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“...People of Great Britain,
ON THE UTILITY OF REFRAINING FROM
THE USE OF
Wejl ^India Sugar and Rum.
) '
Why did all-creating Nature
Make the Plant for which we toil ?
Sighs muft fan it, Tears muft water,
Sweat of ours mutt drefs the Soil.
Think ye Matters iron-hearted
Lolling at your jovial Boards, >
Think how many B^cks have fmarted ..
For the Sweets your Cane affords I
: 00
Cowper’s Negro’s Complaint.
-----------«»aaM8gBMa».i»i<' ----
Frew the FIFTH EDFtfON cot reSled.
.' . J *< U 31
REPRINTED BY THOMAS LEE AND CO. AND SOLD
BY W. BELL, E. FOSTER, AND OTHER
BOOKSELLERS IN HULL.
1791^
Price idi. or fourteen for a (hilling.
N. B. Peifons wanting a larger Number to give away
may be fupplied at Five Shillings per Hundred....”
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“...lpotted, but dyed fcarlet in
tl grain.”
Dreadful confideration, that our increasing happinefs
and-prosperity has fpread defolation and mifery over a
country as large as all Europe ! For it is an indisput-
able fait, that it is BritiSh luxury the African Slgve
Trade depends on for fupport : they have increafed,
. and they would fall together.—Our consumption of
fugar is now fo immenfe, that it nearly equals the
consumption of alLEurope befides ; and Jamaica now
fupplies more fugar than all our Weft India Iflands did
at any period prior to 1755.
But amazingly extensive as is the increafe of the
culture, fo far is it from keeping pace with our
luxury, that (before the disturbances in the French
ISlands, within thefe two or three years)- Sugars have
w ever fold in the BritiSh market 20 dr 30, Sometimes 50
per cent. dearer than in any other part of the world ;
2nd it is to form new plantations for the Supply of this
our increasing luxury, that the wretched Africans are
torn from their native land...”
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“...flaves employed
in fuch work look better, and increafe fafterj” and
inftead of requiring additional flaves, they would be
able to increafe their plantations with thofe already
in the Iflands. For Governor Parry tells us, one
“ acre of fugar requires as much labour as three of
cotton.” Thus our refraining from the confumption
of the fugar cane, even for a few years, would deftroy
the flave trade to the Weft India Iflands ; bring frefh
land into culture and place the flax es in thofe Iflands,
in fuch a fituation that they muft r.apidly increafe.
The diminution of the confumption of Weft India
produce would alfo have a powerful effect by finking the
price of the commodity ; and thereby take away the
temptation to import additional flaves. The effect a
fmall variation in the fupply or demandfias on the price,
we have recently experienced. The fmall interruption
of the fupply on the continent, by the difturbances in
the French fugar iflands, has fuddenly raifed fome of
the markets, which were 20...”
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“...mention, the
national dignity ; or even that might induce us to coun-
teract a powerful body of men, who are equally tramp-
ling under foot, the didiates of humanity, and the in-
tereft of the nation.
Men, who, by enjoying a monopoly of the Britifh
market, have in 50 years received for fugar alone, above
70 millions more than it would have coft at any other
market. And from Mr. Botham’s evidence it appears,
that in Batavia, where labour is as high as in England,
fugar, equal to the beft Weft India, is fold at id. f per
pound. Thefe are the men, who have the audacity to
oppole a plan for fuppjying us with fugars, without
violating juftice ; and are purchafing fhares.in a com-
pany, in order to defeat itspurpofe. Thefe are the
men who declare, That the Britifh legiflature cannot
abolilh the Have trade ; for that if we refufe to furnilh
them with Haves, they will obtain a fupply through
pther...”
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“...moft valuable of their privileges.
Thus-it appears that the legiflature is not only un-
willing, but perhaps unable, to grant redrefs; and there-
fore it is more peculiarly incumbent on us; To abjlaiit
from the ufe of fug ar and rum^ until our Weft India
Planters themfelves have prohibited the importation of
additional favesy and commenced as fpeedy and effectual a
fibverfion ofjlaVery in their iflancfo as the circumjlances
andfituation of the faves will admit : or till we can ob-
tain the produce of the [ugar-cane in fome other mode, un-
connected with fiavery^ and unpolluted with blood.
For though the African Have trade, be the tnoft pro-
minent feature in this vvickednefs ; yet it is but a fea-
ture ; and were it abolilhed, the Weft India flavery
would ftill exift. Our planters would breed, inftead
of importing Haves. And fhall we fuffer half a million of
fellow fubjedls, and their pofterity, to be held in flavery
for ever ? I fay, fellow fubjeCts, for undoubtedly, every
perfonborn in...”
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“...depofed that
letting slaves to work in the morning, is attended with
loud peals of whipping ;—and General Tottenham,
“ T hat there is no comparifon between regimental
“ flogging, which only cuts the fkin, and the planta-
u tion, which cuts out the flefh,”—and Capt. Hall,
“ That the punifhments are very (hocking, much
“ more fo than in men of war,”—and Capt. Smith,
M That at every ftroke of the whip a piece of flefti is
t£ cut out,”—and Mr. Rofs, “ That he confiders a
“ comparifon between Weil-India slaves and the
“ Britifh peafantry, as an infult to common fenfe.”*
The cafe now fully lies before us; and we have to
make our choice, either to joinourfelves with thefe ma-
nufacturers of human woe, or to renounce the horrid
aflbeiation.
* Vide, the evidence delivered before the Houfe of Commons, in the
years 1790 and 1791....”
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