heats of which are intolerable to the whites. Consequently, we conceive it to be one of the two great purposes of Providence, in permitting the removal of a portion of the African race to the New World, — to people the torrid zone of that continent and the neighboring islands, with a race capable of cultivating and enjoying it. For it is the will of the good Creator that all parts of the beautiful world He has made, should be filled with happy inhabitants. Now, it is plain that that removal had to be effected, in a manner, by force; for from their ignorance of the maritime art, as well as from other causes, it is manifest that the Africans would never have migrated of themselves. Hence, the ‘ temporary permission of the slave-trade, in which, though so distressing in itself, we can yet see the hand of a wise Providence, turning even man’s selfishness and hard-heartedness to final good, —
"Thus, out of evil still educing good,
And better thence again, and better still,
In infinite progression."[1]
Through this instrumentality, moreover, — distressing
- ↑ "It will be observed that, according to the testimony of Park, a large portion of those taken from Africa had been already slaves from their birth. In the vessel, for instance, in which Park himself sailed, on his return from his first journey-out of one hundred and thirty Slaves on board. only about twenty-five had been of free condition: the remaining hundred and five, or more than four — fifths of the whole number, had previously been slaves in Africa. Thus, as far as concerns these, at least, it was little more than a removal from slavery in one country to slavery in another. In this view, the dealings of Providence in regard to them, in permitting their exile, will appear less hard; and when at the same time we take into consideration the. important uses which that removal was to effect, that permission will appear plainly intended for wise and merciful ends.
