SLAVE-TRADE. 



mediately publifti the work. In a fhort time after this, Mr. 

 PhiUips introduced Mr. Clarkfon to Mr. Dillvvyn of Wal- 

 thamftow, one of the fecond clafs of coadjutors before- 

 inentioned, with wliom hefpent the day. Here it was that 

 he heard for the firit time of the labours of Mr. Granville 

 Sharp. But how furprifed was he to learn that Mr. Dill- 

 wyn had two years before affociated himfelf with five others 

 (as has been already mentioned), for the purpofe of en- 

 lightening the public mind in England on this great fub- 

 jeft. How aftonidied was he to find that a fociety had been 

 formed in North America for the fame purpofe, with fome 

 of the principal of which Mr. Dillwyn was himfelf ac- 

 quainted. He was almoft overwhelmed with the thoughts, 

 which darted upon him on this occafion. He could not but 

 confider that he had been providentially led to Mr. Dill- 

 wyn's houfe ; that the day-ftar of African liberty was 

 rifing i and that probably he himfelf might be now per- 

 mitted to have the honour of becoming an humble inftru- 

 ment in promoting it. Soon after this he was introduced 

 to the venerable Mr. Sharp, the lail and moit eminent of 

 the fecond clafs of coadjutors, and foon after this his work 

 came out under the title of " An EHay on the Slavery and 

 Commerce of the human Species, particularly the African, 

 which was honoured with the firll Prize in the Univerfity of 

 Cambridge, for the Year 1785." The work having been 

 now uftlered into the world, (this was in June 1786,) Mr. 

 Clarkfon refolved upon the diftribution of it in the moft fe- 

 left manner he could, in order that the cafe of the unhappy 

 Africans might be known by thofe who had in fotne degree 

 the power of relieving them. Accordingly, at his requeft. 

 Dr. Baker, a moft exemplary clergyman in London, lord 

 and lady Scarfdale, fir Charles and lady Middleton, and 

 Mr. Bennet Langton, the intimate friend of Dr. Johnfon, 

 of Jonas Hanway, of fir Jofhua Reynolds, of Edmund 

 Burke, and of other celebrated perfons, undertook to dif- 

 tribute copies of it perfonally among their own friends, in 

 the higher ranks of life, and to ufe their intereft in pro- 

 curing a perufal of them. Under their aufpices the book 

 was firft introduced into the polite world. The mind, how- 

 ever, of the author became daily more and more agitated on 

 the fubjeft of it. He was not fatisfied that what he was 

 then doing was all that was necefTary to be done ; or that it 

 was all that was required of him. To make the cafe of the 

 unhappy Africans known, was defirable as a firlt ftep ; but 

 would this of itfelf put a (top to the horrors of the trade? 

 He believed not : he believed there would be no hope of fuc- 

 cefs, unlef ■ fome ohe would refolve to make it the bufinefs of 

 his life. The queftion then was, was he himfelf called upon 

 to do it .' His own peace of mind required that he ftiould 

 give a final anfwer to this quellion. To do this he retired 

 frequently into folitude. The refult was, after the moft 

 mature deliberation, and the moft painful itruggle, that he 

 determined to devote his whole life, (hould it be neceffary, 

 to the caufe. This determination was made about the lat- 

 ter end of December, 1786; in the beginning of 1787 the 

 diftribution of the elfay went on, but by additional hands. 

 Mr. Sheldon, fir Herbert Mackworth, lord Balgonie (now 

 lord Leven), each took a part on the occafion. The 

 Quakers joined in the diftribution alfo, among whom, Mr. 

 Richard Phillips (nov/ living) is to be particularly noticed. 

