Gordon Turnbull: West Indian Slavery

Turnbull, Gordon, “An apology for Negro Slavery” West Indian Slavery, (1657-1834)
An apology for Negro slavery: it was Gordon Turnbull intention to resort of the horrid and fictitious view of the way of which the Negroes in the West Indies were treated on their arrival from their home in Africa.
When the ship docked on the shore, the master of doctor went on board to make sure all was well, and that they were fit, clean and in a jolly mood. Then they would be taken on shore at different times to meet with others from their country (Africa), and they may even meet their own relatives who were in the country before who seemed so happy they would join in with the others in dancing and singing in their own language, it was so touching and beautiful to the bystanders of the happiness of the enslaved ones. Many of them often appeared dull, afraid and sad, but the older Negroes would cheer them up, convincing them not to be afraid of the whites, that they are good people. So when the day of sales arrived they were in readiness.
Observing the practice of selling Negroes which ought to be
abolished by the law in the country, it was being done in decency and in some extent to humanity. The custom is shutting them up in the merchant house etc. then at some signal the purchasers would rush upon them fighting them to see who get the most and the best. In this process many women and children would die from excess terror.
When the enslaved are carried to their home on the plantation, if they are purchased by a planter, they are properly taken care of e.g.
clothing, comfortable lodging, three square meals a day, they bathe in the river or sea twice a day. Though this time they are being observed by the manager and are not to do any work, in the evening they will meet with the other enslaved and have an enjoyable evening of singing and dancing etc. Then in a very short time they were taken in to the house of the chief, and the best disposed negroes adopted one or two into the family home to help in mild domestic work very easy for the first two to three months, then they would do simply work for a few more months, their meals would be served to them until they desire, then when the term is finished they would prefer to get the same treatment as the enslave, they would get married, have their own
homes.
My reaction to this “An apology for Negro Slavery” is that what the writer Mr. Gordon Turnbull is stating is that there shouldn’t be any enslavement at all and that it should be abolished, and yes I quite agree with him, when he mentioned the treatment the enslaved received it seems very nice, ‘but the enslaves’ whether good treatment or not are still enslaves, Yes they are well taken care of, but why being enslave when the law of the land says that slavery must be abolish. It is the same as this present time the Government says one thing and are doing the other. The mind of the people are so in tune to one thing ,so to start something new will take time and take time it did. The enslave were soon to be free, But are they really free. The enslaved negroes mind’s were conditioned by the elders to love the white man, and to try their best to please him and that’s not all, they will do anything to gain their favours’ even of the killing or of hanging a young lady from a chandlers, so that their back would be spare, it such a shame, and unto this day is the same thing over and over, they are many who are happy with the way they live e.g. .government grant, party, nice and easy life, live free, but it is not at all that count. Their mind need to be recondition.