Page:Copley 1844 A History of Slavery and its Abolition 2nd Ed.djvu/337

Rh with safety to themselves. By appealing to facts, he proves that emancipation would at that time he found practicable, safe, and advantageous to all the parties concerned. The facts to which he alludes, as having occurred within forty years, were the emancipation of a body of negro slaves, amounting to upwards of 2000, who had run away from their North American masters, and joined the British army during the American war. They were settled in Nova Scotia as British subjects and free men. On account of the prejudices of the white population, they were afterwards removed to Halifax, and distributed through the country. They acquired the arts of life, supported themselves by their industry, and were quiet and peaceable neighbours. In process of time they embraced Christianity, built places of worship, and had ministers from their own body. They afterwards emigrated to Sierra Leone. In 1814, when for a short time hostilities existed between England and America, some hundreds of negroes joined the British standard in the same manner; at the close of the campaign they were taken to Trinidad, to be employed as free labourers. The planters objected, assured that no negro would work, even for hire, and that if settled there as free men they would subsist by plunder. The governor. Sir Ralph Woodford, resisted these prejudices, and resolved on trying the experiment. The result was most satisfactory; these emancipated slaves laboured with industry, and maintained a peaceable demeanour and general good conduct, which entirely refuted the calumnies raised against their race. A third case comprehended several hundreds of negroes who had