The Sun.
London, England, 1840-06-01 00:00:00

shrink from the task imposed upon me, at ail
events to offer an apology to the Meeting,
and those who surround me, that I should move the first
Resolution.—(Cheers.) As, however, apology would
take time, I shall only say that it is not my fault certainly,
if I am placed in this prominent situation.—(Cheers.) I
do confess, I was somewhat surprised that the Members of
the Committee, and more especially, my old Parliamentary
friends, should have placed me in a situation in which it
was necessary I should speak ; because I well recollect
when I was in the House of Commons, that consternation
spread from bench to bench, when any gentleman rose to
deliver his opinions, who had already appeared in print
It is not my intention to yield to the temptation, to refer
to any part of my book, but I will take this opportunity
of saying, the subject is so large that I think the
best thing I can do is to reduce what I have to say within
the smallest possible compass. But there is one subject
which I cannot omit—l must be permitted to say that I
feel the highest gratification and satisfaction at the honour,
the high and the distinguished honour, which is this day
bestowed upon our infant Society.,—(Cheers.) I under
stand that your Royal Highness has most properly avoided
party and political meetings.—(Cheers.) That cheer as-
sures
me that I may answer for the assembly that there
will be nothing of the kind to-day.—(Cheers.) Differ we
undoubtedly do, but not today.—( Cheers.) You see here
assembled persons of every variety of politics, and of
every shade of religious belief, there may be disunion, and
bitter ones, but here, I will venture to say, you will find
us united in one common heart, and one common bond.
namely, hatred of the traffic in man I—(Great cheering.)
The resolution I have to propose is that, Notwithstanding
all the measures hitherto adopted for the suppression of the
foreign trade in slaves, the traffic has increased, under cir-
cumstances of aggravated horror, and prevails to an extent
imperiously calling for the strenuous and combined exer-
tions of the whole Christian community, to effect its ex-
tinction. You see we acknowledge that we have been de-
feated, and disappointed and baffled, but the business of
this day resolves itself into a single question—Shall a new
effort be undertaken to put an end to it ?—(Cheers. )
What is the state of Africa ? Why it is an universal
slaughter-house; that fact stands upon evidence that can-
not be disputed. What is its ti ade ? The bodies of its
inhabitants. What its religion? The sacrifice of human
flesh. The trade itself sweeps off and mows down mul-
titudes. Every day in the year sees fresh horrors--
thousands die in traversing the sands ; and the slave ship is
a pestilence that stalketh upon the waters.—( Cheers.) The
very shark knows the barque of blood, and expects its daily
subsistence.—(Cheers.) If there is a conviction that has
been imprinted in my mind, it is that the horrors of Africa
are not to be conce:ved.—(Cheers.) The tongue cannot
tell, and the mind of man cannot conceive them—they
outrun the comprehension of the mind. I have myself at-
tempted to give a delineation of the Slave Trade, but I
feel convinced that I have utterly and completely failed in
deliniating the horrors of that traffic ; but I will wind up
with a picture which does deliniate it—a picture drawn by
an inspired hand , ." The whole head is sick mid the
heart faint, from the sole of the foot to the crown of the
head there is no soundness in it, hut sorest wounds."
Now, what is it we aim at—we do not pretend to say that
what we aim at we shall rapidly attain ; but we hope
to attain it at last.—(Cheering.) What is it we do
aim at? The very reverse of what prevails in Africa at
present. We aim at peace.—(Cheers.) I speak this
with more emphasis, because a question has been put to
me by an enlightened friend of Africa. Our object is
exclusively for peace in Africa, that peace which will
enable men to pursue their honest calling without the ap-
prehension of the man-stealer being in the neighbourhood,
to pounce upon his children.—( Cheers.) We want
industry, and out of that we feel no doubt of transforming
the face of the country.—(Cheers.) We want something
more than industry—we want free labour.—( Renewed
Cheers.) We have no intention of endeavouring to
civilize Africa by the whip and chain..—( Cheers.) We
wish to display oar influence in extending freedom and
not slavery.—(Cheers.) We want commerce for the
country, by which we shall carry away the superfluities of
Africa, and bring back to her what this country produces.
Above all, we want religion.—(Cheers.) I say that the
more emphatically, because upon that there is much to
entice us. It is said that we should not place too much
dependence upon missionaries. In answer to that, I say they
have done, and still continue to do, much good for our cause.
If these ne errors, I stand here convicted—nay avowing,
that such ares the opinions I hold. Every one views a subject
deeply interesting to him under his own peculiar impres-
sions, and mine is the idea of Africa blessed with Chris-
tianity, and under the influence of Christianity.—( Cheers. )
What is the condition of Africa? It is not my intention
to quote my book, but there is one circumstance I would
relate, for it gives a clear and defined view of the state of
Africa. There was a chief of Africa. just' returned from
one of his expeditions, where he had becn so successful as
to capture many human beings, and having slaughtered
many. A missionary was present, from whom I had this
relation. He called to him a little boy, trembling under
appeehensions of the horrors that overhung him. He took
compassion on the child, and requested that he might be
given tcy him. Happy would it have been for the boy had
it been so; lie would have been reared in Christian prin-
ciples, and perhrrps afterwards have been a missionary of
the Gospel to his own country. But it was not to be so.
The fate of the boy was irrevocably sealed. He nas de-
voted to the " Great Spirit."
