The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-30 00:00:00

LONDON, WMINESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 305 1846,

DEATH of THOMAS CLARKSON.
(From the Ipswich Express )
. .

This illustrious philantl:opist died at 4 o'clock on Satur-
day morning last, at his residence, Playford Hall, near this
town. He had attained the age of eighty-six ; but his
spirit burned bright to the last, and whi`e he ceased not
to direct his thoughts to the great question of the eman-
cipation of the human race, he calmly looked forward
to " the crown of life " laid up in Heaven for the faith-
ful followers of the cross. He was born at Wisbeach, in
Cambridgeshire, March 28,1760. In the life of this great
and good man was truly exemplified the saying of the
sacred writer—" The path of the just is as the shining
light, that shineth more and more unto the p rfect day."
What a glorious career was that of Thomas Clarkson !
Who can estimate the amount of good which he was
instrumental in achieving ! How much sorrow and woe
were not diminished by his undaunted and heroic self-
devotion ! When Clarkson began his labours, England
was deeply engaged in the slave trade;—kidnapping,
burning, plundering, and ravishing from their homes
the unhappy Africans. That traffic which is now piracy
by our laws, which Christian Englishman regard as an
atrocious crime, and which the head of the Roman
Catholic Church has placed under ban, as a deadly sin,
was then accounted lawful. Manstealers were not
frowned upon by society; and the slavemonger hesitated
not to make a boast of his unrighteous gains. Thomas
Clarkson was the main instrument employed by God in
the suppression of the British slave trade and in the
emancipation of the slaves in the West India Colonies,
which was its legitimate consequence.
In the year 1772, a negro named Somerset was arrested
in London by a man who claimed him as a runaway
slave. Mr. Granville Sharpe brought the case before the
Lord Mayor; and by the Lord Mayor's orders Somerset
was discharged from the Poultry Compeer, where he had i
been imprisoned. The master, however, in defiance of
the Lord Mayor, seized the slave and tore him away
from Mr. Sharpe. An action was brought against the
master for assault ; and the case being tried, it was
finally referred to the twelve judges ; who, after solemn
argument decided, that as soon as a slave sets foot on
English territory, he becomes free:—
" Slaves cannot breathe in England: if their lungs
Receive our air, that moment they are free.
They touch our country and their fetters fall." •

This circumstance, it may be presumed, powerfully ex-
cited the youthful mind of Clarkson. In the year 1785
Dr. Peckhard, the Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge, pro-
posed the following question to the senior Bachelors of
Arts, as the subject of a Latin prize dissertation—" Is it
right to make slaves of others against their will ?" At
thin time Clarkson was a senior bachelor in the Univer-
sity; and, having gained a prize the previous year, he
resolved to enter the lists again as a competitor. While
studying the general question of slavery for the purpose
of the prise essay, the whole iniquity of the negro slave
trade burst upon his view. "It is impossible,' he re-
marked, in his History of Slavery, " to imagine the
severe anguish which the composition of this essay cost
me. All the pleasure I had promised myself from the
literary contest was exchanged for pain, by the astound-
ing facts that were now continually before me. It was
one gloomy subject from morning till night. In the day
I was agituted and uneasy ; in the night I had little or
no rest. I was so overwhelmed with grief, that I some-
times never closed my eyes during the whole night, and
I no longer regarded my essay as a mere trial for
literary distinction. My great desire was now to pro-
duce a work that should calla vigorous public effort to
redress the wrongs of injured Africa." He came to
London to make inquiries, and to collect materials. He
shortly produced his celebrated essay " Or the Slavery
and Commerce of the Human Specigs." fie obtained
the prize ; but the inferior motives of the collegian
were annihilated by the nobler purposes• of philan
thropy. His aim now became the deliverance of the
African race. He made a vow of eternal enmity to the
slave trade, and to slavery in every form. He resolved
to consecrate himself to this gigantic and then appa-
rently hopeless task.
" Yea, from the table of my memory
wipe away all trivial fond records,
All saws, of books, all forms, all pressures past,
That youth and observation copied there;
And thy commandment all alone shall live
Within the book and volume of my brain,
Unmix'd with baser matter."

