GENERAL HISTORY. 



[97 



which their continuance must in- 

 evitably produce. 



" That we confidently hope 

 that his Royal Highness's urgent 

 but friendly representations will 

 produce their desired eilect j yet 

 that in justice to the great in- 

 terests that are at stake, we can- 

 not but feel it our indispensable 

 duty, to express our crjntident ex- 

 pectation, that if all his Royal 

 Highness's amicable endeavours 

 should prove unavailing, the great 

 powers which, at the congress of 

 Vienna, so honourably announced 

 to the world their abhorrence of 

 the slave trade, as radically un- 

 just and cruel, will deem them- 

 selves compelled by an over-ruling 

 sense of duty, to adopt, liowever 

 reluctantly, such a course of com- 

 mercial policy, as, without in- 

 fringing on the just rights of any 

 other nation, will alone prevent 

 their indirectly, but powerfully, 

 contributing to the continued ex- 

 istence of this inhuman traffic: 



" That there is one important 

 truth, which we beg leave most 

 earnestly to press on his Royal 

 Highness's most serious attention, 

 a truth which painful experience 

 has too fully taught us, that, 

 however strong may be Ihe pro- 

 hibitions of the slave trade, and 

 with how great sincerity soever 

 they may be issued, they will prove 

 practically inefficient, unless some 

 general conceit for ascertaining 

 and bringing to punishment the 

 offending parties, be mutually es- 

 tablished between the several pow- 

 ers, under whose flitgs tliis trade 

 has been, or m.iy be curried on : 



" That we must once more de- 

 clare to his Royal Highness, that 

 in enforcing these considerations 

 on his Royal Highness's most 

 serious attention, we are actuated 



Vol. LIX. 



not merely by the feelings of hu- 

 manity, but by the positive dic- 

 tates of duty and conscience : 

 that it is by these motives, and not 

 as claiming any superiority in 

 point of humanity or of moials, 

 that we are actuated in our earn- 

 est desires to obtain the co-opera- 

 tion of all other civilized nations : 

 that, remembering how long and 

 how largely this country contri- 

 buted to augment the miseries, 

 and perpetuate the barbarism of 

 Africa, we cannot but esteem our- 

 selves specially and peculiarly 

 bound, not to leave that vast con 

 tinent in its present degraded 

 state, but to endeavour, so far as 

 we may be able, both by our own 

 conduct, and in concert with other 

 powers, to repair the wrongs we 

 have inflicted, by opening the way 

 for the diffusion of those blessings 

 which, under the favour of Pro- 

 vidence, a legitimate commerce, 

 and a friendly intercourse with 

 the enlightened nations of Eu- 

 rope, cannot fail to introduce in 

 their train." 



Lord Castlereagh, while he com- 

 plimented his honourable friend 

 on his steady perseverance in the 

 great cause in which he had so 

 much distinguished himself, hinted 

 at the difficulty of coming to an 

 understanding with the two re- 

 luctant powers without a danger 

 of injuring pendent negociations. 

 He therefore would not enter into 

 the subject at greater length at 

 present, but would not oppose 

 the address, because it expressed 

 the sentiments of his Majesty's 

 government. 



Occasion was then taken by 

 some members to give their opi- 

 nions; but the address was agreed 

 to without opposition. 



The session of parliament con- 

 CHI eluded 



