Year: 1859

the proceedings at soiree of the Leeds Young
Mems Ant-S!avery Society, Which was held In the
Town Hall, Leeds, on the evening of the 10Th ult,
under the presidency of the Mayor, Sir Peter Fair.
BARN.


The noble lord, in addressing the meeting, said
the summons to attend the soiree of the Leeds


Young Mems Anti-Slavery Society comprised va
rious incentives. First, there the locality in
which the source was to be held-the town of
Leeds-which had witnessed and won many an up
hill fight in the good cause of human progress
(applause)-next, there were those Of whom the
society was composed-the young men of Leeds.
(Applause) In accordance with this view, and
also in strict conformity with the very eloquent re-
port which had just been read he had been asked
and should be happy to move this resolution


That freedom being the gift of God is the inalenable
right Of every man. that to deprive of this right is
contrary TO all laws, human and Divine, and that there
tore We regard slavery as an unmgated evil demand
ing the condemnation Of every human being who respects


the laws Of Cod recognizes the principles Of natural
justice or the equal rights Of man.


In those days of his early canvass, to which he
had alluded, he remembered that, animated by the
recollection that he was then aspiring to fill the
seat which had been long occupied by William VIII
berforce-(applause)- )-and further animated by
the actual presence and colleagueship of Henry
Brougham who was devoting his great talents


(probably then at their highest pitch of exceence)
to this great cause, he called upon the men of


Yorkshire by voice and vote to hasten the day
when in the English colonial possessions the
slaves should kneel down to thank Heaven for
its best blessing, and spring again from the
ground without a chain and without master.
lCheers) In very short period afterwards, and as
Mr. Cobbett said, principally in consequence of the
fuss that was made about 1t by the crack
skulld' county of York; -Qaughter)- all events,
however, that might be, very soon afterwards as


far as British agency and British participation in
this accursed property was concerned, slavery re-
ceived its death blow. Their own hands, thanks to
the Almighty goodness, were entirely clean. Gap
plause) Why then, it might be asked, did the
young men of Leeds and other towns feel them
al uno IN isl aaeo-


Citations and hold anti-slavery meetings? Perhaps
it might not be an imperative duty but he was sure
that il was righteous exhibition of feeling and
graceful act of sympathy. (Applause) They had
not now to learn in how large portion of the i'm
mense continent Of the United States of America
slavery still prevailed. (Hear, hear) He did not
affect on that account to draw up bill OF indict-
ment against the American nation; he did not pre-
sumo TO assert that the system was incompatible
either with the name of Briton or the
faith of a Christian. The completely Of this
country had been too recent to make him
feel himself authorized to be the person to
make that charge, whatever inherent truth there
might be in it: he could not erase from his memory
also the knowledge that it was the mother country
that originally noculated her offspring with the
pest and he felt conscious that in early life many OF
his own acquaintance held property in man; but,
on the other hand, he knew that there was now
across the wide Atlantic noble brotherhood, aye!
and a noble sisterhood, too, he was proud to


say-(appause) )-who were straining every nerve;


who were devoting time opportunity and health'


who were sacrificing station, popularity, power
nay, who were even perilling limb and life; who
had caught the mantle of the Clarksons, the WIZ
berforces the Broughams and the Buxtons OF this
country and who were now entering upon the
costly career of self devotion and self sacrifice to
do the same work and achieve the same result
Every information that had lately be en- received
from the United States tended to show that crisis
was approachng--if it had not already come.
The leavcn was fermenting, enervescing fast
and hot; the struggle was becoming every day
more intense, more fierce, more pervading. (Hear,
hear) Had not some of them lately read instances
of treatment of slaves which transcribed even the
usual depth and blackness of horror? Clear hear)
Had they not seen what perhaps sort of indi-


cation still MORE TO be relied upon-that, for in


stance, q convention Of the State of Maryland had
decreed that, after q certain period, all free
blacks as they condcscended to call them, were
to be banished from their country when ne was
in the United States, seventeen years ago. ne was
much struck by the circumstance that, whereas IN
this country the great abolition leaders were al
ways held in honor and spoken Of with respect,
| even by those who might not feel much sympathy
with their views, in the United States he hardly
| ever heard the abolitionsts spoken OF except in
| terms of slight and contempt. (Hcar hear he
| imagined this now very greatly altered Clear,
hear) The abolitionsts had become IN the eyes of
| their opponents more formidable, II not more


acceptable. They excited fear, hatred, rage but 70