Excerpt from The Enormity of the Slave-Trade, and the Duty of Seeking the Moral and Spiritual Elevation of the Colored Race: Speeches of Wilberforce, and Other Documents and Records
Of any retrenchment in the allowance Of his ne groes. Mr. Wilberforce entered into a calcula tion in order to prove that in many Of the islands, and particularly in Jamaica, there was an increase of population among the slaves actually begun; and be deduced from the whole that the births in that island at this moment exceeded the deaths by one thousand’ Or eleven hundred per annum. Allowing, however, the number Of negroes to decrease, there were other Obvious sources that would insure the welfare of the West Indian islands; the waste of labor which at present prevailed; the introduction Of the plough and other machinery; the division of work, which in free and civilized countries was the grand Source of wealth; and -the reduction Of the number of domestic servants, of whom not less than from twenty to forty were kept in ordinary families. But, granting that all these suppositions were unfounded, that every one of these succedanea should fail, the planters would still be secured, and out Of all question indemnify themselves, as was the case in every transaction Of commerce, by the increased price of their, produce in the English market. The West Indians therefore who contended a’gainst the abolition, were non suited in’every part Of the argument. Did they say that fresh importation was necessary? He16 slave-trade - colored race.
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