The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-28
OLD-TIME SLAVERY IN CANADA
Some Interesting Facts-Brought to Light by the Nova Scotia Historical


 Canadians just held the slave trad
 and everything pertaining to it in ab
 horrence Yet the searchlight of his
 tory shows us that in the early part O
 the present century, as well as in thu
 past, slaves and slave-owners were to b,
 found both in Upper Canada and thu
 lower provinces pr. J. Watson Smitl
 in the latest publication of the Novs
 Scotia historical society has brought
 together a great many facts relating tC
 Canadian slavery, the larger part O.
 which will be entirely new to most
 readers
 The first slave sale reported in Can
 ada took place in 162S when Davit Kertk sold a Madagascar negro boy for 50 half-croWns. Late in the 17th cen tury occasional mention is made of the presence of Indian slaves at Montreal
 These "Panis," captured in war, made better domestics than the aborigines of
 some other tribes But the Indian after
 a time had an uncomfortable habit of
 finding his way back to his native for
 est, and the French, for lack of serv- | ants, were often in rather hard straits. | Naturally then they looked toward Africa for relief, for the fame of the Virginia slaves had extended beyond the | English colonies. King Louis apparent | ly hesitated q little before giving per- | mission to his American subjects to en- gage in the slave trade until as a salve | for his conscience and theirs it was suggested that the conversion of these proposed slaves to Christianity might counterbalance any iIl-effects arising from the traffic,
 Throughout the 18th century, at least during the French supremacy, there is repeated legal recognition of the slave in Canada, One edict made the negro movable property, and another in 1736, regulated the manner in which he should be emancipated. The demand for slaves in Canada was not as great as at first expected, although negroes, effects and merchandise" continued to be grouped together In documents down to the transfer of Canada to the Eng fish. The articles of equalization pro vided that negroes and Panis should remain in their condition of slaves.
 Until after the Revolution the slaves in the province of Quebec did not in- crease greatly Indeed, the census of 17S4 gave only BOA as the number, and some of these had come in with loyal ist refugees from New York. The num- Der in ontario may have been larger in proportion to the larger number of loy- alists in this province but on the whole there was a growing sentiment in Up per Canada against slavery. In 1793 Lieut-Gov. Cimcoe had said From the moment that I assume the govern ment of Upper Canada, under no modl- fcation will I assent to a law that dis eliminates by dishonest policy between the natives of Africa, America or Eu- rope" In the same year, during the second session of the first Parliament of Upper Canada, bill was passed Ito prevent the further introduction of slaves" and "to limit the term of con tracts for servitude in this province" While those then who then owned slaves were not disturbed in the possession of their property, the further importation of slaves was forbidden, and all child ren born to those negroes who were then slaves were to be free after reaching the age of 25.
 In the United States. New York and Rhode Island had already adopted simi- |
 
 with plan of gradual emanci- | patton. So gradual was the freeing of | the slaves in this part of Canada that | advertisements offering negroes for sale | were often to be met in the early part | of the present century, such as: "A negro man-elave, IS years of age who | has had the smallpox, and is capable | Df service either in the house or out loors." Many of the slaves surviving n- the present century had been ex- tremely devoted to their masters in colonies during the Revolution. and | heir strong arms had been of great lelp in hewing a way for the refugees vho went to Canada at the close of the var. In their wills the owners often made provision for these faithful serv- lnts, not always as llberally as Solicit ,r- General Gray whose will, made in | S03, discharged from slavery his faith ul black woman and servant Darinda." md gave her and her children not only heir freedom, but directed that G1,2O0 houd be invested for their benefit, and he interest set aside for their main enance.
 The French in Acadia probably had l' TioN NNHt D't ''dblitSH lltN were l bought and sold in Halifax soon after hat City was founded. A number of hem were employed in the building of he rocky city, as may be readily infer ed from an advertisement in the Bos- on Evening Post, 1751: Just arrived rom Halifax and to be sold, 10 strong l earty negro men, mostly tradesmen, such as caulkers, carpenters, sail-mak- rs and ropemakers." An amusing ad- ertisement in the Halifax Gazette eads: "To be sold at public auction. n Manday the Sd of November, at the | { ouse of MT. John Rider, two slaves, l iz., a boy and girl, about Il years ( Id; likewise a puncheon of choice herry brandy and sundry other art 'les." Advertisements offering rewards | )r runaway slaves were not uncommon. ut it is doubtful if these slaves were { cry often found The nearness of { [alifax to the sea offered too easy a l leans of escape. " Many negroes accompanied the loyal l it's to the Maritime provinces Most | these were escaped slaves from the ,uthern states, who during the Revolu- on had fled within the British lines | ir Henry Clinton and other British enerals had offered ther protection