1830.] Voice of the Country Abolition of Slavery. 79 



half a century ; "-that " not a soldier or officer is sent to the colonies who 

 does not know, that the only way of reconciling his service with the 

 duty of an honest man, or the honour of a gentleman, is by considering 

 himself as the guardian of the great acts of justice which must speedily 

 take place," and that " in any other light he might as well be invited 

 to patrole Hounslow, in aid of the knights of the road, or form a 

 cordon round the houses of the Marrs, and the Williamsons, while the 

 man with a hammer did his office inside !" When we further see it 

 asserted, under the sanction of the same society, that " when West-Indian 

 magistrates apply the term " wretch" to a negro, who is put to death for 

 having failed in an attempt at resistance, the people of England do not 

 consider him as a " wretch," but as a good and gallant man, dying in the 

 best of causes, and would " stand by and cheer on their dusky brethren to 

 the assault !" When we further see the promulgation of such sentiments 

 applauded, and are told by the humane "-Society for the mitigation and 

 gradual abolition of Slavery," that they envy " the ^writer's power of 

 producing on the public mind the effects which the popular talents where- 

 with the great Author of these talents has endowed him, enables him to 

 produce, were it not that we should almost shrink from the heavy respon- 

 sibility both to God and man, which they impose upon their possessor 

 how is it possible to form any favourable opinion of their intentions ?" 



Heavy, indeed, might be the responsibility incurred by the publishers 

 of such sentiments, were it not that the only effect produced by them is a 

 feeling of pity and contempt. Well may every honest man shrink from 

 communion with any society capable of avowing and putting forth 

 such infamous opinions ; and it raises " our special wonder" to see that 

 many honourable and well-meaning persons still allow their names to 

 remain on the lists of this society. One good purpose, however, these 

 declarations do serve, namely, to put our countrymen in the western 

 world firmly and decisively on their guard against the machinations of 

 insidious emissaries ; for, although, as we shall shortly have occasion t 

 notice, the colonists are partly prepared against the artful proceedings of 

 the sectarian preachers, and have, in some measure, been able to check 

 their dangerous designs and shameful rapacity, to the repulsion of which 

 may be attributed, in a great measure, the late virulent proceedings and 

 petitions " from some places in Yorkshire," " from congregations of dis- 

 senters," &c. ; yet it is well for them to know the length to which the 

 society at home, and, of course, their missionaries in the colonies, are, 

 under the cloak of religious philanthropy, avowedly ready to go ; and 

 that, in the words of Mr. Canning, ' ' instead of diffusing gradually over 

 those dark regions a pure and salutary light," these persons are more 

 likely to " kindle a flame only to be quenched in blood !"* 



It is very well known to have been entirely on account of the pre- 

 cautionary clauses introduced into the wise and humane slave act passed 

 by the Assembly of Jamaica in J826, for restraining the practices of the 

 missionaries, that that bill was rejected at home. One of the most 

 offensive of these clauses commences thus :- " And whereas, under 

 pretence of offerings and contributions, large sums of money and other 

 chattels have been extorted by designing men, professing to be teachers 

 of religion, practising on the ignorance and superstition of the negroes 

 in this island, to their great loss and impoverishment : and whereas an 



* Vide Death -warrant of Negro Slavery, " printed for the Society," &c. pp. xi.22. 32, 33. 



