The Sun.
London, England, 1840-06-16 00:00:00

EVEN ING ITION.

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slavery was to be uprooted for ever. It resied i.'°t with
America, for itwas beyond her power.—( Hear, hear. )
The worthy gentleman concluded by seconding the:.
resolution.
Mr. STAUNTON wished, before the question was put
from the Chair, to state one or two facts showing 02
palpable ignorance in America of the proceedings of those
who advocated the abolition of slavery. In one instance, a
Senator of Connecticut had stated to him that he did not
know the fact that Great Britain lied emancipated the:
slaves in its colonies —( Laughter.) Another tact was:
with; respect to a Member of the Congress of Ohio, who
had stated that he did not know that Great Britain Dad put
an end to slavery in her West Indian colonies.—(Hear.)
Mr. G. BRADFORD, of Massachussets, wished to make a.
few observations before the resolutions were put, He
agreed wit'a the statements of his friend who had
preceded him wife respect to the ignorance of the.
Americana as to the proceedings in this country of
those who advocate the abolition of the slave trade.-
He was, however, afraid that that ignorance was tot
genuine. He believed that they knsw the truth well
enough, but they were not willing to admit it ; and the
only way to make them do so was by publishing the ex-
ertions of those who endeavoured to put an cud to slavery,
in the publications of this country.—( Hear, hear.) The
Americans called themselves a Republic. Now he thought
that it might be as well to try those who were against the
abolition of slavery by their own theory. Now, what
was the meaning of the term Republic? Why it meant
a State governed for the interest of the whole community.
Was the interest of the whole community, he would ask,
considered by any State, whether a republic or not, when
slavery was allowed to exist ? Yet such was the state of
things in Republican America. Why even the Autocrat
of Russia, who held his authority from God alone, admitted
that the Government should be carried on for the benefit
of the people ; and he would venture to say that the Go-
vernment of Russia was far more like a republic than the
Government of America, for in the latter country they did
not profess to carry on the Government for the benefit of
the whole, for there it was said thst all men were born
equal with one another, with the exception of negroes.--
(Laughter.) They had not the liberty of the press in
America, neither had they religious liberty, for a man ins
that country could not alter his religious convictions with.
respect to slavery unless that conviction was that it was
patriarchal. He hoped the periodicals of Great Britain
would take some pains to bold up in their true
character a large number of persons in America
who called themselves abolitionists. Those who
did so were the very worst enemies the anti-slavery
advocate had to deal with, for they called themselves
abolitionists because they did not wish it to be known how
hostile they were to the just principles of humanity. It
was one thing for them to call themselves abolitionists, and
another to be so in reality. It was upon record, and his-
tory would therefore prove it, that at the time of the adop-
tion of the American Constitution it was stated, that not
half a century would elapse before every State in America
would put a total and entire end to slavery, and but for
these terms, it was his firm belief that that instrument
would never have received the sanction of the States.
The truth was, that every State in America was by that
instrument placed under a solemn obligation to put an
end to slavery. He trusted that the British people would
labour to convince the clergy of the necessity of this
great work, for hitherto he must confess that the
British clergy were more in favour of emancipation
than they were in America.—( Cheers.) He trusted that
the people of this country would send forth the voice of
earnest but affectionate remonstrance among the clergy
on this subject, in order that they might impress upon the
American clergy what their duties really were ; and he
would venture to say, that if they enly put the 17,000
clergy of America right upon this subject, they would deal
such a blow upon the monster slavery as would send bin
staggering to his own dark hiding place. They did not
want ministers in America to partake of their hospitalities,
and pronounce them to be excellent, but what they wanted
was, that they should come there prepared heart and soul to
exert every power that they possessed to accomplish so great
a work as that of the total extinction of slavery from the
face of the globe.—(Cheers.) By accomplishing such
an object they would do something for the cause of hu-
manity, Christianity, and justice. But then it was said
that slavery was advocated and was enforced in the
Bible. Now if it were so, with all the veneration that he
had for that Holy Book, if it were shown to him that
it sanctioned the traffic in human flesh, he would throw
it from him, and learn again his religion and philosopbY
from the flowers of the fields.—(Cheers.) It had been
proved that emancipation was not only practicable but
profitable, and the slave-owners must therefore either
admit themselves wrong, or assert that slavery was 1!
Christian institution. They had chosen the latter, and
they must abide by the decision. The worthy gentleman
sat down amidst much cheering.
Colonel MILLER wished to make a few observations be-
fore the resolution was put. He was sorry to say that in
America every species of Christian, the Baptist, the Wes-
leyan, the Presbyterian, and all other denominations,
were owners of slaves. This was alike d.isgraceful to the
parties concerned and the country in which, it took placae;
Some discussion ensued between several .Pciegatesthe
to whether the Bible sanctioned slavery, whic,h.sco.
Chairman having put an end to as irrelevant, the "1
sion was resumed by , e bvindi.
e had
Capt. STEUART, who said, he for one should feel
come hero in vain unless their common God was
eated from what he deemed the aspersions that had iseen
uttered against Him. They ought to go into the mat ter
like brethren, and fully, fairly, and freely declare to tile
