Star.
London, England, 1821-06-27 00:00:00

SLAVE TRADE.

Mr. WILBERFORCE, in rising to bring forward
the motion of which he had given notice, respecting
the Slave Trade, began by observing that he felt gra-
tified in finding himself supported on the subject by
the sentiments that pervaded the House. It was, in-
deed, truly grateful to him, after having devoted so
large a portion of his Parliamentary life to the great
cause of rescuing the natives of Africa from slavery,
to find that in England the great majority of the
people were unanimous in support of it. It was,
however, natural, that in a country where there were
so many different interests, there should be persons
who would still desire the continuance of the dis-
graceful system; and he was therefore glad to find
that an Honourable and Learned Friend of his had
framed a Bill which stamped the Slave Trade with
its true denomination, and made the practice a capi-
tal felony. Having ourselves got rid of the disgrace
of trading in Slaves, we naturally enough sought to
prevail with other nations to follow our example.
During the war, we were the carriers of the com-
merce of Europe, and it was then that Africa was
first allowed a cessation from those terrible suffer-
ings with which she had been afflicted for two cen-
turies before. We then found them not that abject
l and degraded race v:e had supposed, but, like '
our-
selves, susceptible of improvement, and capable of
being raised to a high place in civilized society. On
the arrival of peace, it was gratifying to observe the
zeal which the Noble Marquis opposite had evinced
in prevailing on the great Powers to adopt the views
of England. They'all united in one sentiment of re-
probation against the African Slave Trade, and even
Spain and Portugal joined in the common cry which
humanity had raised against it, and required only a
short time to obviate inconveniences to the parties
engaged in it, before they should put an end to it al-
together.* The Honourable Member referred to the
treaties which England had entered into with other
European Powers for abolishing the Slave Trade;
and again, after paying a suitable tribute to the ear-
nestness with which the Marquis of Londonderry
had exerted himself in the cause, complained of
the great reluctance which had been shewn by Per-
tugai to act in accordance with the other Powers.—
He next adverted to the mixed Commission esta-
blished by Spain, England, and the Netherlands,
and contended that it had not the effect of putting
down the trade in slaves, which was now carried on
to an- increased extent, and with a degree of bar-
barity never exceeded .at any former period. The
atrocities now practised went to exhaust the possibi-
lities of human sufferings on the one hand,. arid of
human cruelty on the other—( Hear,
,hear).—He
regretted to say, that the Netherlands, a State so
closely connected with us, bad not shewn that 'ap-
parent feeling of -the evil) or that earnest . desire to