" Here," remarks a writer, in reviewing this period of
our national history, " here was a spectacle which men,
according to their feelings, would have called sublime or
absurd—a young student of twenty-four, of narrow f:r-
tune, and almost unknown, devoting himself to a work
from which kings and senators would have turned with
dismay." But it etas the cause of God, and it triumphed.
From this time Thomas Clarkson entered on his work
with renewed zeal; and he found that the further he in-
quired into the evil of slavery and its traffic, the more
diabolical and revolting did the system appear. That
eminent statesman, William Wilberforce, who was one of
the principal leaders in this great work, and who devoted
all the energies of his powerful mind to the subject, did
not, however, enter the field in the cause of the negro,
until two years after Thomas Clarkson had taken a lively
interest in the abolition cause. Between them no rival-
ship existed. The question was not, " Who should have
the most honour?" but " Who should do the most good?"
On the 22d of May, 1787, a committee was formed,
consisting of twelve gentlemen, of which the deceased
was a member. Their desire was that the subject of
slavery should be brought before Parliament ; and in
order to do that, the fullest information of the evils con-
nected with slavery was sought to be obtained in addi-
tion to the mass of evidence already in their possession.
To obtain this, Mr. Clarkson proceeded to the ports of
Bristol and Liverpool, where he met with many friends
who were favourable to the cause in which he had em-
barked, and obtained much valuable information ; but
his labours there were so indefatigable arid incessant as
to endanger his health. Mr. Clarkson successively
visited Bridgewater, Monmouth, Gloucester, Liverpool,
Worcester, and Chester, at which place he found many
friends, but the planters and African traders exerted
themselves in every possible way to accomplish their
ends ; they even calumniated his character, impugned
his motives, and threatened to dismiss from their service
any who dared to furnish him with information. When
the object of his visit had become known at Liverpool,
attempts were made upon his valuable, life, which was on
more than one occasion exposed to imminent danger, for
he very narrowly escaped being pushed from the pier-
head by some persons who seemed determined to effect
his destruction. He had gone thither to collect evidence
to show that the traffic in human flesh was both cruel
and wicked, and the goodness of his cause inspired
him with undaunted courage, and in spite of all
opposition, he did not leave Liverpool until he had col-
lected much information, besides inducing the friends
there to combine in the cause of abolition, and to act in
concert with the London committee. On the 9th of
May, 1788, the abolition of the slave trade was first
made the subject of Parliamentary discussion. It was
eloquently defended by Mr. Fox, Mr. Burke, Sir W.
Dolben, Mr. Whitbread, and by several others. The
discussion resulted in a motion that the subject should
be investigated in the ensuing session. When on a
visit to Manchester, at the earnest entreaty of several
friends, who knew he had been educated for the Church,
he preached a sermon on the subject, in one of the
churches there, selecting for his text Exodus xxiii., 9,
"Thou shalt not oppress a stranger, for ye were
strangers in the land of Egypt," from which words be
proved that slavery was at variance with the Scriptures.
In 1789 Clarkson was called upon to go to France to
promote the cause of abolition. Although that country
was in a state of political anarchy, and he was advised to
travel in another name, he cast himself upon the protec-
tion of Providence, and prosecuted his labours fearlessly.
On his arrival in Paris he was introduced to the Mar-
