It had been stated that the principle of war among savages was a general
massacre. This was not true. They frequently adopted the captives into
their own families; and, so far from massacring the women and children,
they often gave them the protection which the weakness of their age and
sex demanded.
There could be no doubt, that the practice of kidnapping; prevailed in
Africa. As to witchcraft, it had been made a crime in the reign of James
the First in this country, for the purpose of informations; and how much
more likely were informations to take place in Africa, under the
encouragement afforded by the Slave Trade! This trade, it had been said,
was sanctioned by twenty-six acts of parliament. He did not doubt but
fifty-six might be found, by which parliament had sanctioned witchcraft
of the existence of which we had now no belief whatever....
It had been said by Mr. Stanley that the pulpit had been used as an
instrument of attack on the Slave Trade. He was happy to learn it had
been so well employed; and he hoped the Bishops would rise up in the
House of Lords, with the virtuous indignation which became them, to
abolish a traffic so contrary to humanity, justice, and religion.
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