SLAVE-TRADE. 



the ifland, and had the good fortune to add a confiderable 

 number of new and important witnefTes to his hft. At 

 length the examinations were refumed in the committee of 

 the houfe of commons, and they were clofed finally on the 

 4th of April. No lefs than fixty-nine perfons had given 

 their teftimoiiy in this and the preceding feflion in behalf 

 of the abolition of the ilave-trade. The evidence having 

 been printed on both fides for the ufc of the members, as 

 the balls upon which to argue the cafe, the i8th of April 

 was fixed upon as the day for deciding it. By this time every 

 effort had been made by the perfons interefted to render the 

 queftion unpopular in the commons. Emancipation, indem- 

 nification, maffacre, ruin, had been vociferated over and 

 over again in the ears of the members there. At this time, 

 Unhappily the moll fanguinary fcenes were taking place in 

 St. Domingo, in confequence of the revolution which had 

 been effefted there, and an infurrc£lion had broken out in 

 the Britifh ifland of Dominiea. All thefe had been induf- 

 trioufly detailed in print, but with great exaggeration, 

 and added to the cries juft mentioned. This union of re- 

 ports and cries had produced fuch a terrific effeft upon 

 many members, that they confidered the abolitionifts, by 

 perfevering in their queftion, as ferocious monfters ; and in 

 this unfavourable frame of mind they went into the houfe 

 on the day fixed for the difcuHion, to difcharge their duty 

 with refpeft to this great queftion. On this day, namely, 

 the 18th of April, 1791, Mr. Wilberforce made a moft 

 luminous and affefting fpeecli, in which he took a moft 

 malterly view of the whole queftion in all its different de- 

 partments, as it related both to Africa and the Weft Indies. 

 He argued the inhumanity of the traffic ; he argued its 

 impolicy ; he appealed to feeling ; he appealed to reafon ; 

 he tried to difarm his opponents by candour ; he exhorted 

 them to attend to their own intereil ; and concluded by mov- 

 ing for leave to bring in a bill to prevent the farther import- 

 ation of flavcs into the Britifh colonies in the Weft Indies. 

 After this, a moft ferious difcufiion enfued, which lafted till 

 three in the morning, when feveral members, being yet 

 defirous of fpeaking, the bufinefs was adjourned to the 

 next day. It was then argued again till half paft three in 

 the morning, when the houfe divided on the original motion. 

 There were for it but 88 votes, and againll it 163 ; fo 

 that this great caufe of humanity, juftice, and reUgion, 

 which had coft fo many years of labour, was loft by a 

 majority of 75 votes. Upon the news of this fignal defeat, 

 the committee for the abolition of the flave-trade held a 

 meeting, which was condufted wi^h the moft folemn 

 dignity. They voted thanks to the illuttrious minority which 

 had lately ftood forth the affertors of Britifli juftice and 

 humanity, and the enemies of a traffic in the blood of man ; 

 and entered into feveral refolutions, the fubftance of one 

 of which was, that they confidered the late decifion of the 

 houfe rather as a delay than a defeat ; that they did not 

 defpair of final fuccefs ; and that they would never defill 

 from appealing to their countrymen, till tlie commercial 

 intereourfe with Africa fhould ceafe to be polluted with 

 the blood of its inhabitants. Thefe refolutions wrere fol- 

 lowed up by a fuitable report, and fent to all the country 

 committees throughout the kingdom. At length the fef- 

 fion ended, and a cruel one it had proved to thofe who 

 had interefted themfelves in the abolition of this cruel 

 traffic. The defeat, however, which they had experienced, 

 had been rendered more tolerable, becaufe, in confequence 

 of the unjuft clamours by which the minds of many members 

 of parliament had been affefted, it had been expefted. It 

 had been rendered more tolerable again, by knowing that 

 feveral of the moft diftinguifhed charaiiers in the kingdom, 



and all of fplendid talents in the,houfe of commons, fuch le 

 Pitt, Fox, Burke, Grey, Sheridan, Wyndham, Whitbread, 

 Courtnay, Francis, Rider, W. Smith, and H. Thornton, 

 had fupported the facred caufe ; and becaufe a bill had 

 been carried through both houfes of parliament in this 

 very feffion for the eftablifhment of the Sierra Leona com- 

 pany, the objeft of which was to form a fettlement on the 

 coaft of Africa, which fhould be made a medium for civi- 

 lizing that continent through two channels, viz. by the 

 introduftion of a new fpecies of commerce there, and of 

 cultivation alfo in its neighbourhood, on the principle of 

 free labour. 



The people of England, foon after the news of the defeat 

 juft fpoken of had been communicated to them, began to 

 be fenfibly affefted, and many, in order to wafh their hands 

 of the blood of Africa, left oft the ufe of fugar. Mr. 

 Clarkfon, after a confultation with Mr. Wilberforce and 

 the committee, undertook to abridge the evidence which 

 had been offered to the houfe of commons on the fide of the 

 abolition, with a view of circulating its horrible content* 

 through the kingdom, and of thus making the public im- 

 preffion ftill deeper. This abridgment was begun in June 



1791, and was written, printed, and in the hands of all the 

 committee's correfpondents in England, Wales, and Scot- 

 land, by the latter end of September. Mr. Clarkfon now 

 undertook to follow the book, and to fee, if poffible, that 

 it was aftually read. Accordingly he left London in the 

 beginning of November. It was his intention to wait per- 

 fonally upon every perfon in every county in the kingdom, 

 to whom the book had been fent, to get others of the town 

 or neighbourhood to meet him there, to converfe with them 

 on the fubjecl, to intreat their individual perufal of the 

 abridgment, and their united efforts in lending it out judi- 

 cioufly, and in feeing that it was read. This he attempted 

 to realize, but the procefs was very tedious. He had tra- 

 velled 6000 miles in the execution of his plan, when he 

 found that he had yet 40O0 to go. To perform this was 

 impoffible, fo as to anfwer the purpofe. He therefore made 

 his fituation known to the committee. The confequence 

 was, that Dr. Dickfon, a gentleman who had greatly 

 affifted the caufe by his writings, fet off from London, and. 

 took the whole of Scotland off his hands. The refult of 

 the two journeys was foon vifible. The people could not 

 bear the faAs which the abridgment had difclofed to them. 

 Great numbers left off immediately the ufe both of fugar 

 and rum. The great bulk of the nation, however, vented 

 their feelings in public meetings to addref* the legiflature 

 on the fubjeft, and this they did with fo much earneftnefs 

 and aftivity, that by the latter end of the month of March^ 



1792, no lefs than 5 17 petitions, including feveral from whole 

 counties, were laid on the table of the houfe of commons, 

 praying for the total abolition of the flave-trade. Em- 

 boldened and fupported in this manner by the voice of the 

 people, Mr. Wilberforce introduced the queftion again 

 into the commons. This was on the 2d of April. After 

 a fpeech of four hours, during which he added a profufioa 

 of new light to the fubjeft, and during which he endea- 

 voured, in the moft mild and pcrfuafive manner, to do away 

 objeftions and prejudices, he moved, " that it is the opinion 

 of this houfe that the Africa^ flave-trade ought to be. 

 abolifhed." This led to a very long and uncommonly in- 

 terefting debate. Never, certainly, in the houfe of commons,, 

 and never probably in any other place, was fo much fplendid 

 oratory difplayed, as on that night, on the fide of the aboli- 

 tion of the flave-trade. It appeared, in the courfe of the 

 debate, to be the fenfe of the houfe, that fome fort of abo- 

 lition fhould take place. Two divifions took place. la 



the 



