex- ected that they should be attended with the blessings of God, Atither to eschew evil. They often become infatuated to do evil ‘nawares; and those employed under their service sometimes lead them into debt, error and wickedness, in order to enrich them- selves by their plunder, in committing the most barbarous cruel-i QUOBNA OTTOBAH CUGOANO ties, under pretences of wan, wherein they were the fist age, sors, and which is generally the case in all unnatural and destnys, tive disputes of war In this business money is wanted, the naris debt becomes increased, and new loans and other sums mu added to the funds. The plunderes abroad send home their cah fast as they can, and by one means and another the sums want tw borrow, are soon made up. At last when the wars subside = other business cals them home, laden with the spoils of the Ey’ or elsewhere, they have then the grand part of their busines « negotiate, in buying up bank stock, and lodging their plunder anj ill-got wealth in the British or other funds. Thus the nation loaded with more debt, and with an annual addition of more inte, est to pay, to the further advantage of those who often occasion it by thet villainy; who, if they had their deserts, like the Popit inguisitors, are almost the only people in the world who desery to be hung on the rack. But so it happens in general, that men of activity and affluenc, by whatever way they are possessed of riches, or have acquired: greatness of such property, they are always preferred to take lead in matters of government, so that the greatest depredtos, warriors, contracting companies of merchants, and rich shve holders, always endeavour to push themselves on to get power and interest in their favour; that whatever crimes any of thea commit they are seldom brought to a just punishment. Unless tht something of this kind had been the case, ’tis impossible to cot ceive how such an enormous evil as the slave-trade could hiv been established and carried on under any Christian governmett and from hence that motly system of government, which hath Sprung up and established itself, may be accounted for, and as be ing an evident and universal depravity of one of the finest cont tutions in the world; and it may be feared if these unconstitutiori! laws, reaching from Great-Britain to her colonies, be long conti ued in and supported, to the carrying on that horrible and wid traffic of slavery, must at last mark out the whole of the Brti® Sorttution with ruin and destruction; and that the most genet and tenacious people in the world for liberty, may also at lst head slaves. And an Ethiopian may venture to assert that! 8 ss slavery is continued in any part of the British dominios THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS a semore than one-balf of the legislature are the virtual Selecourges ofa walle which oie oie feore rot be excl oa ae by some of the most abandoned and profit ee ene. the parrisaanlch cl ok jowever, lass of men al mer maces thst net ne pay wo tue led the whole nation into deb, error and disgrace, sed be thr magetic influence theresa general support given to deope, tam, oppression and cruelty. For many have acquired prewt ong by some insidious traffic or illegal gain; and as these betome aires king men in governments, vast multiudes by sea end land puc sue the same course, and support the same measures, lke adocn turers in the lottery, each grasping for the highes prize or ms mich enamoured with any infamous way of getting riches, os the Spaniards were with the Peruvian vessels of gold. And when ask, tious and wicked men are bent upon avarice and covetousness, it leads them on to commit terrible cruelties, and theit hears ben come hardened in wickedness; so that even their enormous crimes sink in their own estimation, and soften into trivial matters. The housebreakers and highwaymen, petty depredators, think nothing of any mischief or cruelty that they can do, so a8 they can gain their end and come off safe; but their villainy and crimes appear to other men as they ought to do, and if they can be detected, and taken hold of, they will meet with such punishment as they justly deserve for their crimes, But itis otherwise with the Colonians,"* the great depredators, pirates, kidnappers, robbers, oppressors and easlavers of men, The laws as reaching from Great-Britain to the West-Indies, do not detect them, but protect the opulent slave- holders; though their opulence and protection by any law, or any government whatsoever, cannot make them less criminal than vio~ lator of the common rights and liberties of men. They do not take away a man’s property, like other robbers; but they take a man himself, and subject him to their service and bondage, which is a erexer robbery, and a greater crime, than taking away any prop- ery from men whatsoever. And, therefore, with respect to them, re is very much wanted