sensibly touched with a fellow-feeling for the miseries of
the poor negroes. Whether it be lawful for Christians to buy
slaves, and thereby encourage the nations, from whom they are
bought, to be at perpetual war with each other, I shall not take
upon me to determine. Sure I am, it is sinful, when they have
bought them to use them as bad as though they were brutes, nay,
worse; and whatever particular exceptions there may be, (as I
would charitably hope there are some,) I fear the generality of
you who own negroes are liable to such a charge; for your
slaves, I believe, work as hard, if not harder, than the horses
whereon you ride. These, after they have done their work, are
fed and taken proper care of; but many negroes when wearied with
labour, in your plantations, have been obliged to grind their
corn after their return home: your dogs are caressed and fondled
at your table, but your slaves, who are frequently styled dogs
or beasts, have not an equal privilege; they are scarce
permitted to pick up the crumbs which fall from their master's
table: not to mention what numbers have been given up to the
inhuman usage of cruel taskmasters, who, by their unrelenting
scourges have ploughed their backs and made long furrows, and at
length brought them even unto death. When, passing along, I have
viewed your plantations cleared and cultivated, many spacious
houses built and the owners of them faring sumptuously every
day, my blood has frequently almost run cold within me, to
consider how many of your slaves had neither convenient food to
eat, nor proper raiment to put on, notwithstanding most of the
comforts you enjoy were solely owing to their indefatigable
labours.

The letter, from which this is an extract, produced a desirable effect
upon many of those who perused it, but particularly upon such as began
to be seriously disposed in these times. And as George Whitfield
continued a firm friend to the poor Africans, never losing an
opportunity of serving them, he interested, in the course of his useful
life, many thousands of his followers in their favour.

To this account it may be added, that from the year 1762 ministers, who
were in the connection of John Wesley, began to be settled in America,
and that as these were friends to the oppressed Africans also, so they
contributed in their turn[A] to promote a softness