bsolute control over the thing
possessed. It carried in its broad meaning the awful fact, not alone
of ownership, but of the supremacy of the will of the owner. Mr.
Addison says,--

"What color of excuse can there be for the contempt with
which we treat this part of our species, that we should not
put them upon the common foot of humanity, that we should
only _set an insignificant fine upon the man who murders
them_; nay, that we should, as much as in us lies, cut them
off from the prospect of happiness in another world, as well
as in this, and deny them that which we look upon as the
proper means for obtaining it?"[313]

None whatever! And yet the Puritans put the Negro slaves in their
colony on a level with "horses and hogs." Let the intelligent American
of to-day read the following remarkable note from Judge Sewall's
diary, and then confess that facts are stranger than fiction.

"1716. I essayed June 22, to prevent Indians and Negroes
being rated with Horses and Hogs; but could not prevail.
Col. Thaxter bro't it back, and gave as a reason of y'r
Nonagreement, They were just going to make a new
valuation."[314]

It had been sent to the deputies, and was by them rejected, and then
returned to the judge by Col. Thaxter. The House was "just going to
make a New Valuation" of the property in the colony, and hence did
not care to exclude slaves from the list of chattels,[315] in which
they had always been placed.

"In 1718, all Indian, Negro, and Mulatto servants for life
were estimated as other Personal Estate--viz.: Each male
servant _for life_ above fourteen years of age, at fifteen
pounds value; each female servant for life, above fourteen
years of age, at ten pounds value. The assessor might make
abatement for cause of age or infirmity. Indian, Negro, and
Mulatto Male servants _for a term of years_ were to be
numbered and rated as other Polls, and not as Personal
Estate. In 1726, the assessors were required to estimate
Indian, Negro, and Mulatto servants proportionably as other
Personal Estate, according to their sound judgment and
discretion. In 1727, the rule of 1718 was restored, but
during one year only, for in 1728 the law was the same as
that of 1726; and so it probably remained, including all
such servants, as well for term of years as for life, in the
ratable