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Le Roi d’Espagne voulut par une   Real Cédula de su Majestad sobre la educación, trato y ocupaciones de los esclavos en todos sus dominios de Indias e islas Filipinas, bajo las reglas que se expresan, Madrid, En la Imprenta de la Viuda de Ibarra, 31 de mayo de 1789. Vgl. Humboldt 1826, I, 226.

 [Schließen] Real Cédula du 31 Mai 1789 améliorer l’état des Nègres, prescrire leurs vêtemens, nourriture… (tel que cela est depuis longtems prescrit dans les Colonies espagnoles). La loi n’a pas été mise en exécution. On fit à croire à la Cour qu’elle causerait des mouvements parmi les Nègres, on fit des représentations à la Cour qui ne respire que Philanthropie, Humanité… mais dont l’essentiel est qu’il ne faut pas toucher au mal!!

 Anmerkung des Autors (am linken Rand) W Si aux Antilles tous les nègres vont mourrir, comme à S. Christophe et Barbade einst(?) propriétaires sans esclaves –   Having thus taken a general view of all the British Islands and Settlements in the West Indies, it only remains to observe that a new era has arrived since the abolition of the Slave Trade, materially altering the state and condition of these islands. […] Under the present circumstances it is clear to demonstration, that the annual produce of the Sugar Colonies must at least be stationary. It cannot in the nature of things increase, unless the negro population can be kept up by the number of the births exceeding that of the deaths, of which there does not appear to be even the shadow of hope; on the contrary, a retrogade—a diminution may be expected.[…] According to this rate of diminution, the slave population would be annihilated in about forty years. […] It has been already shewn, that when Barbadoes and St. Christophers were first settled, the cultivation of the soil was conducted entirely by the emigrants from England, who grew rich and flourished before negroes were employed. And had they remained stationary, their dwellings would have been more numerous, and embellishments would have surrounded them, indicating comfort and contentment; which can never prevail under the present system, where the proprietors of estates too often consider the West Indies as a temporary exile, from which they are anxious to remove the moment they acquire property sufficient to enable them to support a certain rank in the parent country. Eagerly looking forward to this object, they court none of these accessible comforts (according to the practice of the French settlers) which are to be found in the West Indies; but devote their whole attention to those measures alone, which shall enable them as soon as possible to place their property under the management of attornies. Colquhoun 1814, 375–376.

 [Schließen] Colquhoun, page 376, 350.