put en end to it, Netieh this cdunfry had a right to:
expect. His Noble Friend (the Marquis of London-
derry), much to his credit, had endeavoured to over-
come the flimsy sophistry by which the Government
of the Netherlands sought to evade the fulfilment of
Treaties; and he was strenuously supported by our
Ambassador the Earl of Clancarty, who displayed
most laudable feeling on the occasion. Of Spain, he
(Mr. Wilbeiforce) was not inclined to say much, yet
he could not but believe, notwithstanding the parti- ,
cular circumstances in which that country was now
placed, that she *would be w illing to lend her cor-
dial co-operation in breaking the fetters of the poor 1
children of Africa l—(Hear,hear).--There were in 1
Spain many men of high and noble minds, and
while they hailed the blessings of a free Constitution
themselves, they would not lend themselves to per-
petuate slavery in any part of the world—(Cheers).
The obstinacy of Portugal was much to be regretted ;
audit could not be forgotten, that when she was act-
ing upon a principle distinct from the other Powers,
his Noble Friend stated, that if she alone persisted in
that line of policy against the general concurrence, it
might be necessary to adopt some stronger measure
than bad been provided by Treaties. When the other
Powers were convinced of the reasonableness of the
proposition for abolishing the Slave Trade, they must
be equally convinced of the reasonableness of enjoin-
ing acquiescence on the part of Portugal. The time
was now come when it was necessary to bring Por-
tugal to a clear understanding on the point—(Hear,
hear).—He felt peculiar gratification in saying that
America had acted very differently. Though a State
that involved many conflicting interests, yet she was
prompt in expressing her condemnation of the Slave
Trade, by fixing its true designation upon it—that of
piracy—(Hear, hear).—Though in that country cul-
prits were not often punished with death, yet, so great
was the abhorrence of the barbarous traffic in human
flesh, that a law passed, ordaining that every Ameri-
can citizen found engaged in it should "be capitally
punished, as in the crime of piracy. It would give
him sincere pleasure that we should cultivate more
close and intimate feelings of amity with America.
They were of one common stock with us, and though
differences had arisen between them and us, they were
of a nature that might and ought to be forgotten, in
the same manner a, those differences that frequently
"loose in a private family. There was another nation,
the people of which were characterised for a high
spirit of honour and chivalry—he meant France;
)et he was sorry to add, that that nation had dis-
appointed us in every respect. France carried on
the Slave Trade to a greater extent, and trifled
with us to a greater degree respecting it, than
any other State in Europe—( Hear, hear I ).
He bad fondly thought, that when their own liber-
ties were placed on a secure basis, the French would
have had some regard for the rights of Africans, as
men entitled to the same freedom of person and pro-
perty as themselves; and he had thought, that even
the old French Nobility would have returned with
new and more favourable opinions on the subject;
but in all this he found himself disappointed. When
the King of France said he would join with the Prince
Regent, cur present Monarch, in putting down the
Slave Trade—and when the latter wrote him a letter
with his own hand, expressing.his joy at the circum-
stance, he (Mr. Wilberforce) thought that France then
would have taken that course which honour and jus-
tice demanded—(Hear, hear).—He thought, that
when England, which had been represented by Bo-
naparte as a nation of shopkeepers, had thrown off
the disgrace of the Slave Trade, France, proud and
chivalrous as she was, would have been the last to
take it up—to take up what we had been induced to
abandon. Great as he abhorred the enormities of the
French Revolution, yet he considered them venial
compared with the atrocities of the Slave Tiede; for,
compared with the gigantic dimensions of that trade,
they sunk into mere trifles. He wished that the
higher ranks could but know one half the extent to
which the enormities of the Slave Trade were carried.
At the time of the French Revolution, atrocities had
taken place in the paroxysms of faction, while rival
aspirants fretted their short hour away; but now
there was a cool, calm, and deliberate system of op-
pression and cruelty. Sir George Collyer, an Officer
equally humane as he was gallant, spoke of barbari-
ties which were too horrid to contemplate. One in-
stance he would mention to the House. Sir George,
upon one occasion, stopped a French ship, suspect-
ing she had slaves on board, but finding none, he
was rather surprised, having received, as he thought,
very accurate information ; and, while on board, his
attention s as arrested by a faint moan issuing from
a cask, in which, upon examination, be. found two
poor human beings nearly expiring from suffocation.
This circumstance reminded Sir George Collyer and
the sailors who were with him, of some casks they
had seen floating the day before, and they were now
certain they contained poor wretches who had thus
been committed to the waves. However, death, in such
cases, might be deemed among the most tender mer-
cies, compared with the lingering existence which
the slaves were doomed to drag on. He was sure
that it must shock every man in France who posses-
sed a liberal mind, if not a humane heart, to find
that this system was carried on with the greatest
atrocity by a nation remarkable for having arrived
at the highest pitch of civilization—(Hear, hear)o—
Itmas far more culpable in such a nation, than if it
had been carried on by those degraded beings who
had so long been habituated to it. Another instance
of shocking cruelty had occurred in the same ship,
the Rodeur, yet it had not excited the slightest feel-
: ing of indignation In France. A surgeon employed'
in the establishment.for the blind, at Paris, had, on
a recent occasion, stated, in one of his scientific nar-
ratives, that the slaves on board the Rodeur had their
eyes affected from being kept in the hold, in conse-
quence of which it was found necessary to bring them
upou deck, where, by a sort of involuntary impulse,
they used to embrace each other, and le.* together
into the ocean! (Hear,hear).—ln talking of this, the
French surgeon said, with the greatest possible in-
difference, that they died of nousalgia; what we in
this country would call a broken heart. It appeared,
as if by a just visitation of PROVIDENCK, that all on
board were infected with the disease in the eyes, ex-
cept one man, and became blind fort a time. While
the poor slaves were in this state, cruelties of the
most horrible description were inflicted on them, and
thirty-nine of them were thrown overboard, under
the idea of getting a coMpensation fur the loss of
them from the underwriters. The Captain thea pa-

