Thoughts on the Necessity of Improving the Condition of the Slaves in the United States

By David Walker

I address myself to you, my brethren and fellow-citizens, and to all others who may happen to peruse my writings, with a heart filled with the deepest emotions and the most earnest solicitude. In my humble opinion, the subject of slavery is one of the most important that can possibly engage the attention of mankind. It is a subject which involves the happiness or misery of millions of our fellow-creatures, and the destiny of our country. It is a subject which ought to be approached with calmness and deliberation, and discussed with candor and impartiality. I am aware that the subject is a delicate one, and that it is one which is calculated to excite the strongest feelings and prejudices. But I am persuaded that it is a subject which ought to be discussed, and that it is one which ought to be discussed now.

Thoughts on the Necessity of Improving the Condition of the Slaves in the British Colonies With a View to Their Ultimate Emancipation; and on the Practicability, ... and the Advantages of the Latter Measure.

by Thomas Clarkson

4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	235 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	72 pages
Lending	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
X-Ray for textbooks	:	Enabled

FREE

I am aware that there are many who believe that slavery is a necessary evil, and that it is an evil which cannot be removed without producing greater evils. I am aware that there are many who believe that the slaves are a happy and contented people, and that they are better off in their present condition than they would be if they were free. I am aware that there are many who believe that the abolition of slavery would be a dangerous and impracticable experiment. But I am not of this number. I believe that slavery is a moral and political evil, and that it is an evil which ought to be abolished. I believe that the slaves are an oppressed and degraded people, and that their condition ought to be improved. I believe that the abolition of slavery would be a safe and practicable experiment, and that it would be productive of the most beneficial results to our country and to the world.

I do not propose to discuss the question of slavery in all its bearings. I shall confine myself to a few of its most important aspects. I shall endeavor to show that slavery is a moral evil, that it is a political evil, and that it is an evil which ought to be abolished.

Slavery is a moral evil.

Slavery is a moral evil because it is a violation of the natural rights of man. Every human being has a natural right to liberty, to property, and to the pursuit of happiness. These rights are inherent in our nature, and they cannot be alienated or surrendered without our consent. Slavery is a system of injustice and oppression which deprives human beings of their natural rights. It is a system which reduces human beings to the level of brutes, and which treats them as property. It is a system which is founded on the assumption that one human being has the right to own another human being, and to exercise absolute power over his life and property.

Slavery is a moral evil because it is a system of cruelty and degradation. The slaves are subjected to the most barbarous and inhuman treatment. They are beaten, whipped, and branded like cattle. They are forced to labor without compensation, and they are denied the most common rights of humanity. They are not allowed to marry, to own property, or to educate their children. They are not allowed to speak their minds, or to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences. They are treated as outcasts and pariahs, and they are denied the respect and sympathy of their fellow-creatures.

Slavery is a moral evil because it is a system of licentiousness and immorality. The slaves are not allowed to marry, and they are therefore forced to live in a state of concubinage. The slave owners have absolute power over the bodies of their slaves, and they often abuse this power in the most shameful and degrading manner. The slaves are not allowed to educate their children, and they are therefore doomed to grow up in ignorance and degradation. Slavery is a system which corrupts both the slave and the slave owner. It is a system which destroys the moral sense, and which leads to the most depraved and abominable practices.

Slavery is a political evil.

Slavery is a political evil because it is a source of weakness and insecurity to our country. The slaves are an oppressed and degraded people, and they are therefore a constant source of danger to the slave owners. The slaves are not allowed to bear arms, and they are therefore unable to defend themselves against the aggressions of their oppressors. The slaves are not allowed to vote, and they are therefore unable to participate in the government of their country. The slaves are not allowed to own property, and they are therefore unable to contribute to the wealth and prosperity of their country.

Slavery is a political evil because it is a barrier to the progress of our country. The slaves are not allowed to receive an education, and they are therefore unable to contribute to the intellectual and moral improvement of our country. The slaves are not allowed to own property, and they are therefore unable to contribute to the economic development of our country. The slaves are not allowed to participate in the government of their country, and they are therefore unable to contribute to the political development of our country.

Slavery is a political evil because it is a source of disunion and discord in our country. The slaves are not allowed to intermarry with the whites, and they are therefore a constant source of irritation and discontent. The slaves are not allowed to participate in the government of their country, and they are therefore a constant source of political agitation. The slaves are not allowed to own property, and they are therefore a constant source of economic inequality. Slavery is a system which divides our country into two hostile camps, and which prevents us from becoming a united and prosperous nation.

Slavery is an evil which ought to be abolished.

I believe that slavery is an evil which ought to be abolished. I believe that it is a moral evil, a political evil, and an evil which is inconsistent with the principles of our government and the spirit of our institutions. I believe that it is an evil which is a disgrace to our country, and which is a barrier to our progress. I believe that it is an evil which ought to be abolished, and that it ought to be abolished now.

I do not propose to discuss the question of how slavery ought to be abolished. I leave that question to the wisdom of our statesmen and legislators. But I do believe that it ought to be abolished, and that it ought to be abolished as soon as possible. I believe that it ought to be abolished by a gradual and peaceable process, and that it ought to be abolished with the consent of the slave owners. I believe that it ought to be abolished by a system of compensated emancipation, and that it ought to be abolished in such a way as to do the least possible injury to the interests of the slave owners.

Thoughts on the Necessity of Improving the Condition of the Slaves in the British Colonies With a View to Their Ultimate Emancipation; and on the Practicability, ... and the Advantages of the Latter Measure.

by Thomas Clarkson

4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	235 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	72 pages
Lending	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
X-Ray for textbooks	:	Enabled

FREE