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William Wilberforce. A Letter on the Abolition of the Slave Trade
A Letter on the Abolition of the Slave Trade
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
APPENDIX
AFRICA
EXTRACTS FROM THE OLDER AUTHORS. From Travels of the Sieur d’ Elbée, sent by the French W. I. Company to Ardrah, in 1670.—Astley’s Voyages, vol. iii
Extract from a Voyage to Congo, and other countries, in 1682, from Astley’s Voyages, vol. iii. by Jerom Merolla, &c
Bosman’s description of Guinea, about 1690 to 1700, in Astley’s voyages, vol. iii
Sieur Brüe’s (many years Director General of the French Senegal Company, and who resided in Africa eleven years) Voyage to the Isles of Bissas and Bissagos, on the Western Coast of Africa, in 1701;—from Astley’s Voyages, Vol. ii
Barbot’s Travels, about 1700.—Astley, vol. ii
Labat.—Astley’s Voyages. vol ii. p. 259
Le Maire’s Travels, about 1690.—Astley’s Voyages, vol. ii
Travels (about 1730), of Francis Moore, Factor several years to the Royal African Company of England
Voyage of Atkins to Guinea, about 1720. Astley, vol. ii
Voyage of Smith, about 1727—employed under the African Company
Depredations—Effect of Slave Trade
Natural Disposition of the Africans, and Capacity for Civilization.—Astley’s Voyages, vol. i
Africans natural Qualities, and Capacity for Civilization—Commercial Intercourse practicable.—Astley’s Voyages, vol. iii
Natural Qualities and Disposition of Africans
African Commercial Tendencies
Africans’ Natural Dispositions—Golberey’s Travels, about 1786
State of Slaves on Shipboard
Africans Natural Dispositions, and Capacity for Civilization.—Parke’s Travels
Evidences examined before the House of Commons
Mode of Warfare, &c
African Population
Domestic Slaves State in Africa.—Travels of Moore, a Factor of African Company
Bristol Slave Trade formerly.—William of Malmsbury, book ii. ch. 20.—Life of St. Wolstan, Bishop of Worcester
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William Wilberforce
Addressed to the freeholders and other inhabitants of Yorkshire
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Famine and Insolvency.
To this long catalogue are to be added two other sources, famines, and insolvency. In times of extreme scarcity, persons sometimes sell themselves for subsistence; and still more frequently, it is said, children are sold by their parents to procure provisions for the rest of the family. These famines, Mr. Parke, who mentions this source of slavery, observes, are often produced by wars. But while on the one hand we must remark, that this effect arises chiefly out of that peculiarly wasteful manner of carrying on war in Africa, which we have already noticed; so may we not fairly presume that to the Slave Trade also, and to the habits of mind which it generates, it is to be ascribed, that in such seasons of general distress, he who possesses food refuses to part with so much as will suffice for the bare maintenance of his neighbours and fellow sufferers, at any price except that of selling themselves or their children into perpetual slavery? With respect to debt or insolvency, the laws respecting debtor and creditor which prevail in Africa, furnish a striking illustration of the effect of the Slave Trade, in gradually moulding to it’s own purpose all the institutions and habits of the country in which it prevails, and rendering them instrumental in forwarding the grand object of furnishing a supply for the Slave market. Creditors, in compensation of their claims on the debtor, have not only a right to seize his own person, and sell him for a Slave, but also any of his family; and if he or they cannot be taken, any inhabitants of the same village, or, as Mr. Parke says, any native of the same kingdom. Indeed it is very rarely that the debtor himself is molested, it is his neighbours or townsmen who are the sufferers. Hence persons become debtors more freely, because, while they gratify their appetites by obtaining the European goods they want, they are not likely to pay for their rashness in their own persons. The Captains of Slave ships are in their turn less backward in advancing goods on credit to the Black factors, and they again to other native dealers, knowing that from some quarter or another the Slaves will surely be supplied.
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