The Sun.
London, England, 1814-06-18 00:00:00

ADAIR-RA I'Y•OFFICE, Alay, 1S 14.

.• - -
NOTICE is &telly given) that a Sessioit of Oye,
Gnd Terptinerernd Cool Delii,ery,frr the .nial of Of
eommittrdon
,the High Seas, within the Jateirdietion of
the .dtliniralty of E,ngland,will be held at JuNtiee Llitll, in the
Old 13ai14; London, on Friday, tie Ist of July next, at
Eight eCloch in the Morning.

CROKER.

CPRICt STXPEVOt-FTALPAIWNyt,

~~, ~~~

AIiOUTION OF THE SLAVE TRADE.

Yesterday, in consequence of e
tisement, a very numerous Meeting took
Freemason's-tavern, of the. Fiends of the Abort-1
tion of the Slave Trade. His Roval High'; .s
the Duke of GLOUCESTER was called to the Chair,
The Duke of GLOUCESTER felt himself much tio:.
nourcd at being called to the Chair, as it was •an
assurance to him that the company did justice" to
his feelings, in considering him as a sincere friend
to the abolition of this most detestable trade.—
Many of the most distinguished 'friends' of 'Citd
Abolition had felt it to he their
,cluty to con veuti
this public meeting, in consequence of an article
in the Treaty which had now been laid before
Parliament. They thought thatnot a moineut
should be lost in carrying into effect whatevet
measures might be deethed the most effectual for
preventing the revival of the trade. Ile was /de-
sirous of trespassing on their. time- as. shortly as
possible, and should therefore confine himself to
stating the purpose for which the present meeing
was convened. He should now call upon Some of_
those able friends of the Abolition who were neat'
him, to state to the company what they had to
propose,-

WIL4IERFORCE then came forward; anti
was' received with. the loudest applause. Elewas
conVinced that all who heard him, as well as the
Nation at 'large, were decided friends to the alio-
lido!). of the Slave Traafe: It was: impossible for
them not to be aware of the very critical cirettui-
. .stances in which that great cause Was now placed.
It was impossible for thoSe who took' a company-
tire view of the situation of the questionnoV4
. with its situation and prospects before the treaty,
not to feel the most serious diSappointinetit tout
regret. The friends of the abolition (and who in
this country were not its 'friends bad fluttered
themselves that their -cause, as being the cause
• .of justice awl humanity, would have met floe
• i sup port of all Nations ; and now they found that
this country was' ,about to give. up-to France
Colonies that were now in our pessession,
and upon a direct . understanding that the Slave
"Trade was to be continued in those colonies for
.the term of five years. By this article• in tire
treaty, 'he conceived that the sanction of. this'
country was, in some 'degree given to -a 'systeds
which, had been ..:so cfteir' called' a system of
.robbery and murder. It had been, called so, not
in the figurative sense, which wits:often given to
- such expressions, but it had beeis called :so in this
sense of the words ; because lit) other terms
could he selected that more properly described the-7
nature of this traffic. He was not as 'yet acquaint-;
ed with the eircunistances which led to this fatal,
surrender on the part of this country. fie would
not, therefore, now blame it in thoSe.terms• which'
his feelings 'woold otherwise fain upon, him to lire;
but lie was firmly persuaded that no considere7-
tions. arising- frompolitical.interests or expediencY
could be of sralicient weight, as to justify this
country in•giving its sanction to this odiot4 trade,
if trade it could be called. lie should not, hors
ever, take upon himself to judee-of the conduct
any man until he had heard his reasons : •but it
appeared to' him absolutelv necessary that the
friends.of tht abolition should lose no time in
sidering what they could do to mitigate, at
the extremity of the evil with which Africa seas
now threatened. When he. 'considered 'the very
gradual progress that the cause had made in thiS
'conntry, from the time it ,was first agitated,
to the time .that his Noble Friend who. Witt
then near hint (Lord Grey), and another No;
ble Friend, not their Tresent;• but who wa's
a zealous 'friend to the cause' (Lord Greh-
ville), successfully proposed to Parliainent. the
abolition of the Trade.: this slow and. 'gradual
.progress of the cause in this country gave rise th
various anti mixed considerations. On the one
hand,- it gave the most severe disappointhseut to
those who had been so long- snuggling with dif-
ficulties, and labouring up the steep ascent, and
who had just begun to, enjoy the glorious pros:-
pert of the completa destruction of this most odi,
ous and accursed traffic, to find that those bright
. prospects were snatched from their view, mid tis 4
theywere perhaps destined to behold still greater
miseries than they had before contemplated. •
the other 'hand, however, when we remembered
•how very graded the triumph of the cause hail
been, even in this country, we might, in lit?-
tice to those:who.were but lately our ens mica.;
hoge, that when the same information ve2pt..ct-
ing the real mature of this Trade should h.
dill-use-rt. amongst 'them, they, too would look
upon. it With the same horror that we did. Vi.e.
should -recollect. not only-how long this o4tesi:
flan had been: depending in Parliiameiit, but what
.difficulties, it had to encounter 'even in the pith/le
,opinion, and how many adeoeateS were found tai
,contend that it might be politically right, 1-...lthough,
nmally wrong. Although he Could never alio h 7
that any thin., which was morally Wrong could hz•
politically right, vet this country had had the
good fortune, in this instance, to have'proved hy
experience,7'that what seas- morally. wroog•NVIS
also politically wrong, France, however, had not
had the opportunity of trying' the experiment.--
The great object' then-, of. this Meeting wa§ to
consider 'how every One in 'his sphere could-proi
Mote the cause byextending to other Nations th
inforniation on the subject which this 'cotottri
possessed.. It' was impossible to remain tritti•te,i)
and inactive upon this occasion ; and he, Vor one;
most unaffectedly declared that- he felt shame foi•
not having taken the necessary tneans'of spreading
in foreign nations that information which wa
longer necessary in thisrountry, that had eamplete—
ly made up its mind upon this great question. it was
particularly to France that this information, shoal
bre communicated. in this country, the Slave Tritd;)