ttWned to the port from which he had set out, and the
framer engaged no attention except in a scientific way.
These disgraceful facts were not published, as they
ought to be. in a Court of Justice, but in i Iniraticat
of a principle of surg.ery—(Hear, hear). The grand
difficulty that had.ansen in putting down the Slave
Trade was the right of search, and no other effectual
mode could be discovered. If France was seriously
disposed to give up the abominable traffic, she must
give up her objections to the right of search. We
asked no more of her than she was authdrised to de-
mand of us. She was, in her resources, great enough
to concede, without apprehending any misconstruc-
tion upon her motives. The grand measure which
could operate most efficaciously in putting an end to
that trade, was a mutual right of search to the ships
of, all nations. He hoped he should live to see the
day when every Power would concur in thinking
that odious traffic no less a crime than piracy; and
when every cruizer, of every natien, would take a
slave-trader as a pirate and an enemy to the human
race. America acted noblyrand in a manner worthy
of her great and rising character, in making the
trading in slaves a capital crime. She had, in con-
junction with this countty, exerted ber.oll for the
abolition of that trade, and made several seizures.
The Honourable Gentleman then adverted to the
papers recently laid before the House, and particu-
larly to a statement of Sit Georee Collyer, who said
that no less than forty sail, under French • and other
colours, were to be seen up the rivers of the Eastern
coast of Africa, employed in the trade of slaves.—
None of the ship‘of this country were in those parts,
and therefore it vas a false assumption that the trade
was not carried on to the eytent stated, because it
was not known to our cruizers. • He congratulated
his country on being the first to redeem itself from
that odious traffic. It was now our duty to he active
in Abolishing the trade altoz,ether ; and yet it became
this country, while exerting herself for the total abo-
lition of the trade, to be at the same time tolerant
towards other nations, because this country herself
bad carried on the trade for no less a period than
200 years. The Hon. Gentleman next adverted to
the earnestness with which his friend, now no more
(he meant Mr. Pitt), used to urge this country to re-
pair the manifold wrongs she had done, in carrying
on that trade, by communicating the ligheand be-
nefits she enjoyed. The villages, and delightful cot-
tages, which were constructed along the banks of the
rivers in Africa, after the temporary suspension of
that trade, were reduced to one barren and universal
waste by the ravages and desolations of the late
traders. He congratulated his Noble Friend (the
Marquis of Londonderry) on the ability and zeal with
which he had urged that great question on the Allied
Sovereigns ; and he was of opinion,, that not only
the cause of humanity would be benefitted by the
abolition of that trade, but the commercial greatness
and prosperity of this country. The Hon. Gentle-
man concluded amidst loud cheefing, by moving an
Address to his Majesty, recapitulating the principal
topics contained in his speech.
On the Address being read by the SPEAKER,
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY said that, in
common with the whole House, he had listened with
the greatest attention to the admirable speech of his
Hon. Friend. He had heard him with particular
satisfaction that night, because, while he attempted
to rouse the feelings of Foreign Powers, he at the
same time reminded the House that this country for
a long time indulged in the exercise of diose crimes
long 'before our own moral feelings were roused upon
the subject. With respect to the Address, it certainly
contained some hasty reflections upon Foreign Go-
vernments, to which he 'should not agree, if that
Address were written as a political paper, rather than
an expression of the moral feelings of an individual.
--lie certainly hoped that it would not be misinter-
preted abroad ; and other Governments ought to feel
it as a proof of how this country felt, and not as a
reproach upon themselves, but as a stimulus to the
moral feelings of their people. He was ready to go
along with his Hon. Friend in much that had fallen
from him, but at the same time they ought not to
keep out of sight the difficulties which obstructed the
full attainment of the abolition. He hoped that, bj
every exertion, they should be able to remove the
traffic in slaves in a still greater degree, yet ha could
not look to the final accomplishment of their object
until it was held by all countries that slave dealing was
a crime. If it was held criminal against all Govern-
ments,that was the position which would call into action
the physical as well as moral energies of the universe.
All countries must be common cruizers against one
common enemy. And many countries, as far as he
was acquainted by their Governments, wanted rather
the means than the will to carry this into effect. They
had not a sufficient naval power to spread over the
various stations, and wherever one flag was absent,
the slave dealer would take shelter under it. He did
not find the free Governments the most practicable
to deal with upon this subject. He fully agreed in
the sincerity with which his lion. Friend seemed to
think that America acted, in endeavouring to secure
the abolition. But he thought the qtrestion with re-
gard to America hardly stood upon fair ground. She
had, it was true, given the name of piracy to any act '
of slave-dealing ; but then it was a sort of Irish pi-
racy, because no other flag could deal with them as
pirates except her own. With respect to the mutual
search, there was no Government sc hostile to that
arrangement as the American. With regard to
Spain, the great difficulty he always had was that
of beating into the minds of that Government that
we were not acting upon some commercial principles
in effecting the abolition of the Slave Trade. They
thought that his Honourable Friend, who took so
distinguished a part in that great work, was a very
good Englishman, who always had his eyes upon
the West Indies—(Hear, hear ! and la:, ghter).—
He mentioned this, to *hew Lis Hon. Fii2nd that it
'was not a necessary consequence for a Representa-
tive Government to be an enlightened one. In all
the Representative Governments of Spain, France,
and America, the principle of the abolition was re-
cognised, but they all objected to the search upon
the ground of national jealousy. The Noble Mar-
quis then complained of the conduct of Portugal,
and said that the convulsions which had taken place
in that country, as well as in Spain, might be instru-
mental in preventing the proper attention to those
national affairs which must so greatly, suffer by neg-
lect. As the Cortes would now be established in
Lisbon, as well'as in Rio Janeiro, negotiations with
those Governments might hereafter go on with better

