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civilization ;—and the unprincipled and brutal nature 
of the trade, renders it impossible to speak in terms 
too bitter of it and its abettors. There was a period 
when the present French government might have 
retrieved its character, and, without any act of its 
own, have confirmed the abolition of the slave-trade—• 
thereby proving that they had profited by the painful 
experience of the past five-and-twenty years, and the 
example of other nations; and were, like them, disposed 
to make all the atonement in their power for the mise¬ 
ries their predecessors had inflicted on the innocent 
Africans. That period, however, was suffered to 
elapse without any indication of such feelings; and they 
have now identified themselves with all the former rob¬ 
bers and tyrants of that injured people. If the French 
government, in restoring the slave-trade, (after it had 
been abolished by a stroke of policy perfectly unique), 
intended to present a bonus to the slave-dealers, in 
order to appease them and ensure their concurrence 
with the political changes that had transpired, they 
exhibited a folly and weakness that was worse than 
puerile. But if it was done with a view of securing 
the profits arising from its continuance, which were 
enhanced by the renunciation of the trade by other 
nations—then their moral guilt is of the most flagitious 
description, and deserves to be held up to the execra¬ 
tion of the whole world, and to be handed down to 
posterity. Whichever of these motives prevailed, it 
cannot end well if persisted in. Soon or late it will 
draw down the vengeance of that God, who weighs 
