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XI.

SIERRALE

ΟΝΑ.

Their faults owing to flavery.

CHA P. Directors, who therefore hope that they will readily acquiefce in the decifions of the Court. But few fervants have escaped their unreasonable suspicion; yet great allowance will be made for this unpleasant feature in their character, if their paft, fufferings be confidered, and the injustice they formerly received, and are habituated to expect, from whites. 447. In eftimating, indeed, the whole character of the N. Scotians, their past condition ought not to be overlooked. It should be remembered, that all of them were once flaves; that, like others in the same state, they were probably little restrained in many branches of morals, not regularly married, destitute of parental. and fcholaftic tuition; and, in short, that no one thought it his duty, to instruct them in religion or morality. Their faculties were then degraded, their opportunities of knowledge small, and they had little inducement to cultivate their intellects. Doubtless they strongly felt their hardships; but they probably knew little of the true nature of civil rights; and, we may fuppofe, often counfounded the unavoidable evils of life, and the punishments needful in fociety, with the ills imposed by arbitrary power; for accurate difcrimination can fignify little to men involved in hopeless capivity. To the want of fuch difcrimination, and not to any moral or intellectual defect, much of their unreasonableness, and fome of the abfurdeft of their claims, are obviously to be traced. And, confidering how often the advocates for fervitude have, on their part, confounded flavery, and all it's enormities, with the neceffary evils of life, and the reftraints of civil society, it need not excite furprife, if emancipated flaves, acting alfo under the bias of self-interest, should seem to labour under a fimilar dulness and inaccuracy of understanding.

This no argu ment against

448. There is some reason to suppose that their fervitude prudenteman was harfher, than that of North America generally is; for

cipation.

they

they were a portion of thofe flaves who, in the laft war, ran away from their masters and took refuge in the King's army, a conduct to which, it would seem, the worft treated would be the most disposed. If this prefumption of ill treatment (confirmed as it is, by the fufferings which a few of them recite) should be thought too derogatory from the supposed humanity of American masters, it feems then fair to conclude, on the other hand, that they were the least sensible of mild treatment, the least attached to their masters, and the most prone to discontent. On either supposition, the N. Scotians may be faid to furnish a lefs favourable specimen of emancipated flaves, than may generally be hoped for. It is hardly neceffary to remark, how very unfavourable their steps towards freedom will appear, if compared with those of slaves prudently emancipated; to whom liberty, having been promised, to prepare them for it, might be granted, after a certain period, as the reward of merit; or might be conferred gradually, as local circumstances might recommend; privilege after privilege being added, as their diligence advanced, and as their property and interest, in maintaining focial order, fhould increase.

449. But to return: the Nova Scotian blacks, having been born in North America, of African parents or ancestors (a few imported Africans excepted, who, as they say, were kidnapped in their infancy) having passed most of their lives in flavery, probably worse than ordinary, and having then emancipated themfelves, in the way mentioned, they fulfilled, as loyalifts, the proclamations of the British generals. Their instruction appears to have been chiefly, or entirely, acquired fince their emancipation; for a few put themselves to school, to attain religious knowledge, or to improve their condition; and these are now the preachers and fchool-ma

fters

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Paft circum

ftances of N.

Scotians.

XI.

SIERRA LE

ONA.

CHA P. flers of the colony. After various scenes, in following the fortunes of the British army, often expofing themselves in battle, as the wounds of several teftify, and always getting credit for courage, though not fo uniformly for fome other virtues; being considerably thinned by death and difperfion (a portion of them being supposed to have fallen into the hands of the Americans) the reft were brought to N. Scotia, at the peace, to receive, in common with the white loyalists, the provisions and lands, promised in the proclamations. They state that they obtained rations of provisions, but not to the extent they expected; that the white loyalists having engroffed all the valuable lands, they got, in general, only small town-lots of little use; and that they were not admitted to the ufual privileges of British fubjects, nor, particularly, to trial by jury. Thefe injuries, and the rigour of the climate of N. Scotia, induced them, as has been ftated (§ 374.) to fend a delegate of their own body, to seek redrefs from the British Government.

