第24章

Neitherisittruethatafreemancansellhimself。Saleimpliesaprice；nowwhenapersonsellshimself，hiswholesubstanceimmediatelydevolvestohismaster；themaster，therefore，inthatcase，givesnothing，andtheslavereceivesnothing。Youwillsayhehasapeculium。

Butthispeculiumgoesalongwithhisperson。Ifitisnotlawfulforamantokillhimselfbecauseherobshiscountryofhisperson，forthesamereasonheisnotallowedtobarterhisfreedom。Thefreedomofeverycitizenconstitutesapartofthepublicliberty，andinademocraticstateisevenapartofthesovereignty。Tosellone’sfreedom[3]issorepugnanttoallreasonascanscarcelybesupposedinanyman。Iflibertymayberatedwithrespecttothebuyer，itisbeyondallpricetotheseller。Thecivillaw，whichauthorisesadivisionofgoodsamongmen，cannotbethoughttorankamongsuchgoodsapartofthemenwhoweretomakethisdivision。Thesamelawannulsalliniquitouscontracts；surelythenitaffordsredressinacontractwherethegrievanceismostenormous。

Thethirdwayisbirth，whichfallswiththetwoformer；forifamancouldnotsellhimself，muchlesscouldhesellanunborninfant。Ifaprisonerofwarisnottobereducedtoslavery，muchlessarehischildren。

Thelawfulnessofputtingamalefactortodeatharisesfromthiscircumstance：thelawbywhichheispunishedwasmadeforhissecurity。

Amurderer，forinstance，hasenjoyedthebenefitoftheverylawwhichcondemnshim；ithasbeenacontinualprotectiontohim；hecannot，therefore，objecttoit。Butitisnotsowiththeslave。Thelawofslaverycanneverbebeneficialtohim；itisinallcasesagainsthim，withouteverbeingforhisadvantage；andthereforethislawiscontrarytothefundamentalprincipleofallsocieties。

Ifitbepretendedthatithasbeenbeneficialtohim，ashismasterhasprovidedforhissubsistence，slavery，atthisrate，shouldbelimitedtothosewhoareincapableofearningtheirlivelihood。Butwhowilltakeupwithsuchslaves？Astoinfants，nature，whohassuppliedtheirmotherswithmilk，hadprovidedfortheirsustenance；andtheremainderoftheirchildhoodapproachessoneartheageinwhichtheyaremostcapableofbeingofservicethathewhosupportsthemcannotbesaidtogivethemanequivalentwhichcanentitlehimtobetheirmaster。

Norisslaverylessopposedtothecivillawthantothatofnature。

Whatcivillawcanrestrainaslavefromrunningaway，sinceheisnotamemberofsociety，andconsequentlyhasnointerestinanycivilinstitutions？Hecanberetainedonlybyafamilylaw，thatis，bythemaster’sauthority。

3。AnotherOriginoftheRightofSlavery。Iwouldassoonsaythattherightofslaveryproceedsfromthecontemptofonenationforanother，foundedonadifferenceincustoms。

LopezdeGama[4]relatesthattheSpaniardsfoundnearSt。Marthaseveralbasketsfulofcrabs，snails，grasshoppers，andlocusts，whichprovedtobetheordinaryprovisionofthenatives。Thistheconquerorsturnedtoaheavychargeagainsttheconquered。Theauthorownsthatthis，withtheirsmokingandtrimmingtheirbeardsinadifferentmanner，gaverisetothelawbywhichtheAmericansbecameslavestotheSpaniards。

Knowledgehumanisesmankind，andreasoninclinestomildness；butprejudiceseradicateeverytenderdisposition。

4。AnotherOriginoftheRightofSlavery。Iwouldassoonsaythatreligiongivesitsprofessorsarighttoenslavethosewhodissentfromit，inordertorenderitspropagationmoreeasy。

ThiswasthenotionthatencouragedtheravagersofAmericaintheiriniquity。[5]Undertheinfluenceofthisideatheyfoundedtheirrightofenslavingsomanynations；fortheserobbers，whowouldabsolutelybebothrobbersandChristians，weresuperlativelydevout。

LouisXII[6]wasextremelyuneasyatalawbywhichallthenegroesofhiscoloniesweretobemadeslaves；butitbeingstronglyurgedtohimasthereadiestmeansfortheirconversion，heacquiescedwithoutfurtherscruple。

5。OftheSlaveryoftheNegroes。WereItovindicateourrighttomakeslavesofthenegroes，theseshouldbemyarguments：

TheEuropeans，havingextirpatedtheAmericans，wereobligedtomakeslavesoftheAfricans，forclearingsuchvasttractsofland。

