The Sun.
London, England, 1835-05-16 00:00:00

ANTI-SLAVERY MEETING.

A large and very respectable meeting of the friends of Negro
Emancipation took place at Exeter-hall yesterday. There was
scarcely standing-room throughout the great room of the
building from an early hour of the day. On the platform were
several Members of Parliament, and eminent individuals con-
__

nected with the trade and commerce of the Colonies.

The

remaining portion of the room being principally filled with
elegantly-dressed females, presented a very lively and inte-
resting appearance. On the lowest calculation, there could
not be less than between three and four thousand persons

present.
At twelve o'clock Lord Brougham entered the room, and on
coming in front of the platform, was received by the entire
assemblage, upstanding, with the most deafening cheers, ac-
companied by the waving of hats and handkerchiefs, which
continued for some minutes.

When the applause had ceased, his Lordship having been
moved to the Chair, commenced to state to the meeting the

object for which they had that day assembled, which "Vas to
carry out into full effect the provisions of the Slavery Abolition
Act of the last Session ; to mitigate the rigours of negro ap-
prenticeship in the Colonies; and to hold out the example of
the spirit of the British people to France and America, that those
countries might at length awake to the justice of emancipating
the black population of their dependencies. His Lordship then
went into a long detail of the origin and progress of the cause
of negro emancipation in this country ; and in doing so, passed
a warm and eloquent eulogium on Wilberforce, Macauley, and
other high and honourable names, which stood pre-eminent
amongst the benefactors of mankind. The Noble Lord pro-
ceeded to allude in forcible terms to the state of negro slavery
in America. It was lamentable, in a country boasting of so
much independence, among a people who commenced their
career of independence by refusing to pay a halfpenny in the
pound on tea, without the consent of their own representa-
tives, that negro slavery should take her last and determined
stand against the growing spirit of universal liberty, and the
disapprobation of the wise and the virtuous of mankind.—
( Hear, hear.) Could this be endured—could such an anomaly
be allowed to continue ? No, it was impossible. His Lord-
ship declared that he was an early, a sincere, and a public
friend to the Americans, at a time when it was not fashionable
to be their friend ; and he had sneered at people here who
were foolish enough to sneer at a country which could not
boast the follies of a Court, and the artificial importance of an
hereditary and titled aristocracy. The Noble and Learned
Lord next alluded to the slavery of the black population in-
the French colonies. He had always admired the virtues and
the greatness of mind exhibited by the French people. It had
always been his study, as a Member of Parliament, and a
Minister, to cultivate their friendship, and to increase the
growing attachment and forgetfulness of past differences and
animosities between them and the people of England. To them
in common with the Americans, his Lordship would also offer
his advice to tear away the last disgraceful page in their mo-
dern annals. Some persons foolishly were of opinion that the
Government of England should interpose the weight of her
name and authority in effecting the liberty of the African
with France and America. This, continued his Lordship, was
sheer nonsence. What way should the people of this country
have taken it, if the Americans had attempted a similar inter-
position in favour of Catholic emancipation, or if the French
nation had called upon the British Government to do away
with the Irish Church Establishment ?—( Hear, hear, hear.)
The Government of England could do nothing towards such
an object, but proceed with the negociations on the slave trade.
--( Hear, hear.) " And if," said his Lordship, with peculiar
energy, " you would stop effectually the march of rapine and
murder, and of the grossest outrages on human right and di-
vine power that ever yet were perpetrated in any age or coun-
try, in the face of day, or in the shades of crime, there is but
one way to do so, and that is, that slavery ceasing the slave
trade shall be no more.—( Immense applause.) But how is it
to cease altogether—how is it to be uprooted ? This immense
meeting speaking, as it will, through myself and others—
through the medium of the press, its sentiments and the
sentiments of England, will go far to effect, yes, it will ultimately
effect, the good work. Though we have no protocols to
precede us—though we may not have any assistance at our
backs from Downing-street, the Tuilleries, or Washington—
still the human mind will assert its empire : the example of a
great people assert its prerogative—the mind of England will
be reflected by the mind of France and America : the work is
then done ; for when the people take it up, their Governments
must obey."—( Cheers, which lasted for several minutes.)
It was a foolish notion of some of the statesmen of the modern
school to think that standing eternally aloof from the people
was either a just or a prudent line of conduct to adopt ; for his
own part he thought that to appear often before the people, to
study their sentiments, to anticipate their wishes, and in doing
so earn their approbation, was the highest honour that could be
arrived at, the proudest feeling that ought to be entertained by
any public man in or out of office, whether armed with power,
or, what was much better, supported by influence from with-
out.—( Cheers.) It was stated of him, however, by persons
and parties who were over-anxious at all times about his affairs,
that he (the Noble and Learned Lord) was over-anxious in his
attendance at public meetings, especially in the North.—
( Laughter.) This was ju,t as true as every thing else that
proceeded from the same quarter.—( Hear.) The fact was, he
only attended one meeting, and that was at Edinburgh, where
he was invited to be present at the dinner given to his esteemed
and beloved friend—he had a right to call him so, for he (the
Noble and Learned Lord) did more to keep him in office than
all the rest of his colleagues.—( Cheers.) The Noble and
Learned Lord sat down amidst loud and long continued
applause.
Shortly after his Lordship had concluded, Mr. O'CONNELL
appeared on the platform, and shook hands cordially with the
Noble Chairman. This mutual recognition was followed by
the cheers of the meeting.
Lord BROUGHAM again rose, and congratulated the meeting
on the arrival of Mr. O'Connell. His Hon. and Learned
Friend was one of the greatest emancipators of ancient or mo-
dern times—one of the moot uncompromising and inexorable
enemies to slavery, no matter what shape or hue it assumed.
He had come to that meeting to express his approbation of its
proceedings, and not to introduce what some timid people
might anticipate—any discussion on the affairs of Church or
State.—( Great laughter.)
Mr. F. BUXTON, M. P., next addressed the meeting, and,
in his address, praised the constant exertions of the Society
of Friends in behalf of the emancipation of West Indian
slaves. For orderly and quiet agitation, blood-heat or fever-
heat agitation, he would match the sober easy-going Quaker,
(looking at Mr. O'Connell) with the greatest agitator of mo-
dern times.—( Great laughter.)
G. STEVENS, Esq., in a long and energetic speech, detailed
the malpractices and cruelties which were still carried on
against the negro population in the British West Indies. Fe-
males were stripped naked, and innumanly flogged—one un-
fortunate creature was forced by the monsters who lacerated
her helpless body, to suck the cat which was dripping with

