The Humble Petition. Of the West India Planters to the People of England, With Every Englishman's Answer

LITERARY.

THE HUMBLE PETITION. OF THE WEST INDIA PLANTERS TO THE PEOPLE OF ENGLAND, WITH EVERY ENGLISHMAN'S ANSWER.

Come, buy our rich produce, ye Englishmen, buy!
We have excellent sugar, and coffee, and spice;
But we want a good market, so pray you draw nigh,
(For we're nothing without you; and give us our price.

It is true that our fields are still cultured by slaves,
And their sweat and their blood is aye wrung from their backs,
By the flesh-rending cart-whip, applied to the knaves;
For they wouldn't work else, all these indolent blacks.

It is true, they are flogged till their muscles are bare,
And whenever they vex us—'t is all at our will;
You may see on their bodies full many a scar,
Just excepting the few we may happen to kill.

And although they don't marry, together they live,
Till it suits us the one or the other to sell;
Then the parents, or children, to market we drive,
As we do other beasts; though they do n't bear it so well.

When their kind-hearted friends have come over the main,
To instruct them in virtue and care for their good,
We as promptly enjoin them to go back again;
If they don't, we soon let out their traitorous blood.

So we won't let them learn; nay, we flog them for praying,
And pull all their preaching shops down to the ground.
Who would let such asses be constantly braying,
Such dens of sedition be open around?

But you will not, on this account, think of not dealing?
About such mere brutes you won't make a bother?
You don't mean to resent the small sin of man-selling?
Or if you are saints, you won't feel for a brother?

You'll not claim their freedom, because you are free?
You 're not going for the rights of the Negro to care?
Such days of romance we thought never to see,
And we 're ruined, quite ruined, at once, if you are.

O buy our slave produce, free Englishmen, buy!
If you suffer such scruples, 't will rot on the ground:
Of the twice-taxed free sugar the price is so high,
You can't get it so cheap by a penny a pound.

EVERY ENGLISHMAN'S ANSWER.

Go, and loosen the captives! No longer will I
Spend a farthing, thou human-flesh-monger, with thee:
For the sake of a penny, I never will buy
E'en an ounce of thy sugar, till Negroes are free.