The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

Nov. 18. In the Bishop of Chester's sermon against the slave trade, he proposes a plan for the gradual abolition of so inhuman a traffic, which disgraces the annals of this, as a Christian country, not only from its practice of it, but because it has surpassed all others in the extent of it, though diminished during the late war, mere necessity.

The plan proposed, in addition to those of the amiable Mr. Sharpe, and other contemporary and benevolent writers, is to attach them by lenity to the soil they are doomed to cultivate, and to allow them sufficient time to receive instruction from their Missionary, so as to give them a knowledge of the true religion. This would lead them to the habits of society; and they or their progeny, might then become labourers at a fair reward, and so live as the peasantry of any other country. But even this, and all plans that can be formed, are but confirmations of the injustice of their translations from their own country. It is endeavouring to wipe off a sin by a potion, which engraves it deeper in our blood.

The number of Slaves in our West India islands, before the late war, amounted to 410,000! And in the Danish settlements of St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John, the Moravian Missionaries have proselyted near 6000 Negroes. In Antigua, they have a congregation of several hundreds; and a gentleman, who saw them at public worship, has declared, that their deportment was remarkably serious, devout and edifying: and they so greatly surpass all the other slaves, in sobriety, diligence, quietness, fidelity and obedience, that The Planters are anxious to have their Negroes put under the direction of the Missionaries. In the French islands, their conversion by the Romish Priests is universal, and they are more honest and orderly than in the English.