bad latelF r.eceiveei deadly Vow teor:: a Bill
brongirt into Parliament by an. Hon. and Learned
Vilma near him (Mr. Brougham), for glaring it
on the same, footing as other felonies. This was
xing the scandal of public opinion upon it ; and
since -Oat time men wonlii be as much ashatned.of
being advocMes of the Slave Trade, as they wmdcl,
be to be advocates for murder or house-hreakiog:

1-16 understood that in consequence of. this AM,
there were two men now on hoard the hulks) who
had amassed 'fortunes in' Africa by the, Shire
Tsude. 'Taey had continued their practices after
the„passing of the Act ; but the law ititircepte.l
them in their career, and Sellt them to the -hulks,
the common receptacle of felons. The Frenc!)
Isere a high-minded antt geuerous people ; and he
-hoped that when they were aquainfed with the real
character of the trade, they would abandon
it.--
'.here was, however, one consideration which he
thought should have . opened the eyes of our ne-
gociators: There was not (he might say it without
any ,flattery to the people of this country), the
same degree of religious and 1130ral feeling il)
France as in this country... It was ,upon the reli-
gious and morarfeeling of this country, as upon a
rock, that he hail planted his foot in all the ex-
ert ions that he had made for the success of the
cause. He had argued, that it. vrits contrary to

the laws of God and the dictates of humanity;
and he had felt assured, that in tliis coutttry, be-
fore
.such argument as that, all argument :1 drawn
from political con'i-enieuce, or political iutereste,
would be blown away like chaff before.the wink!.
Such was the casein thig•country ; hut we could
vot feel the satue assurance that those conNi-

&rations xvould have equal weight another
country. Lie hoped, however,
.that the cause
of Justice and Philanthropy must .ultimately ,tri-
umph.. It was, however, a circumstance which
gave considerable satisfaction►: and hope, that those