t.v.%
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r

4

success. He repeated, that looking at the Address
of his Hon. Friend as a political document, he should
certainly hate required modifications of same para-
graphs. But as a moral appeal to the people of other
cou*ries, he should not object to let it pass as it

was proposed.
Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH rose, chiefly because
a motion like the present afforded an opportunity for
the manifestation of opinions which it was desirable
should go forth to the world. It was only by reiterated
appeals to the feelings of nations that opinion could
have its due weight upon society. The Hon. and Learned
Member then went into a history of the conduct of
Portugal, with regard to the abolition of the Slave
Trade, and contended that irvias shameless and atro-
cious in the extreme. The Hon. and Learned Gen-
tleman did not consider the Slave Trade productive
of any distress under which the country might suffer;
but they had a right to call on France to abolish a
traffic which had appeared to that nation in the most
odious point of view. After France had entered into
a Treaty to abolish it, was it not most extraordinary
that no penal law was passed to punish what he con-
sidered the greatest of crimes? At the same time,
he did not delusively attach reproach to the French
Legislative Assembly. The support of the Slave Trade
was to be attributed to some of the supporters of the
Government; that was the real state of the case; and
all who read the speeches of his venerable and valued
friend, M. de la Fayette, would find that the warmest
partizans of the Government of France, were the
greatest friends and supporters of the Slave Trade.
It teas not the feeling of the French people which up-
held the Slave Trade, but the unwillingness of the
Girwernment to stop it. Why did not the Govern-
tr-mt inquire into the case of Le Rodeur? There
was another act of atrocity which had been traced
to the French flag, and which would furnish a sub-
ject fit for the muse of Dante : a living Poet could
not do justice to the horrific subject—(Hear, hear).
He alluded to the monstrous barbarity of putting the
blind in casks and throwing-them overboard. The
admirable dispatches of Sir George Collyer pointed
oat the glaring fact of 50,000 blacks having been car-
ried off annually in French ships. Then he looked
at all the charges, he wished the French Govern-
ment would exculpate themselves. Unfortunately,
he found some disposed to favour the abominable'
traffic upon the most hypocritical and worst of ex..'
cases, attention to interest, and French commerce.
He was convinced that the French people, brave and
enlightened as they are, would consent to abolish the
trade, upon a just representation of the base and hy-
pocritical policy upon which it is founded. The
American Government, faithful to their ancient cha-
racter, their blood, and liberty, had for ever denied
the right to carry on that nefarious trade. It was
worthy of remark, that two nations, having the same
origin, had, in the same year, abolished that crime,
which other Powers of Europe had continued with
so much immoral indifference. The Tunisians and
Algerines were accused of- piracy for stealing men
from Italy ; were not the Portuguese equally pirates
for stealing men from Congo? In his situation as a
Judge in India, he formerly had occasion to consider
the case of two Portugese vessels, being found with
slaves on board, between the Mozambique and Goa;
and of all the dreadful misery, cruelty, and wretched-
ness he had ever known, those cases presented the
worst. It was really astonishing that the Arab
rowers should have abolished this crime, and France
omit to do it, after a treaty in which they pledged 'I
themselves to procure the abolition. Considering
that all Europe had consented to abolish the trade,
and considering the wretched arts which nations had
resorted to for the purpose cf supporting these frauds,
he did not despair of the result of the efforts made
by this country and the United States in the cause
of reason, justice, and liberty. Ile believed this coup•
try would diffuse knowledge throughout the svoild,
which would bury this prime in oblivion, and leave
no trace behind.
Lord MILTON was desirous of saying only a few
words on this subject so ably introduced. There was
one point which had not been noticed, even by his
Learned Friend. The Americans had done honour
to themselves by making this traffic piracy; but.with
respect to France, he considered the obstacles which
interfered between that Government and the Slave
Trade, to arise solely from the effect of religion. Be-
fore they could expect from France any co-operation
in the abolition of the Slave Trade, they must see
Christianity restored.
Dr. LUSHINGTON said, it would be useless to
snake the Slave Trade piracy, unless cruizers were
stationed on the coast of Africa to search every Br i-
tish vessel. If America did not appoint cruizers to
search, their law would be a dead letter. With re-
spect to Portugal, it was not true that she carried on
this abominable trade under humane restrictions ; on
the contrary, he knew it was carried on with all pos-
sible cruelty. In the case of a Portuguese vessel,
captured off the Cape of Good Hope, the slaves were
confined in a place which was no more than two feet
ten inches in height. There they remained during the
voyage, and there they were found by our cruizers
which captured the ship, and carried her to the Cape
of Good Hope, where the slaves were set at liberty.
It was proved that a great mortality had happened
among the unfortunate blacks, in the short space of
seventeen days, in consequence of their inhuman con-
finement. It was contended ou behalf of the Portu-
guese on that occasion, that they had a right to carry
on the trade in any manner, and that they were en-
titled to costs and damages. The French Govern-
ment, in 1815, undertook to abolish the trade, but
they took no steps until 1817. Then the Minister
being applied to on the subject by Sir Charles Stuart,
produced a Decree which had not been signed more
than four days previous to thejepresentation.
Mr. BERNAL said the country had paid nearly
one million to prevail on Portugal to abolish the
Slave Trade north of the line, yet the trade was still
carried on without restriction. The Hon. Member
stated the case of a Portuguese vessel captured by a
British cruizer, and sent to a port for adjudication.
The Portuguese crew, however, rose on the Prize-
master, murdered him and his men, and actually
landed the slaves. This assassination was never made
the subject of inquiry by the Portuguese Government
at Bahia. The case of the Governor of Prince's Island
was notorious. Slaves were also carried by Dutch
ships to Surinam.
Mr. MARRYATT adverted to a statement made
by the Hon.and Learned Member fur Knarebborough,

