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tinent the benign influence of civilization 5 
and no one felt niore ftrongly than Wad- 
ftrom what a wide meaning of happinefs 
that word contains! No one deplored 
more fincerely than himfelf, that huma- 
nity has been fo long infiulted by partial 
civilization ; and that even in thoie parts 
of the globe where flavery does not exift, 
particular portions of fociety have made a 
monopoly of knowledge, as if a certain 
degree of education were not the right of 
all. 
Wadfrom, in having powerfully con- 
tributed to the abolition of the flave trade, 
may be confidered not merely as the bene- 
fagtor of the Africans, but hasa claim to 
the honors of more extenfive benevolence ; 
fince the fyftem of flavery is perhaps no 
lefs fatal to the Europeans than to the 
Africans. Where flavery prevails, all 
the. paffions rage with ungovernable 
violence; every generous fentiment is ob- 
literated ; corruption degrades, licentiouf- 
nefs debafes, power hardens the mind, 
and the dignity of human nature, violated 
in the perton of the flave, is avenged by 
the confequent depravity of the mafter. 
Even women in thofe regions, they, who 
thould feel pity an irrefiftible inftin@, they 
whio feem born to footh with fympathizing 
tears every mifery, and to plead with 
mild accents for every fufferer, even they, 
where flavery prevails, difplay the mon- 
ftrous contraft of weaknefs and ferocity ; 
of voluptuous indolence, and aétive cru- 
elty ; of a frame enervated by all the re- 
-finements of luxury, and an heart fteeled 
by familiarity with crimes. And their 
children, on whofe duétile minds thofe 
leffons of mercy fhould be imprefied, to 
which the uncorrupted heart beats refpon- 
five; who fhould be taaght to liip the 
glowing tale of the oppreffor punifhed, and 
the good made happy, imbibe, from exam- 
ple, all the caprices of cruelty, and be- 
fore they can difcern the diftin¢étions of 
vice and virtue, are curfed with the in-’ 
heritance of guilt: 
If then we are grateful to the memory 
of Wadftrom for his efforts to confer hap- 
pinefs on the Africans, we ought alfo to 
remember with gratitude that he has ref- 
cued the colonifts frcm mifery ; for furely 
miferable amid all that fortune can be- 
ftow, is he, who is condemned to look 
back on the record of life without finding 
the {weet memorial of one generous aétion, 
ene wrong redrefled, one tear fhed with- 
out witnels, for the unhappy! 
On his return from Africa, Wadftrom 
vifited England, where thofe perfons who 
were acquainted with his philanthropic 
Memoirs of the Life of Charles Berns Wadftrom. 
principles, folicited him ftrongly to re- 
main fome time. The great queftion of 
the abolition of the flave trade, was at 
that period brought forward in the Britith 
parliament, and Wadftrom obtained per= 
miffion from the king of Sweden to re- 
[July 
main in England during the important _ 
difcuffion. He was repeatedly examined 
at the bar of the Houfe of Commons on 
this fubjeé&t, and produced the journal he 
had kept of the tranfaétions of every day, _ 
during his ftay in Africa. His evidence 
‘was confidered as highly curious, ufeful, 
and interefting, and was often referred to 
in the debates which took place on that 
occafion. The opinions he delivered re- 
{peéting the abolition of the flave trade, 
and the eftablifiment of philanthropic 
colonies, gave rife to the pie ebc of 
Sierra Leona, and Boulama, which may 
juftly be confidered as monuments ereg&ted 
in favour of humanity and liberty, by gene- 
rous and enlightened friends of mankinds 
Wadftrom publifhed feven years fince 
in London, an agtavo volume, containing 
much interefting information -refpecting 
his African expedition, and many im; 
portant obfervations on colonization. 
Buonaparte, when departing for Egypt, 
wifhed to obtain a copy of this work, and 
enquired of Wad{ftrom where it could be 
purchafed. On account of the difficulty 
of communication between France and 
‘England, Wadftrom had of late been 
unable to fupply himfelf with any copies 
of this work, and had but one copy left 
in his poffeffion, which he immediately 
prefented to the general. 
But while Wadftrom, the friend of hu- 
man kind, continued to exert all the 
energies of his mind in the great caufe of 
humanity, a mortal malady was under- 
mining his conftitution, and leading him 
by gradual fteps to the grave. The fa- 
_tigues of body, the anxieties of mind he 
had fuffered, together with the great tran- 
fitions of climate, had brought on a pul- 
monary confumption, of which, after a 
long ftruggle with the natural vigour of 
his frame: he died on the fifteenth of 
Germinal, 7th year. 
Haat felt what the Englith poet 
calls 
‘¢ The ruling paffion ftrong in death ;” 
the triumphs of the French Republic were 
to him a continual fource of enjoyment, 
becaufe he believed the liberty, and con- 
fequently the happinefs of the world de- 
pended on its fuccefs. A friend, who 
vifited him in his laft hours, endeavoured 
to cheer his mind with thofe_confolations 
which he thought moft congenial to his 
-  Feligious 
‘ 

