Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1819-07-24

passion and more favor due to us Mus
sulmen, than to those Christian dogs
We have now above fifty thousand slaves
in and near Algiers. This number, if
not kept up by fresh supplies, will soon
diminish, and be gradually annihilated.
If, then, we cease taking and plumber
ing the inhdel ships, and making slaves
of the seamen and passengers, our lands
will become of no value, for want of cul-
tivation; the rents of houses in the city
will sink one half: and the revenues of
government, arising from the share Of
prizes, must be totally destroyed-And
for what? To crafty the whim of a
whimsical sect, who would have us not
only forbear making more slaves, but
even to manumit those we have. But
who is to indemnify their masters for the
loss Will the state do it? Is our treasu
ry sufficient? Will the Erika do it +? Or
would they, to do what they think Justice
to the slaves, do greater injustice to
the owners And if we set our slaves
free, what is to be done with them Few
of them will return to their native coun-
tries; they know too well the greater
hardships they must there be subject to.
They will not embrace our holy reli
gion: they will not adopt our manners
our people will not pollute themselves
by intermarrying with them. Must we
maintain them as beggars in the streets
or suffer our properties to be the prey
of their pillage? for men accustomed to
slavery, will not work for livelihood,
when not compelled.-And what is there
SO pitiable in their present condition 3
Were they not slaves in their own coun
tries Are not Spain, Portugal, France,
and the Italian states, governed by des-
pots, who hold all their subjects in slave
ry. without exception Even England
treats her sailors as slaves, for they are,
wheneverthe government pleases, seized
and confined in ships of war, condemned,
not only to work, but to fight for small
wages, or mere subsistence, not better
than our slaves are allowed by us. Is
their condition then made worse by their
falling into our hands !? No; they have
only exchanged one slavery for another;
and l may say better: for here they
are brought into land where the sun of
Islamism gives forth its light, and shines
in full splendor, and they have an op-
portunity of making themselves acquaint-
ed with the true doctrine, and thereby
saving their immortal souls. Those who
remain at home, have not that happiness.
Sending the slaves home, then, would
be sending them out of light into dark
ness.
+" repeat the question, what is to be
done with them have heard it sug-
gestcd, that they may be planted in the
wilderness, where there is plentyoflandfor
themto subsist on, & where they mayhour-
ish as free state.-But they are, doubt,
too little disposed to labor without COM
pulsion, as well as too ignorant to estab-
lish good government: and the Arabs
would soon modest and destroy, or again
enslave them. While serving us, we
take care to provide them with every
thing; and they are treated with human
ity. The .laborers in their own coun-
tries, are, as am informed, worse fed,
lodged, and clothed. The condition of
most of them is therefore already mend
ed, and requires no farther improvement.
Here their lives are in safety. They are
not liable to be impressed for soldiers,
and forced to cut one another's Christian
threats, as in the wars of their own coun-
tries. If some of the religious mad
bigots who now tease us with their silly
petitions, have, in fit of blind zeal, freed
their slaves, it was not humanity that
moved them to the action; it was from
the conscious burthen of load of sins,
and hope, from the supposed merits Of
so good work, to be excused from dam
nation. How grossly are they mistaken
in imagining slavery to be disavowed by
the AIcoran Are not the two precepts,
to quote no more, " Masters, treat your
slaves with kindness-Slaves, serve your
masters with cheerful lness and fidelity"
clear proofs to the contrary? Nor can
the plundering of infdels be in that sa-
cred book forbidden since it is well
known from it, that God has given the
| world, and all it contains, to his faithful
Mussulmen, who are to enjoy it, of right,
as fast as they can conquer it. Let us
then hear no more of this detestable
proposition, the manumission of Chris
tan slaves, the adoption of which would
be depreciating our lands and houses, and
thereby depriving SO many good citizens
of their properties, create universal dis,
content, and provoke instructions, to the
endangering of government, and produ-
cling general confusion. l have, there
fore no doubt that this wise council will