The following sheets first appeared in a periodical work called TheInquirer. They are now republished without undergoing any substantialalteration. The author however thinks it due to himself to state, thathe would have materially qualified those parts of his essay which speakof the improved Condition of the Slaves in the West Indies since theabolition, had he then been acquainted with the recent evidenceobtained upon that subject. His present conviction certainly is, that hehas overrated that improvement, and that in point of fact Negro Slaveryis, in its main and leading feature, the same system which it was whenthe Abolition controversy first commenced.
It is possible there may be some, who, having glanced over the TitlePage of this little work, may be startled at the word Emancipation. Iwish to inform such, that Mr. Dundas, afterwards Lord Melville, an acuteMan, and a Friend to the Planters, proposed this very measure toParliament in the year 1792. We see, then, that the word Emancipationcannot be charged with Novelty. It contains now no new ideas. Itcontains now nothing but what has been thought practicable, and evendesirable to be accomplished. The Emancipation which I desire is suchan Emancipation only, as I firmly believe to be compatible not only withthe due subordination and happiness of the labourer, but with thepermanent interests of his employer.
I wish also to say, in case any thing like an undue warmth of feeling onmy part should be discovered in the course of the work, that I had nointention of being warm against the West Indians as a body. I know thatthere are many estimable men among them living in England, who deserveevery desirable praise for having sent over instructions to their Agentsin the West Indies from time to time in behalf of their wretched Slaves.And yet, alas! even these, the Masters themselves, have not hadinfluence enough to secure the fulfilment of their own instructions upontheir own estates; nor will they, so long as the present systemcontinues. They will never be able to carry their meritorious designsinto effect against Prejudice, Law, and Custom. If this be not so, howhappens it that you cannot see the Slaves, belonging to such estimablemen, without marks of the whip upon their backs? The truth is, thatso long as overseers, drivers, and others, are entrusted with the useof arbitrary power, and so long as Negro-evidence is invalid againstthe white oppressor, and so long as human nature continues to be whatit is, no order from the Master for the better personal treatment ofthe Slave will or can be obeyed. It is against the system then, andnot against the West Indians as a body, that I am warm, should I befound so unintentionally, in the present work.
One word or two now on another part of the subject. A great noise willbe made, no doubt, when the question of Emancipation comes to beagitated, about the immense property at stake, I mean the property ofthe Planters;—and others connected with them. This is all well. Theirinterests ought undoubtedly to be attended to. But I hope and trust,that, if property is to be attended to on one side of the question, itw