for regulating the natural rights of mankind, and very much wrong in the present forms of govern- ment, a5 well as much abuse of that which is right.a QUOBNA OTTOBAH CUGOANO The Spaniards began their settlements in the West Indig,, America, by depredations of raping, injustice, treachery ang i der; and they have continued in the barbarous practice of deya™ tion, cruelty, and oppression ever since: and their principles gy maxims in planting colonies have been adopted, in some mean by every other nation in Europe. This guiltful method of ¢/° nization must undoubtedly and imperceptibly have harden men’s hearts, and led them on from one degree of barbarity cruelty to another: for when they had destroyed, wasted and qct olated the native inhabitants and when many of their own peop, enriched with plunder, had retired, or returned home to en their ill-gotten wealth, other resources for men to labour and a tivate the ground, and such other laborious employments wey wanted, Vast territories and large possessions, without getting in habitants to labour for them, were of no use. A general part o ‘what remained of the wretched fugitives, who had the best nate right to those possessions, were obliged to make their escape places more remote, and such as could not, were obliged to subma to the hard labour and bondage of their invaders; but as they hd not been used to such harsh treatment and laborious employment as they were then subjected to, they were soon wasted away ind became few. Their proud invaders found the advantage of having their labour done for nothing, and it became their general practe to pick up the unfortunate strangers that fell in their way, wher they thought they could make use of them in their service. Tht base traffic of kidnapping and stealing men was begun by the Por fuguese on the coast of Africa," and as they found the benefi it for their own wicked purposes, they soon went on to comm greater depredations. The Spaniards followed their infamous er ample, and the African slave-trade was thought most advantt ge0us for them, to enable themselves to live in ease and affluent by the cruel subjection and slavery of others. The French #d English, and some other nations in Europe, as they founded sett ‘Rents and colonies inthe West Indies, or in America, went oni the same manner, and joined hand in hand with the Portug0! = Feaniards, ro rob and pillage Africa, as well as 10 wat? docten ie inhabitants of the western continent. But the Eur Predators and pirates have not only robbed and pill THOUGHTS AND SENTIMENTS n caple of Africa themselves; but, by their instgat tre infested the inhabitants with some co a vile cenbinein, offravdulent and treacherous villains, even among them nn peo- als and have set up their forts and factories as a reservtr of ats Jie and abandoned thieves, and as a den of desperadoes, where they may ensnare, entrap and catch men. So that Africa kas hone robbed of it inhabitants; its free-born sons and daughters here been stole, and kidnapped, and violently taken away, and canted ine captivity and cruel bondage. And it may be said, in respecs oo tht diabolical trafic which is still carried on by the European depredators, that Africa has suffered as much and more than any other quarter of the globe. O merciful God! when will the wick. edness of man have an end? The Royal African Company (as itis called, ought rather to be reversed a5 unworthy of the name) was incorporated 14th Charles I and impowered to trade from Salle in South Barbary to the Cape of Good Hope," and to erect forts and factories on the western coast of Africa for that purpose. But this trade was laid open by an act of parliament, Anno 1697, and every Private merchant permitted to trade thither, upon paying the sum of ten pounds towards maintaining the forts and garrisons. This Com- pany, for securing their commerce, erected several factories on the coast; the most remarkable are these, viz." on the North part of Guinea, James Fort, upon an island in the River Gambia, Sierra Leona, and Sherbro; and on the South part of Guinea, viz. on the Gold Coast, Dick’s Cove, Succunda, Commenda, Cape Coast Castle, Fort Royal, Queen Anne's Point, Charles Fort, Annam- abo, Winebah, Shidoe, Acra, &c."% In all these places it is their grand business to traffic in the human species; and dreadful and shocking as it is to think, it has even been established by royal au- thority, and is still supported and carried on under a Christian Sovernment; and this must evidently appear thereby, that the learned, the civilized, and even the enlightened nations are become astruly barbarous and brutish as the unlearned. ee ‘To give any just conception of the barbarous 1 i those factories, it would be out of my power to describe ee niiserable situation of the poor exiled Africans, which by the craf of wicked men daily become their prey, though I have seen