Illustrious Monarchs, with whom we we Fe now

. .
allied, with wiwin we had been joined in arduous
,struggles, and who had now arrived to the pin-
Itncle of glory, were friends to the 'abOlition of
-.the Slave Trade (Gond applause). The Huiperor
Alexander, as he understood, was particularly fa-
vourable to their cause. lie was infOrmed, that
.the King of Prussia and the Emperor of 'Austria
were plsofavcrurable, -They owed it to their own
high characters, they owed it to Almighty God
whoshad.plaeed•dietet:in situations of such high
influence over human affairs, to give their best
endeavours to alleviate the evils of. mankind, .and
mitigate the sufferings and wraehedness.of Africa.
A Congress was- shortly to be held-at Viinna for
settling the peace of Europe ; and he hoPed, that
at that Congress such representations . would
made as.might.be effectual in. patting an iritwe-
diate ctop•tp this trade;- We lout now,ceded large
colonies to France, with an express understand-
jog that the trade was to'continue for five years, and
we had no security that it .would he .discontinued
then. Those who agreed to such -a surrender,
bad certainly taken upon themselves a most fear-
ful-responsibility ; and it was for them to see that
the . heavy price which was thus paid for peace,
4liottl4l not be•extended beyond their agreement.
It was the duty, however, of the friends of the'
Abolition to endeavour, in every possible way, to
influence Parliament and the nat ion to oppose the
cunt nuance of the Slave Trade. For this. pur-
pose, it would be necessary to haVe a petition
presented with. signatures. so numerous, as clearly
to express the feeling of this country upon this
great question. Although we were at peace with
,France, we should maintain a deadly enmity to the
iSlaveTrade. We shouldinake_no treaty with it, no-

parley, no truce for.fiveyears. (loud applause.) Al-
though it might- be the intention of the negociators
that the woutuk of Africa should be then closed, he
aT,preberiacd that it would be a great aggravation of
the miseries and wretchedness of that Continent.. It
was precisely that part of it, where we had replaced
this odious trade .by a more useful commerce,
that was now to be surrendered to France. A
brave officer near him (Captain Irby) had lately,
in the execution of his duty, destroyed,' the fac.
Wries on that coast, and rooted ont the bests of
that had settled there. lie was afraid that
this trade would again return there, .and nation
be set against nation, village ag,ams:t viilagc, and
family against family. Under the banner of their
illustrious Chairman, the friends of the abolition
.might feel confident, that they conic; not. have a
better leader, as they were sure that they could
not have a juster- cause. After some further ob-
servations, Le concluded by moving the itesobt-
tiohs (nine in number), of which the following is
a correct outline .

"The Meeting have viewed with regretno provisions made
in the late Treaty or Peace •for the AbolitiOta of the Slave'
Trade, and they are concerned to sec a proSpeet held out of
its immediate revival ; 'they lament to see the popolousisland
of Gandaloope,- and other places where the abolition of slavery
had been made an indispensible conditiOn, ceded to Prance.,
by which the system of slavery and robbery would be revived.;
and they were sorry that, a coast. which extended fifteen hun-
dred Miles, was again *given up to the detestable traffic in_
slaves.: Slice the-abolition of. the Slave Trade, they had seen
the legitimate traffic of Africa increased, and its revival would
consign it to destruction. They lamented the recognition
of the renewal of the Slave Trade, and were of opinion that
exteofsive interests would be created which, at the end of five
:years, would make total abolition difficult. They were anxi-
ous to promote -in Frani:e a detestation of this traffic, and
were desirous that Parliament should take measures for effec-
tually guarding against the infraction of the British Act of
Abolition by the clandestine importation of Slaves from the
French colonies Into those belonging to Britain. Andy finally,
they most anxiously implored the frihnds of this great and gotad
cause to Government, in Parliament' and in the country, to

exert themselves in briciging about a per: abolition of

this detestable traffic."

Earl GREY felt the full force of the compliment
paid to him and his Friends, for the part they had
taken in the abolition of the odiouS traffic, and
congratulated his "Ica. Friend on his most merci-
ful forbearance concerning the conduct of those
Avho concluded this Treaty with France,, which
every one who reflected would condemn as inca-
pable of defence. Look at it under the different
views of territorial possession, mercantile !inte-
rest, and national honour—points on which sa-
crifices were comnionly made in territorial ag-
grandisement j in mercantile interest we. had
gained no advantage, and iu national honour
h ow much'hud we lost, The honour of tin na-