( Here Mr. Buxton cvas interrupted by the inappropriate
sound of cheering, every eye being directed towards the
platform entrance, where, amidst the dense crowd, the
figure of Mr. O'Connell entering, as is his wont, after the
commencement of the proceedings, was beheld. Tile un-
seemliness of the interruption produced counter hisses,
which were answered by reiterated cheering and so on for
some moments, till order having been somewhat restored,
Mr. Buxton went on)—
I now see the cause of the interruption. Ido trust the
cause of Africa will not be sacrificed this day to party feel-
ing.—(Loud cheers.) I know the Gentleman who
has just entered is one of the most powerful advocates of
our cause.—(Cheers.) This I will pledge myself to for
him, that if he discovers his presence here at all prejudices
the cause, or is a bone of contention, he will instantly re-
tire.—( Cheers.) Let all our controversies this day sub-
side—(Cheering)—all our dissensions at this meeting
sleep.— (Loud cheers.) I will go on then.—( Hear, hear,
hear.) I was stating what we aim at. Now let me state
on what we place our reliance. I do most cor-
dially acknowledge the assistance which has been
rendered to the cause by a great body of our
fellow-countrymen, but our dependence is not on them.—
( Hear, hear.) I remember how the Anti-Slavery public
fought the battle of the negro for fifteen years, and brought
it to a successful issue.—(Cheers.) -But it is rot on
their, nor even on the great council of the nation, though
there I know that but one feeling prevails as to the impera-
tive call this cause has upon our humanity and justice.—
(Cheers.) But it is not on them that we rely, as the
great hope and bulwark of our confidence.—( Hear, hear.)
If we depended upon human agency, we might possibly
be disappointed.—(Hear, hear, hear.) But we have a
higher hope, a stronger confidence; we believe, with all
humilty, yet with all assurance—we know frcm God's own
words that when we engage in a duty like this we may
hope for his help—(Cheers)—that when we arc engaged
in a cause for the benefit of his creatures his blessing will
not be wanting.—( Cheers.) But as far as human agency
ie concerned I will tell you what it is we do want. We
want the hearts of this assembly, we want the hearts and
the influence of the people of England—but it is not to
be confined within the British seas—we want all Christen-
dom to stand up on this question —(Cheers.) lam in-
duced to think that we have been too exclusive in the
quarters from which we are to look for assistance. We
have a great body of real friends in America, who, after
the expositions recently given of the use which has been
made of the American flag ( I trust without countenance
from American authorities) fur advancing the slave traffic,
are anxious to suppress it. We have friends in France too,
and I take the liberty of saying we have a friend—an Abo-
litionist—where one would least be expected—in the Yeti-
can—(llear, hear)—for the Pope has issued a Bull
through Spain, Portugal, Cuba, and Brazil, of which I
shall not be suspected of weak Protestantism, if I say that
I trust and believe that it will do good.—(Hear, hear, and
a laugh.) But, I repeat it, we want the hearts of this
assembly. There is not a single person in this company,
from your Royal Highness to the lowest person here, who
cannot do the cause some service. We want every one to
do his best.—(lear.) We want the aid of the power-
ful, and many powerful arc here—( Hear, and cheers)--
we want the wealthy to bestow on Africa their money,
and we want the intellectual to dedicate to poor Africa
their minds ; and those who have neither wealth, nor
power, nor influence, they can aid us with their prayers.
—(Chaers.) They can call down the Divine blessing on
the momentous expedition about to hold intercourse with
Africa, and the gallant and Christian men who are willing
to peril their lives in the great cause. In that language
familiar to so many of us, they can pray that 'peace and
happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be esta-
blished in Africa through all generations.—(Cheers.)
It would, however, be improper in a person so obscure as
myself to occupy you much longer : but may I be excused
if I venture to express the deep feelings of respect and
participation with which this vast multitude hail your
Royal Highness in that chair—( Loud cheers)—and to de-
clare my fervent and earnest desire that her Majesty, your
Highness's Royal Consort—( Reiterated cheering)—may
long reign upon her throne with boundless prosperity, and
with surpassing glory.—( Continued cheering.) Ido not
forget—who ever can ? the military triumphs of this
country ; but I do say, that there is a road
to glory more illustrious and purer far, than victories
like those of Waterloo and Trafalgar could open to us.—
(Cheers.) To arrest the destruction of mankind—to
throw a blessing on a continent in ruins—to give civiliza-
tion and spread the Gospel over a region, in comparison
with which the extent of the British empire itself is insig-
•nificant.—(Cheers.) Ido say this is the higher ground,
the loftier path, and my desire is, that her Majesty may
wtreadith everyit. —(blessing,T r e m
here dous
ee
se
tyy i ng
may to far distant days be. ) My prayer is, that
the beloved Sovereign of this people—that she may
" Shine, the leader of applauding nations,
To scatter happiness and peace around ;
To bid the prostrate captive rise and live;
To see new cities tower at her command,
And happy nations flourish in her smile,"
(Tremendous and long-continued cheering.)
The Bishop:of WINCHESTER then rose and said—May it
please your Royal Highness, my Hon. Friend who has just
sat down has described himself, I need not say how
tut.
justly, as an bumble and obscure individual.—(Bear,
hear.) An obscure individual 1 Why, so long as the an.
nals of this country shall last, so long shall the name of
that Hon. Gentleman be identified with the almlition of
I°rgest v
the Church of England in this great cause._(Cheers.)
slavery.—(Loud cheers.) I rejoice that I need not detain
of
your Royal Highness cr this meeting at any great length
in seconding the resolution which that excellent individual
sympathy
thy expression,
of
the
Clergy
has moved, but I should deeply regret if, upon an occasion
like the present there weorfe
the riop
t some
er
inadequate and feeble,
I feel, Sir, it is due to ourselves, as it is due to this great
cause, to declare an attachment and an adherence to it. Is
indeed this were a question of politics, then we might in
truth hesitate ere we ventured to thrust ourselves into the
• fore front of the theba ; but that this is no question cf
politics under any sense of the word, I feel we have the