would have been unnecessary to people in such a situation; or rather, its only use could have been to increase their pain.  We cannot suppose therefore that God has made an order of beings, with such mental qualities and powers, for the sole purpose of being used as beasts, or instruments of labour.  And here, what a dreadful argument presents itself against you receivers?  For if they have no understandings as you confess, then is your conduct impious, because, as they cannot perceive the intention of your punishment, your severities cannot make them better.  But if, on the other hand, they have had understandings, (which has evidently appeared) then is your conduct equally impious, who, by destroying their faculties by the severity of your discipline, have reduced men; who had once the power of reason, to an equality with the brute creation.

* * * * *

FOOTNOTES

[Footnote 073:  Genesis, ch. iv. 15.]

[Footnote 074:  Genesis, ch. ix. 25, 26, 27.]

[Footnote 075:  Jeremiah says, ch. xiii. 23, “Can the AEthiopian change his colour, or the leopard his spots?” Now the word, which is here translated AEthiopian, is in the original Hebrew “the descendant of Cush,” which shews that this colour was not confined to the descendants of Canaan, as the advocates for slavery assert.]

[Footnote 076:  It is very extraordinary that the advocates for slavery should consider those Africans, whom they call negroes, as the descendants of Canaan, when few historical facts can be so well ascertained, as that out of the descendants of the four sons of Ham, the descendants of Canaan were the only people, (if we except the Carthaginians, who were a colony of Canaan, and were afterwards ruined) who did not settle in that quarter of the globe.  Africa was incontrovertibly peopled by the posterity of the three other sons.  We cannot shew this in a clearer manner, than in the words of the learned Mr. Bryant, in his letter to Mr. Granville Sharp on this subject.

“We learn from scripture, that Ham had four sons, Chus, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan, Gen. x. 5, 6. Canaan occupied Palestine, and the country called by his name:  Mizraim, Egypt:  but Phut passed deep into Africa, and, I believe, most of the nations in that part of the world are descended from him; at least more than from any other person.” Josephus says, “that Phut was the founder of the nations in Libya, and the people were from him called (phoutoi) Phuti.”  Antiq.  L. 1. c. 7.  “By Lybia he understands, as the Greeks did, Africa in general:  for the particular country called Lybia Proper, was peopled by the Lubim, or Lehabim, one of the branches from Mizraim, (Labieim ex ou Libnes) Chron.  Paschale, p. 29.