Their reception of the

proposals.

450. When Mr. Clarkson appeared in N. Scotia, as the Company's Company's agent, and stated, in several public meetings of the free blacks, the proposals of the Company, and the offer of a free paffage to S. Leona, made by Government, they expreffed at once the most lively joy, that they were about to be emancipated from a fituation which they almost confi. dered as a fecond fervitude. Their eagerness to migrate appears to have rendered Mr. Clarkson so much the more careful in guarding them against unreasonable expectations. No allowance even of provifions, after their arrival, was pro. mised; and the necessity of fubfifting on their lots of land, was urged on them univerfally. But thefe declarations repressed not their ardour: they fold hastily, and for trifling prices, fuch of their little effects as could not easily be transported;

CHA P.
XI.

ONA.

transported; a few who had property affifted others to pay their debts; and several, who were heads of families, undertook to support the younger and more unprotected females, SIERRA LE to whom no paffage was granted, except on this condition. They waited at Halifax for the ships, feveral weeks in tents, where, being expofed to much fevere weather, they contracted sickness. In Jan. 1793, they failed, after adopting every measure suggested for preferving order in the voyage, having thus far fhewn gratitude and obedience to Mr. Clarkson and to the Company. And, when their fubfequent conduct is confidered in connection with their past circumstances, though fome expectations, excited by a few first appearances, may have been disappointed, their character may be faid to turn out as favourably, on the whole, as could be reasonably expected. Indeed a few of those emancipated flaves have afforded a most favourable fpecimen of the African character, on whose dispositions Christianity hath had a most benign influence, and who have been, on all occasions humble and contented, the zealous friends of order and of peace.

451. Let it, therefore, be carefully remembered, that every thing said against the character of the N. Scotians, muft be understood with various exceptions and limitations; and that, the turbulence of fome, and the unreasonableness and jealousy of many of them, are more or lefs to be looked for, in any body of men, who have been fo unfavourably circumftanced. Their faults are not incident to them as blacks, but as men. And who will fay, that, if he had struggled through a like fucceffion of vexations, hardships and difappointments, his character would not have been marked by the fame prejudices and untoward difpofitions, which belong to fome of the present colonists of S. Leona*?

* See in the Append. Notes, &c. respecting S. Leona and Bulama, NOTE X.

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not to be

fured.

CHAP.
XI.

SIERRA LE

ONA.

Provifion for

their main.

tenance, go

vernment and inftruction.

Slave-trade

-it's hin

drance to ci

452. The governor and council, as has been stated, are endeavouring, as foon as poffible, to settle them on their own lands; by cultivating which, there is reason to think that, like the former colonists, now living at Granville town, they may fubfift comfortably. And if, by the bleffing of Providence, their families, fubstance and general profperity fhould increase, it can hardly be doubted, that they will eftimate more justly their obligations to the Company. But it is important to observe that, both with a view to their own happiness, and the Company's great object of civilizing Africa, they should not be left without inftructors from hence, nor without a government of Europeans *.-Their children, who are about 300, all go to school, and are said to learn quite as fast as European children; though, till lately, they had not very proper mafters. The Directors propose to fpare no pains nor expense, to maintain this important part of their establishment on the best footing, and to this object, they will direct the peculiar attention of the government. For to this rifing generation of well educated blacks, they chiefly look for the gradual improvement of the colony. To them also, it seems not presumptuous to hope, that the more diftant and even interior parts of Africa, may one day owe Christianity, knowledge and civilization.

tion

453. The progrefs, obftructions, and profpects of civilizathe natives, are matters fo very interesting, that among vilization of the Directors need not apologize for entering into them freely and particularly. And here the Slave-trade comes directly under confideration. But, waving all argument on

natives.

For a time only, I prefume. (See § 443) C. B. W.

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