tin ,6oTIS tted m'obiei,viAg the piincilrles
inQrlity and justice ; in forgetting these, we had
plunged t\trica into all the horrors of bloodshed
;-rrid devastation from which she bad recently been
reseed.,-.7(Applans„. if .this Treaty did not re-
ceive modificatiOs at.the Colvess,
less than' a coMplete re-establishment, with all
its agravat ions, 'of this abominable trade. Since
he came into this Meeting, he hat! received infor-
Mation, which certainly did not surprise liiul, that
many persons interested in the West India Traffic
had a/petitiou in contemplation for the renewal of
the Slave Trade for tivc years which they intended
to present to Parliament: This, he.hopedi would
be-strenuously oyposed, and effectually. silenced-;
but if it succeeded, neither his sign or his name
Amide. appear at such an act of national degrada-
tion. lie was positive that the revival of the
SlaVe Trade would be the certain consequence of
the articlein the Treaty of Peace, and in this par-
ticular he wished the resolutiOns amended, where
ifs revival was only held out in prospect.
Mr. WILBE.RFoacE Said, -he was entirely of the
same opinion; and the amendment was immedi-
ately addpted, and all the" resolutions were passed
With acclamation.
_ .

Mr. WHITBREAD :bad been desired to propose a
Petition founded on the Reiolutions to which,
they had so cordially 'assented, and • after what
had been said, it was difficult to arouse their feel-
ings to a higher pitch•;; but it was not-bitn who
spoke .!.o them, hut-the voice of millions of Atia-
cans came throng-llhis mouth, praying their con-
corrduce in a iictition,,Which alt would betlesirous
to sign, till the i'atliainent, speaking-in the !Mine
of the whole people, would restore ;them to the
pre-eminent station, which they stood before the
treaty' was signed.•;---In this "trade they were a de-
graded, ;nit notudtzspairiug nation ;----,%0u1d never
despair, they had to contend against an act of op-
pression. and nitirthn. they had to inform the
Mind,;: of the people of Fi auce, but to inform
them through the •press; had been hitherto
found impossi 4,1 e, for the Parliamentary enactment
concerning this traffic had never been able•to find
tbch- way into the newspApers. ~This,was:,not
'questioh of 'comparative strcagtb, ..or a -face. of
opulence against opulence ; let those rule Fr-ance
who could obtain that honour, and let our
Allies
tlraw their swords lilt our defenee, ui euiploy them
against us, this was' a cause .we Ought to
have
maintained, and the sword of England should have
remained unsheathed till it.was ontained. tztitt tic-
count had recently arrivcd frtim Ceylon, that some
miscreants, who had stolen away• ntrinlier of
children, with the design of seiling them for:
slaVes, were followed, taken, condemned, aini
punished, •according, as they were' told, to the
14elings of the people of I:lritaiu.;. but if. this
• Treaty should find itg way to Ceylon, with
what indignatiOn would those men-stealers win
round to the British, when they saw that we tares
justly permitted one Nation to maintain this pro-
'fitable traffic, and punish others who had Claims
to such merciful indulgence. Why did we sheath
the sword, wilcu,. by keeping it 'out of the scab-
bard without shedding blood, we might have ob-
tained all that was humane and just ?. By per-
mitting that auspicious moment to pass by we had
lost the golden opportunity for ever, and it, was
impossible to obtain such laudable. desires. now
without-renewing the Horrors of. human carnage in
Etirope., We were now revelling in delights, and.
consecrating day arid night.tb festivity, while we
were carelessly consigning to .miser,y millions of
innocent and.unborn victims. Trophies of suc-
cessful ‘varlareliad been hung around us ; we had
read that the brave armies of France contend-
ed with armies braver still, who became their
'conquerors, but what was the contest now ? Oi.
the. coast of Africa, slave ships, a.sight unusual
there, have arrived, and the dismal scenes of sof%.
feting, and violence, and niureker, will he speedily
recommenced. He hoped the whole nation would,
present a Petition against file • traffic ;
had already been, compelled to listen to the Voice
of the people in a measure (the Corn Bib) which
.was sanctioned by many wise and well-informed
tnen ; let them lift their voice in the eause,,of, ha,
inanity, and their interference would save •Atrica,
lie concluded by. moving, " That a Petition,
founded on the nesOlutious, should be drawn out
and presented to both (louses of Parliament."

