The Proponents of Slavery, and the Crazy Things They Said

Now to get to what I REALLY wanted to talk about.

Oh, Rev. Robert Nicholls (Observations, etc. pg 296).
He cites the number of slaves lost to be 15,000-20,000, and, as I have no knowledge of slavery in England, I am inclined to take his word for it.  He then goes on to say how much they were worth, and that their owners had to have lost at least 1,000,000 to 1,200,000 sterling. But the next part is the real kicker: "A large sum to be sacrificed, to the mere names of liberty and humanity." MERELY liberty and humanity? Really? Someone said this. These words. And that's insane.  There is no amount of money that is more valuable than liberty and humanity. Those are the things that are supposed to be better than all of the other things! Crazy old (conveniently always free) Nicholls.

The next guy, though, he's got some good arguments.  I am referring to the anonymous writer that brought us Thoughts on the Slavery of Negroes, as it Affects the British Colonies in the West Indies... on page 297.  Did you know living in a warm place makes you a bad and lazy person? "Great heat enervates the strength and courage of men, while in cold climates they have a certain vigour of body and mind, which renders them capable of long, painful, great, and intrepid actions." I admit I can see the tiny seed of logic from which this crazy tree grew, but it's still nonsense.  There are so many questions I would've loved to pose to this individual. For example: What if two slaves were brought to England and then had a child? Wouldn't that child, never knowing the hot weather, have that "vigour of body" and be worthy of freedom? And what of the reverse: white children born in the hot?

Before this assignment, I don't recall ever reading anything from a proponent of slavery.  I must say it was absolutely fascinating, but completely insane.

Which Nobody Can Deny: A Reflection on Cowper

I thought William Cowper's "Sweet Meat has Sour Sauce, or, The Slave-Trader in the Dumps" (pg 294) was really awesome. His approach, listing things as if they are macabre gifts, was way more in your face (at least in my opinion) than it would've been if he had just said, "These things are bad; see how bad?" Where he really got my attention was the third stanza:
"'Tis a curious assortment of dainty regales,
To tickle the negroes with when the ship sails,
Fine chains for the neck, and a cat with nine tails,
Which nobodym &c."
 
Definitely sent the tingly chills across the back of my neck.
 
I have more to say about this reading, but, alas, it is time to get ready for school.