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“ Make it cheaper for the planters to rear slaves than tobuy slaves, and the trade will in a few years cease of itself: mightnot this be brought about by imposing a duty on all importedslaves, and assigning that duty, with some additional premium, tothose who reared them. I enter into no detail, well knowing thatif you like the suggestion you will readily reduce it to practice.

“ But another thing should be attended to, if the plantationsare ever to be cultivated by negroes born in the colonies ,—Theemancipation of the negroes thus born , at a certain age: this wouldbe a proceeding consonant to justice, and to the manner in whichthe children of paupers are treated by ourselves : they are boundapprentices for such a period as may enable their master to re-imburse himself, by the labour of their riper years, the expenseincurred in supporting them during their infancy.

“ The perpetuity of slavery in a man’s posterity has alwaysappeared to me a greater evil than the sufferance of it in hisown person. If the children of slaves were to become free atthirty years of age, the planters would have a sufficient compen-sation for rearing them, and the present slave-parents wouldhave a motive for taking care of their progeny. This progenybecoming free at a certain time, would generate free childrenafter that time, and thus the colonies would be supplied witha race of free and therefore, in general, of good and happylabourers.

“ It is falsely, I think, asserted, that an importation of slavesinto the West Indies is necessary to keep up the stock. If theslaves were properly treated, the births would exceed the deathsamong them. I know a gentleman who has above three hundredslaves on his plantation: he never bought a slave, and yet