xvi IN PUBLIC CAUSES 221 



make thee happy," replied his friend, and gave him the 

 money. Fothergill lent to many who were in need, and 

 seldom saw the loan returned. At one time we find him 

 the nominal possessor of a tract of land of 5000 acres in 

 Florida, assigned to him as security for money paid to 

 one R. Willans to enable him to emigrate. He writes to 

 W. Logan to see if it can be sold : " the land will be 

 valuable to somebody, at some time ; it surely must be 

 worth 150 now." He had, it may be added, some more 

 land in North Carolina, purchased by his brother and 

 J. Pemberton about 1755, but had much difficulty in 

 obtaining any rent for it. 



Whilst such was Fothergill's benevolence in private, 

 his soul was alive also to the great moral causes which 

 at that period were beginning to stir the minds of men. 

 He had indeed a far clearer vision of these than most in 

 his day. What he thought and did for liberty and 

 democracy will be shown elsewhere. He was one of the 

 leaders of his own people, the Friends, in their stand for 

 freedom of religion on both sides of the Atlantic. The 

 Quaker testimony against all war became in his hands a 

 positive force for peace. In all things he stood for 

 righteousness, justice and love ; and it was because no 

 mere garb of expediency hid these pure principles from 

 his eyes that his aim was so true and his life so potent of 

 good. 



SLAVERY : JOHN WOOLMAN 



One great cause which commanded his interest and 

 labour was the help of the slaves : the Friends, with some 

 few others, here led the way. The conviction that slavery- 

 was contrary to the principles of the gospel of Christ was 

 implicit in their teaching from the beginning : it was 

 voiced by one and another as time went on ; and first 

 the horrid traffic in negro slaves, and then the very 

 institution of slavery itself, fell under their condemnation. 

 When the society had purged its own members of com- 

 plicity in the evil, it turned to make its protest heard in 

 the community. The cause was taken up in time by 



