from foreign countries, the land of Ophir, &c., Solomon made slaves of tens of thousands of the blacks of old Canaan, while building the temple, his own house, and Tadmor in the desert, the store cities, and Hamath, the upper and lower Bethoran, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars, as well as Belath, all great and magnificent works, of immense cost and labor, the ruins of which are seen at the present day, especially those of Tadmor of the desert.
Solomon was not ignorant of the judicial act of God, as made known by the mouth of Noah, respecting the descendants of Ham, nor of the law of Moses, which indorsed that judicial enactment by the ministry of angels, respecting the people of the blacks, in their exposedness to, and fitness for, slavery. He was not ignorant of Joshua's opinion on the same subject, as expressed when that renowned warrior told the Gibeonites, who were one of the tribes of the race of Ham, in Canaan, that they were cursed, and never to be freed from being bondmen or slaves.
That king Solomon had slaves in abundance, is written by his own hand, which writing is still extant, and that he bought them is also stated by him, and that from the slaves thus bought, or otherwise procured in the negro countries, he raised others, as do the owners of slaves at the present time.
For the proof of the above, see Ecclesiastes ii, 7, as follows: "I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house."
Now, Solomon was a preacher, or a minister of religion, as well as a king, as he calls himself thus in chap. i, verse 1, of Eccl., and if such a man had
