STATE PAPERS. 



347 



and assembly of its greatest sove- 

 reigns, and the great and generous 

 principles which they proclaim as 

 the rule of their conduct, afford 

 a most auspicious opportunity for 

 interposing the good offices of 

 Great Britain to accomplish the 

 above noble purpose, with the 

 weight which belongs to her rank 

 among nations, to the services 

 which she has rendered to Euro- 

 pean independence, and to the una- 

 nimous and zealous concurrence 

 of her parliament and people. 



" We feel ourselves authorized 

 by our own abolition of this trade, 

 of the guilty profit of which we 

 enjoyed the largest share, hy the 

 fellowship of civilization, of reli- 

 gion, and even of common huma- 

 nity, to implore the other mem- 

 bers of the commonwealth of 

 Europe to signalize the restoration 

 of its order and security, by the 

 prohibition of this detestable com- 

 merce, the common stain of the 

 Christian name; a system of crimes 

 by which the civilized professors of 

 a beneficent religion spread deso- 

 lation, and perpetual barbarism, 

 among helpless savages, whom 

 they are bound by the most sacred 

 obligations of duty to protect, to 

 instruct, and to reclaim. 



*' We humbly represent to your 

 Royal Highness, that the high 

 rank which this kingdom holds 

 among maritime and colonial states, 

 imposes a very serious duty upon 

 the British government at this im- 

 portant juncture. Unless we in- 

 terpose with effect to procure a 

 general abolition, the practical re- 

 sult of the restoration of peace will 

 be to revive a traffic whicli we have 

 prohibited as a crime, to open the 

 sea to swarms of piratical adven- 



turers, who will renew and extend 

 on the shores of Africa the scenes 

 of carnage and rapine in a great - 

 measure suspended by maritime 

 hostilities : and the peace of Christ- 

 endom will kindle a thousand fero- 

 cious wars among wretched tribes 

 ignorant of our quarrels and of our 

 very name. 



" The nations who have owed 

 the security of their navigation to 

 our friendship, and whom we have 

 been happy enough to aid in ex- 

 pelling their oppressors, and main- 

 taining their independence, cannot 

 listen without respect to our voice 

 raised in the cause of justice and 

 humanity. Among the great states, 

 till of late our enemies, maritime 

 hostility has in fact abolished the 

 trade for 20 years. No interest is 

 engaged in it ; and the legal per- 

 mission to carry it on would prac- 

 tically be a new establishment of it, 

 after the complete development of 

 its horrors. 



" We humbly trust, that in the 

 moral order by which Divine Pro- 

 vidence administers the govern- 

 ment of the world, this great act of 

 atonement to Africa may contri- 

 bute to consolidate the safety, and 

 prolong the tranquillity of Europe; 

 that the nations may be taught a 

 higher respect for justice and hu- 

 manity by the example of their so- 

 vereigns ; and that a treaty sanc- 

 tified by such a disinterested and 

 sacred stipulation may be more 

 profoundly reverenced, and more 

 religiously observed, than even the 

 most equitable compacts for the re- 

 gulation of power, or the distribu- 

 tion of territory." 



The Address was agreed to nem. 

 dis. and ordered to be presented by 

 the lords with white staves. 