Sugarwouldbetoodeariftheplantswhichproduceitwerecultivatedbyanyotherthanslaves。

Thesecreaturesarealloverblack，andwithsuchaflatnosethattheycanscarcelybepitied。

ItishardlytobebelievedthatGod，whoisawiseBeing，shouldplaceasoul，especiallyagoodsoul，insuchablackuglybody。

Itissonaturaltolookuponcolourasthecriterionofhumannature，thattheAsiatics，amongwhomeunuchsareemployed，alwaysdeprivetheblacksoftheirresemblancetousbyamoreopprobriousdistinction。

Thecolouroftheskinmaybedeterminedbythatofthehair，which，amongtheEgyptians，thebestphilosophersintheworld，wasofsuchimportancethattheyputtodeathallthered—hairedmenwhofellintotheirhands。

Thenegroespreferaglassnecklacetothatgoldwhichpolitenationssohighlyvalue。Cantherebeagreaterproofoftheirwantingcommonsense？

Itisimpossibleforustosupposethesecreaturestobemen，because，allowingthemtobemen，asuspicionwouldfollowthatweourselvesarenotChristians。

WeakmindsexaggeratetoomuchthewrongdonetotheAfricans。Forwerethecaseastheystateit，wouldtheEuropeanpowers，whomakesomanyneedlessconventionsamongthemselves，havefailedtoenterintoageneralone，inbehalfofhumanityandcompassion？

6。ThetrueOriginoftheRightofSlavery。Itistimetoinquireintothetrueoriginoftherightofslavery。Itoughttobefoundedonthenatureofthings；letusseeiftherebeanycaseswhereitcanbederivedthence。

Inalldespoticgovernmentspeoplemakenodifficultyinsellingthemselves；thepoliticalslaveryinsomemeasureannihilatesthecivilliberty。

AccordingtoMr。Perry，[7]theMuscovitessellthemselvesveryreadily：

theirreasonforitisevident；theirlibertyisnotworthkeeping。

AtAchimeveryoneisforsellinghimself。Someofthechieflords[8]

havenotlessthanathousandslaves，allprincipalmerchants，whohaveagreatnumberofslavesthemselves，andthesealsoarenotwithouttheirslaves。Theirmastersaretheirheirs，andputthemintotrade。Inthosestates，thefreemenbeingoverpoweredbythegovernment，havenobetterresourcethanthatofmakingthemselvesslavestothetyrantsinoffice。

Thisisthetrueandrationaloriginofthatmildlawofslaverywhichobtainsinsomecountries：andmilditoughttobe，asfoundedonthefreechoiceamanmakesofamaster，forhisownbenefit；whichformsamutualconventionbetweenthetwoparties。

7。AnotherOriginoftheRightofSlavery。Thereisanotheroriginoftherightofslavery，andevenofthemostcruelslaverywhichistobeseenamongmen。

Therearecountrieswheretheexcessofheatenervatesthebody，andrendersmensoslothfulanddispiritedthatnothingbutthefearofchastisementcanobligethemtoperformanylaboriousduty：slaveryistheremorereconcilabletoreason；andthemasterbeingaslazywithrespecttohissovereignashisslaveiswithregardtohim，thisaddsapoliticaltoacivilslavery。

Aristotle[9]endeavourstoprovethattherearenaturalslaves；butwhathesaysisfarfromprovingit。Iftherebeanysuch，IbelievetheyarethoseofwhomIhavebeenspeaking。

Butasallmenarebornequal，slaverymustbeaccountedunnatural，thoughinsomecountriesitbefoundedonnaturalreason；andawidedifferenceoughttobemadebetweensuchcountries，andthoseinwhichevennaturalreasonrejectsit，asinEurope，whereithasbeensohappilyabolished。

Plutarch，intheLifeofNuma，saysthatinSaturn’stimetherewasneitherslavenormaster。Christianityhasrestoredthatageinourclimates。

8。InutilityofSlaveryamongus。Naturalslavery，then，istobelimitedtosomeparticularpartsoftheworld。Inallothercountries，eventhemostserviledrudgeriesmaybeperformedbyfreemen。Experienceverifiesmyassertion。BeforeChristianityhadabolishedcivilslaveryinEurope，workinginthemineswasjudgedtootoilsomeforanybutslavesormalefactors：atpresenttherearemenemployedinthemwhoareknowntolivecomfortably。[10]Themagistrateshave，bysomesmallprivileges，encouragedthisprofession：toanincreaseoflabourtheyhavejoinedanincreaseofgain；andhavegonesofarastomakethosepeoplebetterpleasedwiththe