the origin of the distinction of ranks-第47章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


d　made　the　greatest　improvement　in　agriculture；　America　was　discovered；　the　first　settlers　in　which；　from　their　distance；　and　from　the　little　attention　that　was　paid　to　them　by　the　government　of　their　mother　countries；　were　under　no　necessity　of　conforming　to　the　laws　and　custom　of　Europe。　The　acquisition　of　gold　and　silver　was　the　great　object　by　which　the　Spaniards　were　directed　in　their　settlements　upon　that　continent；　and　the　native　inhabitants；　whom　they　had　conquered；　were　reduced　into　slavery　and　put　to　work　in　the　mines。　But；　these　being　either　exhausted　by　the　severity　with　which　they　were　treated；　or　not　being　thought　sufficiently　robust　for　that　kind　of　labour；　negro…slaves　were　afterwards　purchased　for　this　purpose　from　the　Portuguese　settlements　on　the　coast　of　Africa。　When　sugar…plantations　were　erected；　the　same　people　were　employed　in　these；　and　in　most　other　kinds　of　work　which　came　to　be　performed　in　that　part　of　the　world。　Thus　the　practice　of　slavery　was　no　sooner　extinguished　by　the　inhabitants　in　one　quarter　of　the　globe；　than　it　was　revived　by　the　very　same　people　in　another；　where　it　has　remained　ever　since；　without　being　much　regarded　by　the　public；　or　exciting　any　effectual　regulations　in　order　to　suppress　it。（16*）　　　　　It　merits　particular　attention；　that　the　chief　circumstance　which　contributed　to　procure　freedom　to　the　slaves　in　Europe；　had　no　place　in　our　American　plantations。　From　the　manner　of　working　the　mines；　a　number　of　slaves　are　usually　collected　together；　and　may　therefore　be　placed　under　the　command　of　a　single　person；　who　has　it　in　his　power　to　superintend　their　behaviour；　and　to　punish　their　negligence。　The　same　observation　is　applicable　to　the　planting　of　sugar；　and　to　the　other　occupations　in　our　colonies；　in　which　the　negroes　perform　the　same　sort　of　work　which　in　Europe　is　commonly　performed　by　cattle；　and　in　which；　of　consequence；　many　servants　are　kept　upon　the　same　plantation。　As　the　slaves　are　continually　under　the　lash　of　their　master；　he　has　not　been　forced　to　use　the　disagreeable　expedient　of　rewarding　their　labour；　and　of　improving　their　condition　by　those　means　which　were　found　so　necessary；　and　which　were　employed　with　so　much　emolument；　to　encourage　the　industry　of　the　peasants　in　Europe。　Section　IV　Political　consequences　of　slavery　　　　　In　the　history　of　mankind；　there　is　no　revolution　of　greater　importance　to　the　happiness　of　society　than　this　which　we　have　now　had　occasion　to　contemplate。　The　laws　and　customs　of　the　modern　European　nations　have　carried　the　advantages　of　liberty　to　a　height　which　was　never　known　in　any　other　age　or　country。　In　the　ancient　states；　so　celebrated　upon　account　of　their　free　government；　the　bulk　of　their　mechanics　and　labouring　people　were　denied　the　common　privileges　of　men；　and　treated　upon　the　footing　of　inferior　animals。　In　proportion　to　the　opulence　and　refinement　of　those　nations；　the　number　of　their　slaves　was　increased；　and　the　grievances　to　which　they　were　subjected　became　the　more　intolerable。　　　　　The　citizens　of　Athens；　according　to　an　enumeration　of　Demetrius　Phalerius；　are　said　to　have　amounted　to　21；000；　the　strangers　residing　in　that　city　to　10；000；　and　the　slaves　possessed　by　the　whole　people；　to　no　less　than　400；000。　There　is　reason　to　believe；　however；　that；　in　this　enumeration　of　the　free　men；　none　but　the　heads　of　families　are　included；　and　in　that　of　the　slaves；　every　individual　is　comprehended；　for　an　account　of　the　former　would　probably　be　taken　with　a　view　to　the　taxes　imposed　upon　each　head　of　a　family；　and　the　latter；　it　is　most　likely；　would　be　numbered；　like　cattle；　in　order　to　ascertain　the　wealth　of　each　proprietor。　Thus；　allowing　five　persons　to　each　family；　the　Athenian　slaves　exceeded　the　free　men　in　the　proportion　of　between　two　and　three　to　one。（17*）　　　　　In　the　most　flourishing　periods　of　Rome；　when　luxury　was　carried　to　so　amazing　a　pitch；　the　proportion　of　the　inhabitants　reduced　into　servitude　was　in　all　probability　still　greater。　The　number　of　slaves　possessed　by　particular　Roman　citizens　was　prodigious。　