 This arrangement having been made, Mr. Clarkfon was now 

 able to devote all his time to qualify himfelf for the arduous 

 fituation to which he liad devoted himfelf. He gained intro- 

 duftions to perfons who had been in Africa and the Weft 

 Indies, and obtained ftill farther information on the fubjedl 

 in its different branches. He vifited flave-ftiips lying in the 

 Thames, either as they came in or failed out of port, that 



he might know their conftruftion and other particulars. He 

 went frequently to the cuftom-houfe in London, where lie 

 learnt the nature of the articles which conitituted the traffic, 

 the lofs of feam.en employed in it, and other matters which 

 he found it efiential to knw. He kept up a correfpondence 

 with perfons in Liverpool for the fame purpofe. He vifited 

 alfo members of parliament, and this almoft daily, to inte- 

 reft them in his caufe ; to give them information ; to anfwer 

 queftions ; and to explain doubts, if they had any, on any 

 part of the fubjecl. Among thofe who appeared moft af- 

 fefted by his vifits, and moft anxious to co-operate with him, 

 was Mr. Wilberforce, the member for the county of York. 

 Tills gentleman not only read the evidence which Mr. Clark- 

 fon fent him on the fubjeft, as he collefted it frefh from day 

 to day, but aftually fent for, and took tlie pains to examine, 

 at his own houfe, thofe perfons who had given it, that he 

 might judge for himfelf, from their own mouths, of the 

 truth or falfehood of the enormities which had been 

 charged upon the flave-trade. The fame gentleman ap- 

 pointed alfo a meeting once a week, at his own houfe, of a 

 few feleft friends, to deliberate on the propriety, and, if 

 this were relolved upon, on the proper method of taking up 

 the caufe. Thefe meetings csntinued for fome time, when 

 at length, at a dinner at the houfe of Mr. Bennet Langton, 

 who has been before-mentioned, where feveral perfons of 

 confequence were invited for the purpofe of talking over the 

 matter, and of coming to a final determination upon it, Mr. 

 Wilberforce pledged himfelf to bring forward the great 

 queftion of the abolition of the flave-trade in parliament, as 

 foon as ever he ftiould feel himfelf prepared for fo tremen- 

 dous a tafli. Here then the matter began to affume a fhape. 

 A parhamentary leader had been fecured, and one whofe 

 virtuous life correfponded with the facrednefs of the caufe 

 which he was to advocate. Mr. Clarkfon, who was prefent 

 at this dinner, carried direftly the news of what had taken 

 place to feveral of his friends, but particularly to Mr. Gran- 

 ville Sharp, Mr. Dillwyn, and three or four others of the re- 

 ligious fociety of the Quakers, all of whom he had previoufly 

 taught to expeft fuch a refult. The confequence was, that 

 the following perfons met the next day, and without lofs of 

 time formed themfelves into a committee, " for procuring 

 fuch information and evidence, and publifhing the fame, as 

 may tend to the abolition of the (lave-trade, and for direft- 

 ing the appfication of fuch monies as may be collefled for 

 the above purpofe," viz. Granville Sharp, Samuel Hoare, 

 George Harrifon, John Lloyd, Jofeph Woods, William 

 Dillwyn, Thomas Clarkfon, Richard PhiUips, James Phil- 

 lips, Philip Sanfom, John Barton, and Jofeph Hooper. 

 Mr. Granville Sharp, the firft mentioned, may be confidered, 

 from what has been before faid, as reprefentinsf the firft of 

 the clalfes which have been defcribed. The fur next were 

 the real reprefentatives of the fecond. The third clafs, 

 or that of the Quakers in America, may be confidered as 

 reprefented in the perfon of William Dillwyn, by whom, 

 indeed, it was afterwards united to the committee now 

 formed ; and Mr. Clarkfon and Mr. R. Phillips as rcpre- 

 fenting the fourth, moft of the members of which thev had 

 been the means of raifing. " Thus," fays the hiftorian,' " on 

 the 22d of May, 1787, the reprefentatives of all the four 

 dalles, of which I have been giving a hiftory from the year 

 15 16, met together, and were united in that committee, to 

 which I have been all along directing tlie attention of the 

 reader ; a committee, which, labouring afterwards with Mr. 

 W'llberforce as a parhamentary head, did, under Providence, 

 in the fpace of twenty years, contribute to put an end to 

 a trade, which, meafuring its magnitude by its crimes and 

 fufferings, was the greateft praftical evil that ever affliAed 



the 



