Slavery in Massachusetts, as elsewhere, in self-defence had to claim as one of its necessary and fundamental principles, that the slave was either naturally inferior to the other races, or that, by some fundamentally inherent law in the institution itself, the master was justified in placing the lowest possible estimate upon his slave property.  “Property” implied absolute control over the thing possessed.  It carried in its broad meaning the awful fact, not alone of ownership, but of the supremacy of the will of the owner.  Mr. Addison says,—­

“What color of excuse can there be for the contempt with which we treat this part of our species, that we should not put them upon the common foot of humanity, that we should only set an insignificant fine upon the man who murders them; nay, that we should, as much as in us lies, cut them off from the prospect of happiness in another world, as well as in this, and deny them that which we look upon as the proper means for obtaining it?"[313]

None whatever!  And yet the Puritans put the Negro slaves in their colony on a level with “horses and hogs.”  Let the intelligent American of to-day read the following remarkable note from Judge Sewall’s diary, and then confess that facts are stranger than fiction.

“1716.  I essayed June 22, to prevent Indians and Negroes being rated with Horses and Hogs; but could not prevail.  Col.  Thaxter bro’t it back, and gave as a reason of y’r Nonagreement, They were just going to make a new valuation."[314]

It had been sent to the deputies, and was by them rejected, and then returned to the judge by Col.  Thaxter.  The House was “just going to make a New Valuation” of the property in the colony, and hence did not care to exclude slaves from the list of chattels,[315] in which they had always been placed.

“In 1718, all Indian, Negro, and Mulatto servants for life were estimated as other Personal Estate—­viz.:  Each male servant for life above fourteen years of age, at fifteen pounds value; each female servant for life, above fourteen years of age, at ten pounds value.  The assessor might make abatement for cause of age or infirmity.  Indian, Negro, and Mulatto Male servants for a term of years were to be numbered and rated as other Polls, and not as Personal Estate.  In 1726, the assessors were required to estimate Indian, Negro, and Mulatto servants proportionably as other Personal Estate, according to their sound judgment and discretion.  In 1727, the rule of 1718 was restored, but during one year only, for in 1728 the law was the same as that of 1726; and so it probably remained, including all such servants, as well for term of years as for life, in the ratable estates.  We have seen the supply-bills for 1736, 1738, 1739, and 1740, in which this feature is the same.

     “And thus they continued to be rated with horses, oxen,
     cows, goats, sheep, and swine, until after the commencement
     of the War of the Revolution.[316]