T。　Minucius；　a　Roman　knight；　is　said　to　have　had　400。　Pliny　mentions　one　Caecilius；　who　bequeathed　in　his　testament　upwards　of　4000　slaves。　And　Athenaeus　takes　notice；　that　the　Roman　slaves；　belonging　to　individuals；　often　amounted　to　10；000；　or　even　to　20；000；　and　sometimes；　to　a　greater　number。　　　　　The　negro…slaves　in　the　West…Indies　are　commonly　said　to　exceed　the　free　people　nearly　as　three　to　one；　and　it　has　been　supposed　that　the　disproportion　between　them　is　daily　increasing。　　　　　It　may　in　general　be　observed；　that　according　as　men　have　made　greater　progress　in　commerce　and　the　arts；　the　establishment　of　domestic　freedom　is　of　greater　importance；　and　that；　in　opulent　and　polished　nations；　its　influence　extends　to　the　great　body　of　the　people；　who　form　the　principal　part　of　a　community；　and　whose　comfortable　situation　ought　never　to　be　overlooked　in　the　provisions　that　are　made　for　national　happiness　and　prosperity。　　　　　In　whatever　light　we　regard　the　institution　of　slavery；　it　appears　equally　inconvenient　and　pernicious。　No　conclusion　seems　more　certain　than　this；　that　men　will　commonly　exert　more　activity　when　they　work　for　their　own　benefit；　than　when　they　are　compelled　to　labour　for　the　benefit　merely　of　another。　The　introduction　of　personal　liberty　has　therefore　an　infallible　tendency　to　render　the　inhabitants　of　a　country　more　industrious；　and；　by　producing　greater　plenty　of　provisions；　must　necessarily　increase　the　populousness；　as　well　as　the　strength　and　security　of　a　nation。　　　　　Some　persons　have　imagined　that　slavery　is　conducive　to　population；　on　account　of　the　frugality　with　which　the　slaves　are　usually　maintained；　and　on　account　of　the　attention　which　is　given　by　the　master　to　their　multiplication。　　　　　With　regard　to　the　former　circumstance；　it　ought　to　be　considered；　that　the　work　of　a　labourer　depends　very　much　upon　the　subsistence　which　he　receives。　As　by　living　in　too　great　affluence　he　may　occasion　an　useless　consumption　of　provisions；　so　by　obtaining　too　little　he　is　rendered　less　fit　for　the　exercise　of　those　employments　by　which　mankind　are　supported。　To　promote　the　populousness　of　a　country；　the　mechanics　and　labouring　people　should　be　maintained　in　such　a　manner　as　will　yield　the　highest　profit　from　the　work　which　they　are　capable　of　performing；　and　it　is　probable　that　they　will　more　commonly　procure　the　enjoyments　of　life　according　to　this　due　medium；　when　they　provide　their　own　maintenance；　than　when　it　depends　upon　the　arbitrary　will　of　a　master；　who；　from　narrow　and　partial　views；　may　imagine　that　he　has　an　interest　to　diminish　the　expense　of　their　living　as　much　as　possible。　To　those　who　have　occasion　to　know　the　extreme　parsimony　with　which　the　negro…slaves　in　our　colonies　are　usually　maintained；　any　illustration　of　this　remark　will　appear　superfluous。　　　　　With　respect　to　the　care　of　the　master　to　encourage　the　multiplication　of　his　slaves；　it　must　be　obvious　that　this　is　of　little　moment；　unless　it　be　accompanied　with　an　increase　of　the　means　of　their　subsistence。　If　slavery　be　always　unfavourable　to　industry；　and　tend　to　hinder　the　improvement　of　a　country；　the　number　of　inhabitants　will　be　proportionably　limited；　in　spite　of　all　the　regulations　that　can　be　made；　and　of　all　the　encouragement　that　can　be　given　to　the　propagation　of　the　species。　It　is　impossible　even　to　multiply　cattle　beyond　a　certain　extent；　without　having　previously　enriched　the　pastures　upon　which　they　are　fed。　　　　　But　slavery　is　not　more　hurtful　to　the　industry　than　to　the　good　morals　of　a　people。　To　cast　a　man　out　from　the　privileges　of　society；　and　to　mark　his　condition　with　infamy；　is　to　deprive　him　of　the　most　powerful　incitements　to　virtue；　and；　very　often；　to　render　him　worthy　of　that　contempt　with　which　he　is　treated。　What　effects；　on　the　other　hand；　may　we　not　expect　that　this　debasement　of　the　servants　will　produce　on　the　temper　and　disposition　of　the　master？　In　how　many　different　ways　is　it　possible　to　abuse　that　absolute　power　with　which　he　is　invested？　And　what　vicious　habits　may　be　contracted　by　a　train　of　such　abuses；　unrestrained　by　the　laws；　and　palliated　by　the　influence　of　example？　It　wo