LETTER FROM MR. WILBERFORCE. 253 



and useful characters of our age, I have the pleasure, and 

 indeed honor, to number among my personal friends. The 

 praise due. to her for her writings is scarcely less than that 

 which she has justly earned by her humane and judicious 

 labors, carried on now for many years, in educating and 

 improving the lower orders of a populous country, which 

 she found in a very rude and ignorant state. I cannot lay 

 down my pen, though forced to draw towards a conclusion, 

 without expressing my most earnest hopes, that instead of 

 mutual jealousy and recrimination, much more, instead of 

 an actual rupture between our two countries, they may be 

 long united together by the bonds of reciprocal esteem, 

 confidence, and affection. It cannot be that the well-being 

 of each is inconsistent, rather let me say is not identical, 

 with that of the other. To admit the contrary supposition, 

 would almost deserve the name of blasphemy against the 

 great Creator of us both, and surely we can never so well 

 fulfil His purposes, or provide for our common happiness, 

 as by striving to maintain between us unbroken peace and 

 harmony. This may include in special cases a disposition 

 to forego on either side some temporary gain, but again to 

 be far more than compensated by a greater and more dura- 

 ble benefit. I have no time to dilate, explain, or qualify ; 

 but trusting these effusions of the heart to your candor, 

 and may I not also hope, to your fellow-feeling, 

 I remain, sir, 



Your faithful servant, 



W. WILBERFORCE. 



p. g. I am chiefly occupied (inter alia) in considering 

 how best to enforce the act for abolishing the slave-trade, 

 which, I grieve to say, is shamefully evaded. I must add, 

 by none so much as by your countrymen ; I should, how- 

 ever, say, by individuals among them, for the government 

 of America has shown an eager disposition to enforce your 

 own laws against that wicked traffic ; but the aid of indi- 

 viduals may be more useful in this case, by obtaining intel- 



