fies the
institution in question. Though warmly and zealously opposed to slavery,
yet he was not bent on sacrificing the good of society to abstractions
or to prejudice. Hence, he could say: "But as all men are born equal,
slavery must be accounted unnatural, THOUGH IN SOME COUNTRIES IT BE
FOUNDED ON NATURAL REASON; and a wide difference ought to be made
betwixt such countries, and those in which natural reason rejects it, as
in Europe, where it has been happily abolished."[192] Now, if we inquire
in what countries, or under what circumstances, he considered slavery
founded on natural reason, we may find his answer in a preceding portion
of the same page. It is in those "countries," says he, "where the excess
of heat enervates the body, and renders men so slothful and dispirited,
that nothing but the fear of chastisement can oblige them to perform any
laborious duty," etc. Such, as we have seen, is precisely the case with
the African race in its present condition.

"Natural slavery, then," he continues, "is to be limited to some
particular parts of the world."[193] And again: "Bad laws have made lazy
men--they have been reduced to slavery because of their laziness." The
first portion of this remark--that bad laws have made lazy men--is not
applicable to the African race. For they were made lazy, not by bad
laws, but by the depravity of human nature, in connection and
co-operation with long, long centuries of brutal ignorance and the most
savage modes of life. But, be the cause of this laziness what it may, it
is sufficient, according to the principles of this great advocate of
human freedom and equality, to justify the servitude in which the
providence of God has placed the African.

No doubt it is very hard on lazy men that they should be compelled to
work. It is for this reason that Montesquieu calls such slavery "the
most cruel that is to be found among men;" by which he evidently means
that it is the most cruel, though necessary, because those on whom it is
imposed are least inclined to work. If he had only had greater
experience of negro slavery, the hardship would have seemed far less to
him. For though the negro is naturally lazy, and too improvident to work
for himself, he will often labor for a master with a right good will,
and with a loyal devotion to his interests. He is, indeed, often
prepared, and made ready for labor, because he feels that, in his
master, he has a protector and a friend.

But whether l