quis de la Fayette, who was a stanch friend to aboli-
tion. Clarkson had also free access to M. Necker, who
was then at the head of the Government; he was also fa-
vourable to the sacred cause. Clarkson every each day
wrote a letter of from 16 to 20 pages to Mirabeau, to
place all the facts' in his possession, to enable him to
bring them before theassembly. The Abbe Siezes, upon
his departure accompanied him to his hotel, and said,
after presenting him with a copy of his works—" I am
highly pleased to have been acquainted with the friend
of roan." Aft( r a residence of six months in France,
Mr. Clarkson returned to England, and after travelling
many thousand miles in quest of persons who could give
evidence bfore a committee, found that no evidence could
be given as to how the slaves were obtained in Africa in
such large numbers. The plant( rs said they were pur-
chased at fairs—the abolitionists, that they were kid-
napped. It was difficult to get evidence, as but few
Europeans were permitted to sail up the rivers. Clark-
son was informed by a friend, that he saw a man twelve
months before, who was a sailor, who had been engaged
in the trade ; he described his person, but knew neither
his name nor his residence—he appeard to belong to the
navy. On this information, Clarkson started, and visited
successively all the ships belonging to the navy at Dept-
ford, Woolwich, Chatham, and Sheerness, without. suc-
cess. From Chatham he proceeded to Ports:uouth, and
examined all the vessels there, with a similar result.
There was but one port left, which was Plymouth, up-
wards of 200 miles off. On the first day he boarded 40
ships, but did not find a single person who had been to
Africa. After passing a restless night, with drooping
spirits, he entered the boat the next morning agitated
alternately by hope and fear ; and in pursuing his task
on the fifty-seventh vessel, he found the scan who had
been described.
DeFghted with his success, Clarkson returned to Lon-
don with his witness, who had, on several occasions,
been present when natives had- been forcibly torn from
their homes. In 1103, Mr. Clarkson's physical and
mental powers gave way ; the excitement had been in-
tense ; for seven years heandmaintainedwrote
a o
acorrespondence
annually
with four biAdred Persons,
for the cause. He trasselled upwards of thirty. five thou-
sand miles in search of evidence, performing a great part
of these journeys in the night. Not until 1807, after
twenty years' incessant toil, was the abolition of the
slave trade carried. It was the last act of the Grenville
and Fox Administration. The seals of office and the
royal assent were given simultaneously.
Mr. Clarkson now turned his attention to literature,
and his first work, the " History of the Abolition of the
Slave Trade," 2 vole. gm, was published in a few mouths.
He afters ards published, " Thoughts on the necessitT,
of Abolishing Slavery ;" "A Portraiture of Qaalserism,
:3 yols. 8vo.; " Life of William Penn," 2 vols. Bvo.,
&o. Thep pursuits never diverted his attention from
the great eauw to which lie had devoted his life. In
1813 the Emperor of gaissits (the celebrated
Alexander) and other distinguis44 individuals
Inet in Paris. Mr. Clarkson drew up as ad-
duces /p the Sovereigns, and requested an interview
with the ,rispeiPro Which was readily granted. Soon
after, a meeting of tLe gieropean Sovereigns took
place at Aix-la-Chapelle. The Eureerer, after recog-
eieing Mr. Clarkson, led him into his root!), anA Educed
a ekeese IpT him to sit upon. The Emperor approved of
Mr. Clarilisoiv!; Ap-,'..4753 to the Sovereigns, and under-
took to deliver, with 14s py# the addresses to the
Emperor of Austria and the Zing prgiaiya r .ipEekeiste
the prc,d4gons of the Africans in cotton MIT iron,
which Nr. QlArriMR 1.04 befre him i and observed that

