72                                  THE UNITED STATES.
among them ; there are here and there a few prisoners of
war, but these are rare exceptions......
" The slave-trade, that pretended commerce in human
flesh, becomes reduced, in the eyes of men of good sense, to
a simple translocation of workmen, of incontestable advantage
to the latter.* ¦ Servitude does not constitute a condition of
violence to those subjected to it ; it is a method of organ-
ization of labor which guarantees the maintenance of the
laborer during his natural life, in consideration of the sum
of efforts of which he is capable......The establishment
of liberty in Europe has destroyed the ancient econom-
ical organization which resolved the problem of the mate-
rial assistance of men by obligatory labor, but has not
yet found a new and equivalent solution ; for at the present
time the free laborers consume more than they produce,
which is proved by the fact that they receive from society
in addition alms, vagrant institutions, foundling asylums,
and hospitals......
" Nothing less than the impenetrable crust of absurd-
ity which envelops the brain of European philanthropists
could prevent them from discerning these truths."
After history and religion, the question of color and of
races, behold us then in the presence of a new science, —
political economy I   This provides us fresh enlightenment.
Full as they are of ingenuous cynicism, the preceding
assertions would excite the laughter, if laughter on such a
subject were possible, of three classes of readers, — trav-
ellers, jurisconsults, and economists.
We will not exculpate the philanthropists, but will leave
their brains enveloped in the impenetrable crust, and only
congratulate them that they do not wear it upon their hearts.
I. What do travellers reply to this cool imposture con-
cerning prisoners of war and slave-hunts ?
Denham, Oudney, and Clapperton witnessed one of these
• Voyage aux Antilles, 1842, pp. 187 -139.