world what they thought the mind of the God of love to bee
about slavery. If the dear brother, whose heart of love he,
knew, meant by affirming that there were slayeholdcrs in
the primitive Churches in the same sense that there were
incestuous persons in the primitive Church—drunkards
and persons who went to the table of the Lord in the
way they read of in the Corinthians, then he admitted
that, and would bid them who stood up for the siaveholder
to take what courage they could.—( Hear, bear.)
conviction and experience went with his dear American
brethren in affirming that the preachers who went to the
[Mittel States from England were among the foremost
and most powerful supporters of the slave system in that
land.—( Hear, hear.)
Dr. Cocas, of Hackney, protested against the grotsa
personal allusions that were made respecting persons int
that Convention. If that course were continued, not only-
would their great cause be obstructed, but their eneraies
would rejoice at their disunion.
Mr. BRADMAN, in making the remarks he did, had not
the slightest intention of alluding to any individual present.
The Rev. Mr. KEEP, from the Oberlin Institute,
next addressed the meeting. He had intended to have
done so at some length, but many of his observations had
been anticipated by those who had preceded him, who had
come from his native country. He felt that scarcely any
individuals of the human family were ever convened under
circumstances of so deep and solemn a character as those
that attended that Convention. He had-wished to have
presented a few statements in regard to the ministry and
churches. He had bee', in the ministry in America ever
since 1605, and would give his public attestation to the
fact which had been so often persisted in on the floor of
that room, that it was in the ministry and in the churches
that slavery now found its strongest possible support. The
Rev. Gentleman then m cntioned several facts and anecdotes
illustrative of the contumely and cruelty with which A
coloured person was treated in America, and proceeded to
observe that the abolition enterprise in America had its
foundation in deep and solemn spiritual feeling. There
were those in that country who had sighed and cried for
the abominations of the land—who bad gone before God
in sackcloth, and habitually from week to week, and year to
year, and who now saw the fruits of their prayers in such
instances as that of their brother near him, who a little
time ago was a slave-holder, but who now, by
the grace of
God, had been able to shake from himself that enormity,
and to be righteous before God and just in his generation.
—(Cheers.) He thought the debate had better be ad-
journed till the following day, and allow their American
brethren to tell their story in their own way. Hear
them them through, let them state all, and then they
would know what American slavery was. They would
then know how to pray for them, and how to help them.
English people hardly knew the degradation of the co-
loured population. There were three millions of human
beings, who had been crushed and kept down from gene-
ration to generation, with the utmost contempt heaped
upon them, and the severest injury inflicted. The people
of England had felt themselves degraded by the system
of slavery which existed in their colonies ; but what would
they have felt if they held one-sixth of their population
in
that state ? However, if that Convention proceeded, aid
though he did not expect to live much longer, be th
that in five years he would see its exertions crowned "
success.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. FOSTER could not leave the room, without craving
the indulgence of the meeting fur a few moments. He
hoped that the statement of his friend, who was not novr
in the room, should not be misunderstood, so as to lead to
injurious consequences to the cause, and to Christianity.--•
( Hoar, hear.) The Society was based on Christian prin-
ciples, and recognised no rules of action that were not
sanctioned by the Holy Scriptures.—(Applause, )
The Rev. Mr. COLVER, of Boston, in reference to the
allusions which had been made to his country, would only
say, in the language of one of the beautiful poets of Eng-
land, " America, with all thy faults, I love thee still."--
( Applause,) He admitted that there was a great reproach
upon his country for its support of slavery, and he believed
that the
service in removing that stain.—( Hear, hear.) It might
do much towards liberating the slave-owners, the judges of
the land, and the representatives of the people, from the
bondage in which they were held in respect to this ques-
tion._-( Hear, hcar.)
Mr. GAL USIIA said the meeting must remember that
there was but one odious blot upon the character of
America. 'I he only apology he could offer for his coun-
try, was that it was possessed by the devil.—( Cheers.) Tbo
delegates from Ameriea asked for the aid of the people of
England, through their literature, their religion, and their
prayers to exorcise America, and drive the demon of
slavery out of her.—( Cheers and a laugh.)
After a few words from Mr. Fuller end Mr. Lester, the
resolution was agreed to.
The CHAIRMAN wished to say a few words, in respect
to the feelings of their American friends. It was the duty
of the English public to recollect that, under the blessing
of God, they had been healed only very lately of their
own sores.—(Cheers.) 'I hey ought to thank their
American brethren for exposing their ailments, and asking
for assistance in removing them.—( Hear.)
Mr. I3aessnousE moved a resolution to the effect, that
the documents which lay on the table, relating to the
state of slavery in America, should be referred to a com-
mittee to consider and report thereon, with a view to theit
publication.
After a prolonged and very desultory conversation, the
motion was agreed to, and the Convention adjourned till
ten o'clock to-morrow (this day).

A Committee on Free Labour was appointed, consist-
ing of Messrs. John Cropper, Josiah Condor, John Sturgc,
William Boultbee, and William Kay ; also a Committee
on the results of Emancipation in the British colonies,
t'onsisting of Messrs. Samucl Botrley, K‘i,bb; Jos•
Prescod ; Captain Stuart, W. IN; Audersun, ancl V, .
Morgan.