Have thefe Erika confidered the confequences of grante ing their petition? If we ceafe our cruifes against the Chriftians, how fhall we be furnished with the commodities their countries produce, and which are fo neceflary for us? If we forbear to make flaves of their people, who, in this hot climate, are to cultivate our lands? Who are to perform the common labours of our city, and of our families? Muft we not then be our own flaves? And is there not more compaffion and more favour due to us Muffulem than to those christian dogs ?-We have now above fifty thoufand flaves in and near Algiers. This number, if not kept up by fresh fupplies, will foon diminish, and be gradually annihilated. If, then, we cease taking and plundering the infidel ships, and making slaves of the feamen and paffengers, our lands will become of no value, for want of cultivation; the rents of houses in the city will fink one half; and the revenues of government, arifing from the fhare of prizes, must be totally destroyed.-And for what? To gratify the whim of a whimfical fect, who would have us not only forbear making more flaves, but even manu mit those we have. But who is to indemnify their masters for the lofs? Will the ftate do it? Is our treasury fufficient ? Will the Erika do it? Can they do it? Or would they, to do what they think justice to the flaves; do a greater injuftice to the owners? And if we fet our flaves free what is to be done with them? Few of them will return to their native countries? they know too well the greater hardships they must therefore be fubject to. They will not embrace our holy religion: they will not adopt our manners: our people will not pollute themselves by intermarrying with them. Muft we maintain them as beggars in our streets? or fuffer our properties to be the prey of their pillage? for men accustomed to flavery, will not work for a livelihood, when not compelled.-And what is there fo pitiable in their prefent condition? Were they not flaves in their own countries? Are not Spain, Portugal, France, and the Italian ftates, governed by defpots, who hold all their subjects in flavery, without exception ? Even England treats her failors as flaves, for they are, whenever the government pleases, feized, and confined in fhips of war, condemned, not only to work, buɛ to fight for finall wages, or a mere fubfiftense, not better

than our flaves are allowed by us. Is their condition then made worse by their falling into our hands? No; they have only exchanged one slavery for another; and I may fay a better for here they are brought into a land where the sun of Islamism gives forth its light, and shines in full fplendor, and they have an opportunity of making themselves acquainted with the true doctrine, and thereby faving their immortal fouls. Those who remain at home, have not that happiness. Sending the flaves home, then would be fending them out of light into darkness.

"I repeat the question, what is to be done with them? I have heard it fugefted, that they may be planted in the wilderness, where there is plenty of land for them to fubsist on, and where they may flourish as a free state.—But they are, I doubt, too little difpofed to labour without compulfion, as well as too ignorant to eftablish good govern ment and the wild Arabs would foon molest and destroy, or again enslave them. While ferving us, we take care to provide them with every thing; and they are treated with humanity, The labourers in their own countries, are, as I am informed, worfe fed, lodged, and clothed. The condition of most of them is therefore already mended, and' requires no further improvement. Here their lives are in fafety. They are not liable to be impreffed for foldiers, and forced to cut one another's Chriftian throats as in the wars of their own countries. If fome of the religious mad bigots who now tease us with their filly petitions, have in a fit of blind zeal, freed their flaves, it was not generofity, it was not humanity that moved them to the action; it was from the confcious burthen of a load of fins, and hope, from the fuppofed merits of fo good a work, to be excufed from damnation-How grosfly are they mistaken, in imagining flavery to be difavowed by the Alcoran! Are not the two precepts, to quote no more, "Masters, treat your flaves with kindness-Slaves ferve your masters with cheerfulness and fidélity," clear proofs to the contrary? Nor can the plundering of infidels be in that facred book forbidden; fince it is well known from it, that God has given the world. and all that it contains, to his faithful Muffulmen, who are to enjoy it, of right, as faft as they can conquer it. Let us then hear no more of this detestable propofition, the

manumiffion of Chriftian flaves, the adoption of which would be depreciating our lands and houses, and thereby depriving so many good citizens of their properties, create univerfal difcontent, and provoke infurrections, to the endangering of government, and producing general confufion. I have, therefore, no doubt that this wife council will prefer the comfort and happiness of a whole nation of true believers, to the whim of a few Erika, and difmifs their petition."

The refult was, as Martin tells us, that the Divan came to this refolution: "That the doctrine, that the plundering

and enflaving the Chriftians is unjuft, is at beft proble"matical; but that it is the intereft of this ftate to continue "the practice is clear; therefore, let the petition be re"jected."And it was rejected accordingly.

