A statue celebrating the joys of freedom from slavery
gentlemen in this House; and we have heard much against slavery as being inconsistent with the principles of our Constitution. Now that was so far from being the opinion of our ancestors, that it was admitted, by them, to be necessary. So far has it been from being considered an odious thing that
no civilised nation ever existed upon the earth in which slavery did not exist, in some degree or other, under different regulations, as different circumstances might require. Sir, the Right Honourable Gentleman [the Solicitor General] will
easily confute me if I am wrong, but I shall quote divine authority to this House to show that the greatest, the wisest, and the happiest nation upon the earth, admitted slavery; for in the 25th Chapter of Leviticus, and in the 44th and 46th verses, it is thus recorded: “Both thy bondmen and thy bondmaids, which thou shall have, shall be of the Heathen that are round about thee; of them shall
words respecting the slave trade. But that was so far from being the view of our ancestors, it was admitted by them to be necessary”
places, particularly in the West Indies, are extremely dangerous, in as much as they lessen the security of property; an effect which is destructive to the colonies, as well as to the merchants in this country who are concerned [with] the West India Trade. Unless therefore you abolish the Trade at once, which I say you cannot do, the less you say about it the better. But on the subject of humanity, admitting the principle of the
advocates for abolition to be just, I say the object of humanity will not be attained by abolition, for it will only increase the demand from the [slaving] powers if we discontinue. And therefore if the Trade be inhuman, which I do not admit, you will not diminish the evil by the Abolition. But I will venture to say that the present measure has not humanity for its object, or at least it will not produce that effect. Te time, in which this measure is brought forward, I think
is quite objectionable. Tis is a time when we ought to foster our Trade and improve our manufactures, and protect our commerce; not a time to be indulging in idle and speculative opinions. If we are to try speculative opinions, let us try them when we have not the same necessity of taxation. Your colonial produce is essential to your taxation, and this the exigency of the war will require to be augmented, instead of being diminished. Sir, we hear a great many hard words respecting this Trade.
Robbery, rapine, murder, and all the other terrible expressions which the language can afford, have fallen from the lips of some
you have bondmen and bondmaids. And thou shall take them as an inheritance for thy children after thee to inherit them for a possession; they shall be thy bondmen forever.” Now, Sir, I am sure that the Honourable and Learned Gentleman
who spoke last, had he attended at all to the question as it really is, would have been much more moderate in his language, instead of dealing out, as he has done, anathemas of the most unfounded kind. But this question has hitherto been treated quite unfairly; and I trust it will appear to the House that its proper course is to appoint a committee to examine into the losses of those who shall be sufferers by the abolition of this Trade before any idea can be seriously entertained of that abolition. I should think that the House would lay it down as a principle
in the outset of such a proceeding as this, that indemnity to those who may suffer under it will be a distinguishing feature of any bill that may be brought forward. For surely in your anxious wishes to favour Africans, you will
not deny justice to your own countrymen; for it must be remem- bered that the ships which have been fitted up for this Trade, must be broken up for old timber when the Trade is abolished; for they will not be fit for any other trade, on account of their being built, according to an Act of Parliament, of particular dimensions. And I say also, that your having suffered the Trade to exist so
long is a reason why you cannot abolish it without injustice, un- less you afford to every person interested in its continuance full indemnity for his loss; and I say that as to the town of Liverpool,
New African | October 2011 | 41 “Sir, we hear a great many hard
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