welfare of their charge. In such a case it can scarcely be expected that
justice will be equally dispensed, or punishments properly inflicted. The
negroes, however, ly entirely at the mercy of such men, and such monsters
they sometimes are, as can inflict misery in sport, and hear the groans
extorted from nature with laughter and triumph. All slaves under their
care must yield absolute obedience to their orders, however unreasonable
and difficult, or suffer punishment for their disobedience. It would
rouze the anguish and indignation of a humane person to stand by while a
puny overseer chastises those slaves, and behold with what piercing
stripes he furrows the back of an able negro, whose greatness of soul
will not suffer him to complain, and whose strength could crush his
tormentor to atoms. The unmerciful whip with which they are chastised is
made of cow-skin, hardened, twisted, and tapering, which brings the blood
with every blow, and leaves a scar on their naked back which they carry
with them to their grave. At the arbitrary will of such managers, many of
them with hearts of adamant, this unfortunate race are brought to the
post of correction, often no doubt through malice and wantonness, often
for the most trifling offences, and sometimes, O horrid! when entirely
innocent. Can it be deemed wonderful, that such unhappy creatures should
now and then be tempted to assert the rights of nature? Must not such
harsh usage often fire them with desires of liberty and vengeance? What
can be expected but that they should sometimes give those oppressors
grounds of fear, who have subjected them to such intolerable hardships.

But from those labourers in the field the colonials have perhaps less
danger to dread, than from the number of tradesmen and mechanics in
towns, and domestic slaves. Many negroes discover great capacities, and
an amazing aptness for learning trades, where dangerous tools are used;
and many owners, from motives of profit and advantage, breed them to be
coopers, carpenters, bricklayers, smiths, and other trades. Out of mere