And fince like motives are apt to produce, in the minds of men, like opinions and resolutions, may we not venture to predict, from this account, that the petitions to the parliament of England for abolishing the flave trade, to say nothing of other legiflatures and the debates upon them, will have a fimilar conclufion.

March 23, 1790.

HISTORICUS.

.......

OBSERVATIONS ON WAR.

By the original law of nations, war and extirpation

were the punishment of injury. Humanizing by degrees, it admitted flavery instead of death: a farther step was the exchange of prifoners inftead of flavery: another, to refpect more the property of private perfons under conqueft, and be content with acquired dominion. Why should not this law of nations go on improving? Ages have intervened between its feveral steps: but as knowledge of late increafes rapidly, why fhould not thofe fteps be quickened Why fhould it not be agreed to, as the future law of nations, that in any war hereafter the following defcription of men should be undisturbed, have the protection of both fides, and be permitted to follow their employments in fecurity ? viz.

1. Cultivators of the earth, because they labour for the fubfiftence of mankind.

2. Fishermen, for the fame reafon."

3. Merchants and traders in unarmed fhips, who accom modate different nations by communicating and exchanging the neceffaries and conveniences of life.

4 Artists and mechanics, inhabiting and working in

open towns.

It is hardly neceffary to add, that the hofpitals of enemies fhould be unmolested-they ought to be affifted. It is for the intereft of humanity in general, that the occafions of war, and the inducemeuts to it, fhould be diminished. If rapine be abolished, one of the encouragements to war is taken away; and peace therefore more likely to continue and be lafting.

But

The practice of robbing merchants on the high feas-a remnant of the ancient piracy--though it may be accidentally beneficial to particular perfons, is far from being profitable to all engaged in it, or to the nation that authorises it. In the beginning of a war fome rich fhips are furprised and taken. This encourages the firft adventurers to fit out more armed veffels; and many others to do the fame. the enemy at the fame time become more careful; arm their merchant ships better, and render them not so easy to be taken; they go alfo more under the protection of convoys. Thus, while the privateers to take them are multiplied, the veffels fubject to be taken, and the chances of profit, are diminished; fo that many cruifes are made, wherein the expences overgo the gains; and, as is the cafe in other lotteries, though particulars have got prizes, the mafs of adventurers are lofers, the whole expence of fitting out all the privateers during a war being much greater than the whole amount of goods taken.

Then there is the national lofs of all the labour of fo many men during the time they have been employed in robbing; who befides spend what they get in riot, drunkennefs, and debauchery; loofe their habits of industry; are rarely fit for any fober business after a peace, and serve only to increase the number of highwaymen and house breakers. Even the undertakers who have been fortunate, are, by fudden wealth, led into expenfive living, the habit

of which continues when the means of fupporting it ceafe, and finally ruins them : a just punishment for having wantonly and unfeelingly ruined many honeft, innocent traders and their families, whofe fubftance was employed in ferving the common intereft of mankind.

ON THE IMPRESS OF SEAMEN.

Notes copied from Dr. Franklin's writing in pencil in the margin of Judge Fofter's celebrated argument in favour of the IMPRESSING OF SEAMEN (publifhed in the folio edition of his works.)

JUD

UDGE Fofter, p. 158. "Every Man."-The conclufion here from the whole to a part, does not feem to be good logic. If the alphabet fhould fay, Let us all fight for the defence of the whole; that is equal, and may therefore be jult. But if they fhould fay, Let A, B, C, and D go out and fight for us, while we stay at home and fleep in whole skins that is not equal, and therefore cannot be just.

Ib. "Employ."."-If you pleafe. The word fignifies engaging a man to work for me, by offering him fuch wages as are fufficient to induce him to prefer my fervice. This is very different from compelling him to work on fuch terms as I think proper.

16. "This fervice and employment, &c.”—These are falfe facts. His employments and fervices are not the fame, Under the merchant he goes in an unarmed veffel, not obliged to fight, but to tranfport merchandize. In the king's fervice he is obliged to fight, and to hazard all the dangers of battle. Sickness on board of king's fhips is alfo more common and more mortal. The merchant's fervice too he can quit at the end of the voyage; not the king's. Alfo, the merchant's wages are much higher.

Ib. "I am very fenfible, &c."-Here are two things put in comparison that are not comparable; viz. injury to feamen, and inconvenience to trade. Inconvenience to the whole trade of a nation will not justify injuftice to a single