Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-23
HONOR TO MEMORY
OF VIM. WHEREFORE

sage Of law abolishing the slave trade in
Great Britain, March g. 1907.
William Wilberforce is the greatest
name identified with the movement, which
continued for a century. and did not sue
coed till 1t found In him a leader whose
zeal and power never Jagged till the traf-
fic had been made illegal.
In no place will q celebration seem as
fitting as In the venerable house in the city
Of Hull where Wilberforce was born, Au-
gust "a, 1859.
It Is somewhat curious that q century
and a half should have been permitted to
pass before public opinion was reused to
the importance of this massive red brick
building as a suitable national memorial
for one Of the greatest giants of English
craftsmanship. AS rule they do these
things properly in the mother country.
The building with history is tenderly
cared for. That is why there are still stand
ing In England piles of masonry which ex-
listed 800 years ago.
Accident and perhaps a veneration for
Wilberforce on the part of those who
lived in the house of his birth have pre-
served the building. and now the munich
pality Of Hull, at the suggestion Of Coun-
cilor John Brown, whose name s1ngularly
enough recalls one that played an i'm
portant part in the early stages OF the
American struggle to abolish slavery, has
make it a museum for the preservation Of
relics connected with wars on slavery.
American pilgrims, it is announced, will be
especially welcome.
take part Monday in memorial service
to be held In honor Of Wilberforce, and
there will be other ceremonies in all parts
of Great Britain.
born has history besides his connection
with it. Way back in the seventeenth GEN.
fury 1t was the finest house in Hull, and
when King Charles I of unfortunate mem
DRY came to Hull 1t was selected as the
place most suitable for his reception.
The Wilberforce who came into being
there was son of wealthy parents and all
his inclinations should have turned him
toward a life of studious ease. but his
adherence of the traffic in human flesh
early made him a militant opponent of the
system and it is recorded that as early as
his schoolboy days he wrote paper which
attracted general attention. 1t was called
an article In Condemnation of the Odious
Traffic in Human Flesh and was printed
all over England, as we'll as being circu-
lated in the colonies.
That battle, toward whose successful
issue Wilberforce directed his energies,
looked at the outset a hopeless one.
1t was not alone the STAKEHOLDER of Eng
land who stood opposed to the WiberfOrce
campaign. The shipowner Joined, for the
business of carrying slaves to the American
colonies had become profitable one. since
John Hawkins in 1858 began following the
example of the early Portuguese mariners
who first took the Africans from their
homes in order to sell them into bondage.
England has ever been proud of the
power of its marine service, merchant as
we'll as naval. and has been anxious to
extend 1t every aid.
Naturally. when the seafaring men OPP
posed the abolition of the traffic partiSans
were made for the side Wilberforce OPP
posed.
On attaining his majority Wiberforce
found himself possessed of a large for
tune, and determined to enter parliament
in order to be better able to carry on the
fight. In 1880 he was returned for Hull.
By fortunate circumstance he had
learned to know the younger Pitt at Cam
bridge, and when both were members of
crusade of Wherefore to make the slave
traffic illegal. During all the long contest
that followed, Pitt. while busy with other
national problems of great moment. was
ever at the elbow of Wherefore, doing all
he could to aid the cause.
To work the more freely, Wilberforce
refused to ally himself with either party,
and when Pitt became prime minister, he
reason.
In 1854 facing the bitter opposition Of
the great WING families, he was returned
as the member for Yorkshire.
In 1881 his plans for fighting the slave
trade on the floor Of the house took form.
and the battle that was to last two decades
before success came was finally entered
upon.
the wrongs Of the trade in the house
Thomas Clarkson was collecting the EVIL
dence which served as basis for the Will
berforce speeches, and served to keep the
nation aroused. As one reads the speeches
of the leader of the movement today they
are found to be overwhelming in the mar
shaling of fact, notable no less for elo-
quence than for the information they con-
tain. None dare dispute the truth Of VIII
berforce's statements, no matter how much
they questioned his remedies, for in every
case he had every detail verified so that
no shadow Of doubt existed. For much
of this work, so important to the success
Of the cause the credit must go to Clark
son.
The Quakers also lent valiant aid at
every step.
In 1898, after critical Illness WILDER
force brought before the house a series Of
resolutions condemning the slave trade
Supported by Pitt, Burke and Fox, then
in the flower of their powers. he carried
them. but the activity of the planters forced
In 1902 bill for the gradual abolition Of
the slave trade passed commons by a
great majority. and success seemed at
hand. Again his bill went through in 1904.
and was rejected by the lords.
Still another setback came to the cause
a year later when. after a hard campaign,
the adherents of slavery even succeeded
IN having the Dill OOWneO IN the commons.
Finally Wherefore moved Fox to the point
Of pledging that in 1907 the house of COM
mons would insist a resolution forever
abolishing the slave trade, and would look
to the nation to bring to bear on the house
Of lords the proper influence to have the
bill pass that body. too.
This was the opportunity Of Wilberforce.
He stumped all England, making a remark
able series of speeches which stirred the
BritOns to fever heat.
He also wrote a book which had notable
influence In reaching those who were unable
to hear him speak
True to it's promise, commons passed the
bill in 1907. In the house of commons Sir
Samuel Romilly in a notable speech COM
pared the final peaceful triumph of Wilber-
force with the military pre-eminence of Ma
poleon. then at the height of his glory, and
the house cheered to the echo.
The lords did not dare oppose the popular
sentiment for the measure, and quickly put
it through. The royal sanction, that of
King George III. the obdurate ruler who
had denied justice to the American colonies,
and in consequence lost them for Britain,
was obtained, and on March %, 1907 the
slave trade ended so far as English ships
or Englishmen were concerned.
Wilberforce now turned his attention to
agitatng the passage of similar measures
by every nation in the world. Declining
health finally compelled him to quit parlia-
ment in 1925.
This retirement resulted in giving the
leadership of the anti-slavery fight to Sir