Page:Notes on the History of Slavery - Moore - 1866.djvu/19

 In a letter to his brother-in-law, "probably written during the ummer of 1645," is a mot luminous illutration of the views of that day and generation on the subject of human lavery. He ays:

"A warr with the Narraganett is verie coniderable to this plantation, ffor I doubt whither yt be not ynne in vs, hauing power in our hands, to uffer them to maynteyne the worhip of the devill, which their paw wawes often doe; 2lie, if upon a Jut warre the Lord hould deliver them into our hands, we might eaily haue men, woemen and children enoughto exchange for Moores, which wilbe more gayneful pilladge for vs than wee conceive, for I doe not ee how wee can thrive vntill wee gett into a tock of slaves ufficient to doe all our buiines, for our children's children will hardly ee this great Continent filled with people, oe that our ervants will till deire freedom to plant for them elues, and not tay but for verie great wages. And I uppofe you know verie well how wee hall maynteyne 20 Moores cheaper than one Englihe ervant.

"The hips that hall bring Moores may come home laden with alt which may beare most of the chardge, if not all of yt. But I marvayle Conecticott hould any wayes haard a warre without your advie, which they cannot mayntayne without your helpe." M. H. S. Coll.,, vi., 65.

come now to the era of poitive legiflation on the ubject of human bondage in America, Mr.