LOrd MILTON concurred with the Resolutions,
and with the. Motion for a Petition, bat recom-
mended an amendment in one of the Resolutions,
where the wish to prevent-the introduction of
the, Slave Trmie"-into the French Islands appear
to emanate more from a desire of mercantile gain
than feeling's of humanity. This'amendment was
lintnediately adopted.

Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH said,, the article con-
cerning the Slave Trade, in the Treaty, admitted
of no defence, and he hoped they were prepared
.to pass upon it a final sentence of degradation, for
be never• remembered the hand of Britain put to
an act so disgraceful. in five years a million of
slares would be 'transported' to St. Domingo and
the fertile coast of Brazil, and different parts in
America, and the. human species would thus be
destroyed by horrible expedients. He would have
preferred
.a continuation of war to a stipulation
which meditated murder against the people of
Africa.

The Marquis of LANS.DOWN said the Petition to
.the Peers would be presented by his Royal High-
ness in the Chair, and to the House of Collin-lons
by the great father of the measure, Mr. Wilber-
force. Much would be done by the perseverance
of the friends of the cause. The Councils of fo-
reign Sovereigns would be influenced in helmlf of
humanity ; and when the Congress was, held for
Abe final arrangements of the affairs of Europe,-he
hoped the abolition of slavery would he presented
to France as a law recognized by. England and
the Allied Sovereigns—a law to direct the world,
so long as religion, hutnanity, and mercy reigned
among men; and ,he was persuaded France would
never lay her hand on the acts .of this unhallowed
cause, and unslkath her sword against the neigh•
bouring nations. The Noble Marquis concluded
by moving that the Duke of Gloucester and Mr.
'Wilberforce should be
,requested to present the
Petition to both Houses.of Parliament. _ _

'Lord HOLLAND, Sir S. ROMILLY, and Lord
KINNAIRD, spoke precisely to the same effect'as
the preceding speakers; after which the Duke of
Gloucester left the Chair, and thanks were unit.-

i• n:oay vote e !Lib:ills a L,osii6';;li
.',.,4-vang succeeded fiiM as Chairlitan.
1 hanks were also voted to Yr. Wilberr6rci:.,
the Marquis of Lansdowne, and the 'other Noble-
men s5-ha had been instrutku.tel', in callingthe
. .
eet i Lig .
latter piotion h7.7:ng- been piTpared by Mr.
Waithman, who,,hoped he wollid hefearter
want theii concurrence when great leading ques-
tions were agitated, and it him pectt_
, liar satisfaction in seeing then' appear in meetings
of a Simil'ar destription oftener in future. He
therefore moved the Thanks of the Mteting tn the
Illustrious Characters who had' been instrumental
in calling them all together:
Earl Gnat expressed, much gtatilicatioit the
motion, and his pleasure was not at all diminish-
ed when he recollected the quarter in which it had
originated. He was, Whate,ver the Gentletbari
who had-proposed the motion .might think, a sin-
cere friend to lroertv and the principles-of the
Constitution, and was unconscious of having
merited censure for in), of his public acts. lie
would hereafter continue, as he had done hereto-
fore to follow the dictates of his own conscience,
careless whether he met that Gentlenrans ap-
plause or not, for he Was neither dismayed by his
esnisure,-nor cheered by his approbation
Mr. WA ITHM AN stepped' fOnVard to .reply, amid
infinite clamour and abundance of, groans and
hisses. His friends called out lousily tip the Chair-
Iran to calm the tumult, hut in the mean time the
Thanks of the Company were given 'to the Noble
Chairman, and the seat was left vacant. The
clamour seemed rather to increase than dint.inish.
?dr. Waithinan maintained his resolution to be
heard with perseverance, and a Gentleman who
stood beside -him called out " Chair,
Chafr 1." When a persoh, who stood at tlre
contemptuously turned the back . of the vacant
chair: on Mr. \V. who immediately turned away ;
and after 'a fruitless endeavour to obtain a hear-
.
ittg frbm a portion of, the company, at length de-
sisted. •
The Petition was ordered to remain at the Bar
for sigAature.