Having made these remarks, he proved, by a number of facts, the folly of
the argument, that the Africans laboured under such a total degradation
of mental and moral faculties, that they were made for slavery.
He then entered into the great subject of population. He showed that in
all countries, where there were no unnatural hardships, mankind would
support themselves. He applied this reasoning to the Negro population in
the West Indies; which he maintained could not only be kept up, but
increased, without any further importations from Africa.
He then noticed the observations of Sir William Yonge, on the words of
Sir Samuel Romilly; and desired him to reserve his indignation for
those, who were guilty of acts of rapine, robbery, and murder, instead
of venting it on those, who only did their duty in describing them.
Never were accounts more shocking than those lately sent to government
from the West Indies. Lord Seaforth, and the Attorney-General, could not
refrain, in explaining them, from the use of the words murder and
torture. And did it become members of that House (in order to
accommodate the nerves of the friends of the Slave Trade) to soften down
their expressions, when they were speaking on that subject; and to
desist from calling that murder and torture, for which a Governor, and
the Attorney-General, of one of the islands could find no better name?
After making observations relative to the co-operation of foreign powers
in this great work, he hoped that the House would not suffer itself to
be drawn, either by opposition or by ridicule, to the right or to the
left; but that it would advance straight forward to the accomplishment
of the most magnanimous act of justice, that was ever achieved by any
legislature in the world.
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