in which the condition of slaves in the East Indies
was represented to be much better than that of West
India slaves. Dr. Buchanan, who was sent by the
Marquis Wellesley to make a tour in the Indian Pro.
vinces, however, gave an account which contradicted
the statement of the Hon. and Learned Member.—
The slaves in India cultivated the cane, and were
treated in some instances worse than the West India
slaves. The Hon. Member had heard much of the
indifference of European Powers to the abolition of
the Slave Trade, but the circumstance of the Em-
peror of Russia giving a preference in his dominions
to the sugar of Spain and Portugal, which encout aged
the Slave Trade most, had not been mentioned. This
was most injurious to the commerce of the country.
Mr. MONEY said, he was satisfied that the shame.
ful traffic had been carried on for many years by the
Portuguese on the African coast. He had a great
respect for the opinion of Dr. Buchanan, but he pre-
ferred that of his Hon. Friend (Sir J. Mackintosh).
Mr. H. GURNEY wished to know whether the
proposed Address was to be considered as holding
out a pledge to support it by hostility ?
Mr. BROUGHAM said, that had he thought the
Address capable of such an interpretation he would
never have been induced to second it. He was sorry
that America had left its good work so incomplete.
It had done much • but much remained to be done.
It had declared the practice equal to the crime of
piracy ; but he thought the intention of that Govern-
ment could not be carried into effect without a qua-,
lified concession of the right of search. The Hon.
and Learned Member here proceeded to shew that
America might grant the right of search without
compromise of her national honour ; and in support
of his argument he drew a distinction between a state
of peace and that of war. He trusted the good sense
of the American people and Government would in-
duce them to take that step, without which all their
intentions and all their efforts would prove abortive.
To shew the change which had taken place in public
opinion on this very subject, he had only to remind
the House of the difficulty with which the Abolition
Bill was carried in 1807, and the facility with which
the Felony Bill was passed four years afterwards,
when the principle of the Bill was once established.
Mr.W.SNIITH trusted that America would volun-
tarily concede the right of search.
Mr. WILBERFORCE replied very shortly.
Sir R. FERGUSON stated an instance within his
own knowledge, of the extensive traffic in slaves by
Portuguese subjects.—Motion agreed to.