Africa ought to have a fair chance of raising berself in
the scale of the civilised world.—A few years since Mr.
Clarkson was presented with the freedom of the City of
London.

Although the accumulated weight of upwards of four
score years pressed heavily uron the shattered ener-
gies of-Mr. Clarkson, so long as life and being lasted his
great anxiety was do good. It was indeed a noble sight-
t6 enter his apartment, and see this venerable man with
sight impaired, and his once fine frame bowed down by
the exertions of added years, still engsged, under much
physical suffering, in efforts to lessen the sorrows of the
human race. Within the last few mouths of his death,
the cause of the sailor occupied much of his attention ;
the wrongs under which this useful class is suffering
deeply moved his heart, and induced him to write a
pamphlet and take other steps in their behalf. Indeed,
the tones of human mis.,ry never fell upon his ear with
out painfully affecting his soul, which could not rest
satisfied until.
That oil which lubricates the heart
When frictionized by care.
had soothed the sorrows of the distressed. There are
feelings of affectionate veneration connected with the
memory of this distinguished man, which will be shared
in by all who have heard of Slavery and Clarkson, but
which will peculiarly affect those who were privilege.l to
have a personal knowledge of the deceased. The s; drit
of the last and most distinguished member of as nob le a
knot of men as ever banded together in the sacred cause
of philanthropy has, at length, passed awayjo [another
world; and, notwithstanding the bright home to which
that spirit has been gathered, the lover of his kind foels
a melancholy feeling stealing over him as he say e
Thomas Clarkson is no more! Oa taking a review of
his life we may say,
Well for the world, the love of Heav'n
Finds not its limit there ;
•
Its symphonies are sometimes caught,
And sweetly echoed here.
Clarkson was one of those rare characters, who, in the
course of every two or three centuries, are called by•Piro-
vidence from obscurity, to work some stupendous mural
change upon the history of an empire, or the human r ate
at large; and who can believe nothing impossible, be-
cause the woik which they have to do appears an impos-
sibility. Our readers will no doubt call to mind the
masterly sketch of Clarkson's character by Lard
Brougham in the preface to his Lordship's speeches on
the slave trade ' • but perhaps the noblest epitaph upon
his temb would be—" Here lies the man who exci Led
Wilberforce to labour for the abolition of the Sla.ve
trade." Granville Sharpe and Wilberforce have been
honoured with monuments in Westminster Abbey ; lend
it is not too much to anticipate that a similar tribute of
national gratitude will be bestowed on the memory, of
one greater than either. who laboured more abundantly
than all others, by a Ministry, under the auspices of
some of whose members the slaves in our West MC-Ha
Colonies were legally disenthralled.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE
NEWMARKET FACES.—TuEsp AY.

Match-INO, h ft, T.M.M. ; Duke of Bedford's Captain
Phcebus, Bst 51b, received from. Mr. Ramsbottom's Queen of
Cyprus, Bst 71b.
The Hopeful Stakes, of 40 save,. each, h ft, for two years old
colts, Bst 7lb ; fillies, Bst 51b,.. The second to receive 50
sous. out of the stakes. The last half of Ab. M. (23
Subs.)
Colonel Peel's Tdas
Mr. Mostyn's Vice Consul ... . . .... 2
Mr. Philimore's Reminiscence (31b extra)
Lord Exeter's fby •Hetmsn Phsrofl; out of Gakita ..... 4
Mr. Griffith's Lady Lift (31b wars)
Betting-11 to Bon Remini:icence, and 340 1 agst Vice
Consul.

Isis jumped off with the favourite, but immediately taking
the lead, kept it to the end, and won by a length, Vice
Consul getting the second place half way down the hill,
and beating Reminiscence by half a length. Run in 52
seconds.

Grand Duke Michael Stakes of 50 sons. eacl; three yrs old
colts, Bst 711)1 fillies, Bit 31b. AF. (25 Subs.)
Colonel Anson's Tago (Butler) 1
Mr. W. Scott's Sir Tatton Sykes
Lord Exeter's St. Demetri .

Lord Albemarle's Smuggler Bill • 4
'Betting-2 to lon Sir Tatton, and sto 2 agst lago.
Smuggler Bill took the lead at the starting, and maintained
it for a quarter of a mile. The running was then taken up
by the favourite, lago lying away from him until half way
up the hill, where he went up, headed the crack throe or
four strides from home, and the latter having run out at the
finish, he won by a length. Run in 2 min 16 sec.
The Buckenham Stakes of 300 sous. each, h ft ; colts, Bst 71b ;

fillies, Bst 41b.

T.Y.C. One to the Post.' (4 Subs.)

Colonel Peel's King of Naples walked over, Lord Kiefer
withdrawing his stake.

200 h ft. B.C.—Mr. Mytton's Auricula, 7st 111 b,
beat Duke of Bedford's Leopard, Bst 71b. Betting-2 to lon
Leopard. Won by a length.
Match, 100 h ft. T. Y.C, Mr. Merton's Missed Stays,
7st 131 b, received forfeit from Duke of Bedford's Neapolitan,
Bst 71b.