7.  That the planters who have fairly made the “experiment,” now greatly prefer the new system to the old.

8.  That the emancipated people are perceptibly rising in the scale of civilization, morals, and religion.

From these established facts, reason cannot fail to make its inferences in favor of the two and a half millions of slaves in our republic.  We present the work to our countrymen who yet hold slaves, with the utmost confidence that its perusal will not leave in their minds a doubt, either of the duty or perfect safety of immediate emancipation, however it may fail to persuade their hearts—­which God grant it may not!

By order of the Executive Committee of the American Anti-Slavery Society.

New York, April 28th, 1838.

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EXPLANATION OF TERMS USED IN THE NARRATIVE.

1.  The words ‘Clergy’ and ‘Missionary’ are used to distinguish between the ministers of the English or Scotch church, and those of all other denominations.

2.  The terms ‘church’ and ‘chapel’ denote a corresponding distinction in the places of worship, though the English Church have what are technically called ‘chapels of ease!’

3.  ‘Manager’ and ‘overseer’ are terms designating in different islands the same station.  In Antigua and Barbadoes, manager is the word in general use, in Jamaica it is overseer—­both meaning the practical conductor or immediate superintendent of an estate.  In our own country, a peculiar odium is attached to the latter term.  In the West Indies, the station of manager or overseer is an honorable one; proprietors of estates, and even men of rank, do not hesitate to occupy it.

4.  The terms ‘colored’ and ‘black’ or ‘negro’ indicate a distinction long kept up in the West Indies between the mixed blood and the pure negro.  The former as a body were few previous to the abolition act; and for this reason chiefly we presume the term of distinction was originally applied to them.  To have used these terms interchangeably in accordance with the usage in the United States, would have occasioned endless confusion in the narrative.

5.  ‘Praedial’ and ‘non-praedial’ are terms used in the apprenticeship colonies to mark the difference between the agricultural class and the domestic; the former are called praedials, the latter non-praedials.

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POPULATION OF THE BRITISH (FORMERLY SLAVE) COLONIES.

(Compiled from recent authentic documents.)

British Colonies.  White.  Slave.  F. Col’d.  Total. 
Anguilla 365 2,388 357 3,110
Antigua[A] 1,980 29,839 3,895 35,714
Bahamas 4,240 9,268 2,991 16,499
Barbadoes 15,000 82,000 5,100 102,100
Berbicel 550 21,300 1,150