Toyin Agebtu, head of human rights organisation Ligali, protests at a service to mark the bicentenary of the 1807 Act to abolish the slave trade in Westminster Abbey


happiness of his creatures to consist – in the maintenance of society, in the charities of dear relations, of husband and wife, of father, son, and other kindred? In the due discharge of the relative duties of these different characters consists almost all the happiness of human life. Te endearments of society depend upon them; and in depriving human beings of such endearments, do you not take away from them all happiness whatever? But, my Lords, is this all? Can we flatter ourselves that the mischief which it has created, will not be remembered for many ages, to our reproach? And, indeed, I am afraid it is much greater than any of us con-


ceive; certainly much greater than has been produced by any other system of policy, or of trade, that ever was adopted by this country, or indeed by any other; for there is nothing comparable to the evil of the African Slave Trade to be found in the whole history of this world, ancient or modern. In ancient times, as history informs us, there were slaves made


of captives taken in war. Tis was the practice of ancient Greece, but all the neighbouring states knew they were subject to the same calamity, and this had the universal effect of lessening the cruelties exercised over the unhappy victims, because the conquerors were


New African | October 2011 | 47


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100