The Virginia Gazette

To Mess. PURDIE & DIXON.

GENTLEMEN,

I have often thought that we should have been more strenuous in our Opposition to ministerial Tyranny, spoken out with more Boldness against it, and manifested a more genuine Abhorrence of Slavery, had we not been too familiar with it, or had we not been conscious that we ourselves were absolute Tyrants, and held Numbers of poor Souls in the most abject and endless State of Slavery. They whose Souls were engrossed with Avarice, and familiarized with eternal Bondage, Slaves to their blind Passions, Tyrants over those who are incessantly toiling to gratify them, could have no true Idea of Liberty. Provided they enjoyed their ill gotten Wealth they spared not their Fellow Creatures, cared not for their Fellow Citizens, spent not a Thought on Posterity; nor would they oppose any Power, however unjust and arbitrary, that did not immediately thwart them in their selfish sordid Pursuits. And even the most disinterested, and truly patriotick, if they were possessed of tolerable Degree of Generosity and Sensibility, must have experienced a sad Check to their Effusions of Patriotism. This, it is probable, the Ministry are sensible of, and will therefore endeavour to increase amongst us the Number of those unhappy People, and will never consent to an additional Duty to be laid on the Importation of them. The Duties which our legislature had laid, actuated by Principles of true Humanity, and agreeable to sound Policy, would have amounted to a Prohibition; but they are repealed. What then can our Associators do better than to make that Article which prohibits the Importation of Slaves perpetual, and most strictly obligatory? Let us endeavour to discourage a Practice which must for ever prevent our Country from flourishing as the northern Colonies have done, a Practice which is a never-failing Source of Ignorance and Vice, of Indolence and Cruelty, amongst us; in short, a Practice which Prudence should guard against and Humanity forbids, and which, above all, is directly contrary to the fundamental Principles of our holy Religion. Let us endeavour to make the Lives of those we are unfortunate enough to have already among us as comfortable as we can. Let us treat them as unfortunate Men; but let us never heighten their Misfortune by Cruelty, nor aggravate it by Insult. Let us not even mention the Name of Slavery before them. And let us never shock them with the dreadful Sight of free born Men dragged from their native Country, and forced to work among them. Let us beware how we remind them that this was once their Case. If we will resolve to import no more, and determine to treat those we have humanely, so that they cannot perceive the Yoke of Slavery, nor accuse us of Tyranny, then, and then only, may we, with Confidence, step forth and boldly assert our own Liberty and Independence.

I am, your humble Servant,

ASSOCIATOR HUMANUS.