his incompetency subjects him.  It is, (to use common parlance), a curse, or an evil, to be physically, mentally, and morally disqualified to enjoy the rights, privileges and immunities of a free man; but if such be the condition of the individual, slavery to him is a blessing.  It is, at least the only condition or station in life, adapted to his peculiar circumstances, and the only one in which he would be likely to enjoy happiness.  I have shown in chapter eight, that African slavery originated in the inferiority of the African race, and that their inferiority originated in the transgression of God’s laws.

Hence, the evils of slavery have their origin in its abuses.  They have resulted from the cupidity, cruelty and inhumanity of masters, and the disobedience and perverseness of servants.  Under the circumstances that the African race became servants to the citizens of the United States, servitude to them would have been a blessing, and not a curse, if both masters and servants had obeyed the commands of God.  I have alluded to this elsewhere, to which I must refer the reader.

But in order to clearly comprehend the argument, we must contemplate the African in his native state, and survey the peculiar circumstances under which he became a slave.  A large portion of the negroes that were transported to the United States, and sold as slaves, were captives taken in war, and if they had not been transported to the United States, they would have been subjected to slavery in their native country.[1] Was it not better for those poor captives to have become the servants of intelligent and humane men, in the United States, than to have become the slaves of barbarians of their own race?  It certainly was, for I observed while a resident of the South, that negro overseers were the most cruel, barbarous wretches, that ever were clothed with a little brief authority.  Yes, they are the most barbarous relentless demons, that ever flourished a rod over a fellow being’s back.  Men in an ignorant, semi-savage state, when clothed with authority, (or otherwise when they have others in their power,) are universally cruel.  Where we find most ignorance, there will we, as a general rule, find least humanity, for I observed while in the South, that intelligent men were seldom cruel to their slaves.  Cruel masters in the South, are generally individuals of low birth, who, in early life, were white servants themselves; but by some lucky turn they got hold of a little money, and purchased a few negroes.  These mock lords are the most cruel masters, and the most pompous gentlemen in all the sunny South.  Such men are universally dreaded by the African race in the South.  I wish here to impress the reader’s mind with the fact, that a native semi-savage African, must necessarily be a cruel master.  We need but reflect on their ignorance, barbarism and brutality, to satisfy ourselves of the truth of the remark.  I have alluded to the fact in Chapter 8, that one portion of the African