Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/23

HISTORY OF SLAVERY.

 

 

CHAPTER I.

Preliminary Sketch. — Ancient Slavery.

Early existence of Slavery in the world. — The Mosaic institutions in regard to Slavery. — Hebrews, how reduced to servitude. — The Jubilee. — Distinction between native and foreign Slaves. — Voluntary Slaves: the Mercenarii of the Romans; the Prodigals or debtor Slaves; the Delinquents; the Enthusiasts. — Involuntary Slaves: prisoners of war, and captives stolen in peace, with the children and descendants of both. — Voluntary Slavery introduced by decree of the Roman Senate. — Slavery in Rome: condition of the Slaves; cruelty to the old and sick; prisons for Slaves; Sicily: servile war and breaking up of the prisons. — Piracy esteemed honorable by the early Greeks. — Piratical expeditions to procure Slaves. — Causes of the gradual extinction of Slavery in Europe. — Origin of the African Slave Trade by the Portuguese. — Followed by most of the maritime nations of Europe.

It is certainly a curious fact, that so far as we can trace back the history of the human race, we discover the existence of Slavery. One of the most obvious causes of this, is to be found in the almost incessant wars which were carried on in the early periods of the world, between tribes and nations, in which the prisoners taken were either slain or reduced to slavery.

The Mosaic institutions were rather predicated upon the previous existence of slavery in the surrounding nations, than designed to establish it for the first time; and the provisions of the Jewish law upon this subject, effected changes and modifications which must have improved the condition of slaves among that peculiar people. There were various modes by which the Hebrews might be reduced to servitude. A poor man might sell himself; a father might sell his children; debtors might be delivered as slaves to their creditors; thieves, who were unable to make restitution for the property stolen, were sold for the benefit of the sufferers. Prisoners of war were subjected to servitude; and if a Hebrew captive was redeemed by another Hebrew from a Gentile, he might be sold by his deliverer to another Israelite. At the return of the year of jubilee all Jewish captives were set free. However, by some writers it is stated that this did not apply to foreign slaves held in bondage; as over these the master had entire control. He might sell them, judge them, and even pun ish them capitally without any form of legal process. The law of Moses provides that "if a man smite his servant or his maid with a rod, and he die under