Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-01-06
LONDON ANTI.sLAvERY CONFERENCE.

An Anti-Slavery Conference was held in London
on the Let ult., called under the auspices Of the
British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society. This
Society has Of late years been under the control of
such men ms have listened with willing ears to
reports dityaraging to the American Anti-Slayery
Society, and in their reports and public demon
tons have ignored its existence and its labors, or
have contributed to their depreciation in public
estimation. A more liberal spirit has, however,
characterized its present Secretary, as also the
management of tho present Conference.
A multitude of important topics were presented
discussed, and tremendously disposed of. The
only serious difference of opinion concerned the
question of express approval of the American
Anti-Slavery Society on which there was a warm
discussion. On this question, Mr.. Pillsbury and
others spoke in vindication of the American Soci-
ETY.. The resolution was Withdrawn, ond ono
adopted commencing the zeal and labors Of Amer
lean abolitionists generally.
When the question of emancipation in the
French West Indies was under discussion, Mr..
Victor Sch@lchcr, who. as a member of the late
National Assembly Of France, carried the act OF
emancipation, made a speech which is sketched
in the Empire.
M. Schnlcher reviewed the state of public
opinion i'll France on the slave question prior to
tie revolution of 1913. One of the first acts OF
the Provisional Government (which he should ever
consider it an honor to have been associated with
was the abolition of slavery in the French colonies
They abolished it without transition. and in so do
ing the planters themselves had declared that TIT
Government had acted wisely. In proof of THU
he quoted from various colonial newspapers. Will
! T. yu r. a ~ rho IN stIrrp.ti,n az oYr,o n mini,
that took place before the Act Of Emancipation
had taken effect in fact, that was a result of tn,
revolution ut home. lie drew Il rather gloom
picture OF the present state of the colonies undeI
the Empire. Slavery had been forever abolished
i'll the colonies by the deer cs of the Republic, but
much Injustice was still perpetuated. The Cover
nor Of Guadalupe had dismissed the Attorney
General, and driven away the Bishops. because
they had refused to make their high Offices subscr
Went to compulsory labor. Pride Of caste, 1t
thought, was i'm evil which takes the longest tim,
to cure. 1t is because the free blacks have had TT
impudence to say, " Am / not as much as you ?
that these difficulties have arisen. But there i
order now in the Antilles, as there is in Paris
any negro is liable to be arrested on the highwa,
II he have not a passport, for which he is oblige,
to pay. The education of the blacks is subjected
to equally obnoxious regulations. lie spoke of tn
evils OF free immigration, connected with whicl
are always the evils Of slavery. But he found con
consolation in the fact that the destiny IF evil is t
be temporary, of good to be everlasting. lie re
ferred to the statement that the European republi
can leaders had agreed to overlook American sla
very 1t could not be so. He, for one, MS a Re
publican, believed that slavery is nowhere so grca
a shame rs in a republic. lie denounced, in term
OF strong Indignation, the slavery of the United
States, but believed the American Abolitionist
would yet overthrow this, its last stronghold. NJ
Sch@lcher's address was frequently interrupted b,
the plaudits Of the meeting. In reply to a ques
ton, NJ. Schnlcher stated that l20, 600, 600 frame
had been paid as compensation to the Shareholders
by the French Government"
For this report of the proceedings of the Con
ference, we are indebted to the EMPIRE. the pape
with which George Thompson is editorially cor
i nected.