her own blood ; another ,was fired at ; and another hunted
down by bloodhounds.
Mr. O'CONNELL presented himself to the meeting amid the
most enthusiastic cheers. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman
proceeded to speak in terms of severe censure of the conduct
of the Americans, in continuing to keep in bondage the black
population in many of their states. It was disgusting to every
lover of reason and justice, and true liberty, to hear them boast
of their democratic principles and institutions without a blush at
the recollection of their bondsmen. They were traitors to
liberty, to honour, to consistency. The Hon. and Learned
Gentleman read several extracts from an American Act of
Parliament, in which it was enjoined that no Judge, Member
of Parliament, Barrister, or Preacher, should speak or write
any thing against slavery, under the pain of being sentenced to
not less than three years', and not more than twenty-one
years' imprisonment, or death, at the discretion of the Court.
And that no American should teach a slave to read or write,
under pain of not less than three months,' and not more
than twelve months' imprisonment. The Honourable and
Learned Gentleman flung this black dishonour on the star-
spangled banner of America—in vain did it wave over every
sea, proclaiming the honour of the boasted Republic of modern
times—those who fought under it were felons of the human
race—( Hear, hear)—traitors to liberty, to their own honour,
and blasphemers of the Almighty. " The red arm of God,"
continued the Hon. and Learned Gentleman, "is bared ; and
let the enemies of those whom he died to save, the black man
as well as the white man, beware cf its vengeance, the light-
ning careers through the troubled air resistless amid the
howling of the tempest and the rolling of the thunder. Oh,
for one moment of poetic inspiration, that my words, with the
fire of indignation with which my, bosom burns—that my voice
might be borne on the western breeze across the wide Atlantic,
and light on their shores, and ascend their mountains, and be
wafted down the Mississippi, the Ohio, the Missouri, and the
rivers of America." The Hon. and Learned Gentleman after
some further observations concluded a speech of impassioned
and fervid eloquence, which we regret our inability to do any
thing like justice to for want of space, and sat down amidst the
most enthusiastic applause.
Dr. MORRISON and several other Gentlemen addressed the
meeting subsequently, and several resolutions connected with
the objects of the Association were passed.during the evening.
The meeting separated at six o'clock.