The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-26 00:00:00

IN.AUGU.RATION OF THE MANCHESTER ANTI-
SLAVERY UNION.

A public meeting of the citizens of Manchester was held
on Thursday night, in the Friend's Meeting-house, Mount-
street, for the purpose of inaugurating the Manchester Anti-
slavery Union. The meeting was attended by a numerous
and highly respectable audience. The chair was occupied
by THOMAS CLEGG, Esq.
The CHAIRMAN in opening the business of the meeting,
explained the object for which they had assembled. He
said that the negro, when in a state of liberty, was not only
capable of taking care of himself and providing for himself;
but of performing all the duties of life. He believed the
African squadron had been the chief, the main cause, why
so much good had been done for the African, and if that
squadron were removed, the slave-trade would soon be as
bad as ever it was. (Hear, hear.) Some few years ago he
tried to show a native chief that it would be to his own
advantage to employ the native people. He gat all the
information he could on the subject, and received the willing
and ready co-operation of Mr. Bagley and several gentlemen
in London, amongst whom were some members of the
Society of Friends ; and they sent out perhaps a dozen
cotton gins, a packing-press, and various other articles
required to make a beginning ; and a large amount of cotton
had already begun to arrive in this country. It was cotton
of a good kind, and the trade in it promised to become a
large one. (Applause.) Let them keep before the public
the evils of the slave-trade, and let them circulate that
admirable book of Mrs. Stowe's—Uncle Tom's Cabin—par-
ticularly amongst the working-people, and he felt confident
that immense good would be the result. (Applause.)
Mr. F. W. CHESSON, one of the honorary secretaries, read
a statement which embraced the fundamental principles and
objects of the society, of which the following will afford a
sufficient notion:— _

" That so long as slavery exists, there is no reasonable
prospect of the annihilation of the slave-trade, and of ex-
tinguishing the sale and barter of human beings ; that the
extinction of slavery and the slave-trade will be attained
most effectually by the employment of those means which
arc of a moral, religious, and pacific character; that no
measures be regorted to by this society, in the preseent en of
these objects, but such as are in accordance with these prin-
ciples, and that persons of all sects be invited to, co-operate
with it."

The Rev. R. S. Scorr moved the first resolution, which
was seconded by the Rev. FREDERICK HEMMING, of the
United States and passed.
The CHAIRMAN remarked, that he had two Africans in his
establishment; one was in the counting-house, and as expert
a clerk as he had ; and the other was working at the
machines, and was as clever as any about him. He thought
it was an excellent plan to get people from Africa to come
here. (Hear, and applause.)
Mr. J OSEPH STURGE, one of the deputation from the pa-
rent society, noticed the proceedings of the African squad-
ron, which he had watched for more than 20 years, but
which had not materially lessened the slave trade, though
this country had spent more than twenty millions sterling in
trying to put it down. (Hear, hear.) The coast of Africa
was so extensive, that if all the squadrons in the world were
employed in the preventive service, he was satisfied that
with a profit of 400 or 500 per cent., the trade would still
be carried on. (Hear.) That was one of the grounds for
the formation of the Anti-Slavery Society, which went upon
the basis that unless there was an abolition of
slavery, there could not be an abolition of the
slave trade. (Hear.) He visited the United States
about ten years ago mainly in connection with the anti-
slavery question. Amongst other places he visited some of
the slave-trading establishments of the United States, where
slaves in the northern states were sold to go to the southern
states. At one of these establishments the proprietor de-
fended the traffic there carried on. He had often reflected
on this subject ; and he was one of those who thought that
as far as possible we should leave our American friends to
do their own work, as to the abolition of slavery, at the
time giving them all the assistance we could. (Cheers.)
He was one of those who thought that the English people
owed a little debt of justice to the authoress of Curie Tom's
Cabin, which had been published in such numbers in this
country, where the lady had not the benefit of a copyright.
But a testimonial was established for her, and the subscrip-
tion, which was not to exceed £2,000, was about to be
closed. Only £l,BOO had yet been raised, and he thought
there had not been five pounds sent from Manchester.
(Hear.) He then spoke of the importance of doing justice
to India, for he contended that the irhabitants of that
country had a strong claim on England to see that justice
was dune to them. (Hear.) He believed that the friends
of the slave all over the world could not work more effectu-
ally for the achievement of his freedom than in trying to
obtain an abundance of cotton and sugar from India. And
one great advantage would be facility of communication.
He hoped they would live to see the day when the sun
would neither rise upon tyrants nor set upon the slave.
(Loud cheers.)
Mr. LOUIS ALEXIS CHAMEROVZOW next addressed the
meeting in support of the ieboluauu.
The resolution was put from the chair, and carried unani-
mously.
The other speakers were, Mr. George Thompson, M.P.,
the Rev. Samuel B. Ward, a minister of colour, from
Canada, and the Rev. William Frail. A vote of thanks
having been proposed to the chairman, the meeting sepa-
rated.