426 
THE SLAVE QUESTION. 
This has been so ably shown in the letter of Dr. Lush- 
ington and Sir T. F. Buxton to Lord John Russell, 7th 
August, 1846, (see Appendix, vol. i.,) that it is unneces- 
sary for us to dwell further on it, except on a point 
which is not adverted to by them, but in which we 
shall be supported by all those who know the river ; 
namely, that all our efforts will be unavailing, unless 
we have the power to say, “ there shall be no wars on 
the banks of the Niger within reach of the British 
flag.” To attain this most desirable end, we can 
safely assert, that the mere declaration would be 
sufficient, if the existence were known of a limited 
force such as we propose. 
Our purpose is not the acquisition of dominion, there- 
fore the small territory purchased from the Attah of 
Iddah would be amply sufficient, and would afford 
space enough for the experiment of cultivation by 
free labour, as an example to surrounding nations, — 
praedial slavery being completely eradicated from such 
territory, without attempting to interfere with it in 
our neighbours. For the defence of this settlement, 
one hundred well-disciplined men from our African 
regiments, together with a certain number of inhabi- 
tants — enrolled as militia — and two or three small 
lightly amed steamers, would not only be a sufficient 
force, but also to preserve all the nations within reach, 
from the horrors of war, and thereby be a great means 
of suppressing the Slave Trade, not only on the river, 
but to a wide extent on its banks, especially if aided 
