Baquaqua : Afro-Diasporic Text Corpus

Africanus Mar. 6, 1790

MR. FENNO,

RUSTICUS in his third letter tells us, that he “was compelled to travel over large philosophical and historical grounds, to find the place of the wool hairy negro in the order of nature,” and concludes, that as the ox is born to till his ground, so is the negro born to be the slave of other nations. “Most lame and impotent conclusion” ─ even could our philosopher prove that the sheep hairy African is an inferior animal to the long haired European (which I hope I have shewn to be a false as well an ungenerous idea) still how absurd is the notion, that nature should form an animal, endue him with reasoning powers, and place him in a clime congenial to his frame ; only that he should be torn away from that climate to serve another animal differing from him only in the colour of his skin and length of his hair. Our philosopher tells us, that amongst animated beings, the weakest is ruled by the strongest. This we are to suppose is a law of nature─ a law for man ─ that whoever is stronger than his neighbor, may seize him, and fell or force him to till his ground, or whoever is wiser than another, may over reach and despoil him of property─ What becomes of the generous principle which teaches the strong to protect the weak? No, this is not the nature of man─ the savage does not so─ ‘tis the civilized European that takes advantage of the superiority, civilization gives him over the untutored African, and robs him of his liberty to indulge himself in luxury─ ‘Tis the civilized European that corrupts the African, and prompts him like the white to betray his brother─ and such philosophers as Rusticus, would persuade the European that he is right. ─Neither is the sheep hairy African inferior in strength of body or mind to the European,. Civilization is all that gives the boasted superiority, and according to out philosopher’s principle, the most powerful nation has a natural right to seize on the property and persons of the weaker. So not only the sheep on the property and persons of the weaker. So not only the sheep hairy negro is born for slavery, but the horse hairy native of America or in short, people of black, brown or read hair, if another people have force or cunning to subdue them. Most admirable philosophy ! After all his pains and trouble to convince the world that from our inferior nature, we black, sheep hairy negroes are marked out for slaves. ─ Rusticus concludes that it is impolitic to keep us so. ─ Then why endeavor to lower us in the eyes of our white brethren? Are we not already sufficiently despised? When my daily work is done, and I put on my Sundays cloathes to fit myself for the converse of those unphilosophic men who patronize me ; as I pass through the street how often do I hear─ Kye! Massa Mungo! You tinka you buckra ; while another curses the damn’d proud negro! These are the sentiments which the pen of a philosopher is labouring to encourage. ─If pride must be the consequence of human wisdom, may I still remain in simplicity of heart, a plain, unphilosophic, black, sheep hairy, free citizen of America.

Africanus (March 06, 1790) Letter in the Gazette of the United States. No. XCIV, p. 376

Original printing at:
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030483/1790-03-06/ed-1/seq-4/
Genre: Epistolary
Language : English