21. Second method, cultivation by slaves
In times not very distant from the origin of society, it was
almost impossible to find men willing to work on the lands of
another, because all the land not being as yet occupied, those
who were willing to labour, preferred the clearing of new lands,
and the cultivating them on their own account; this is pretty
much the case in all new colonies.
In this situation violent men then conceived the expedient of
obliging other men by force to labour for them. They employed
slaves. These latter have had no justice to look for, from the
hands of people, who have not been able to reduce them to slavery
without violating all the laws of humanity. Meantime, the
physical law of nature secures to them their part of the
productions which they have raised; for the master must necessity
nourish them, in order to profit by their labour. But this
species of recompence is confined to mere necessaries for their
subsistence.
This abominable custom of slavery has formerly been
universal, and has spread over the greatest part of the globe.
The principal object of the wars carried on by the ancients was,
to carry off slaves, whom the conquerors either compelled to work
for them, or sold to others. This species of thieving, and this
trade, still continues, attended with all its cruel
circumstances, on the coast of Guinea, where the Europeans
encourage it by going thither to purchase negroes for the
cultivation of their American colonies.
The excessive labour to which avaricious masters force their
slaves, causes many of them to perish; and it becomes necessary,
to keep up the number requisite for cultivation, that this trade
should supply annually a very large number. And as war is the
principal source which supplies this commerce, it is evident that
it can subsist no longer than the people continue divided into
very small nations, who are incessantly plundering each other,
and every district is at continued war with its neighbours. Let
England, France, and Spain carry on the most cruel hostilities,
the frontiers alone of each state will be the only parts invaded,
and that in a few places only. All the rest of the country will
be quiet, an d the small number of prisoners they could make on
either side, would be but a weak resource for the cultivation of
each of the three nations.
