The History of the Rise, Progress and Accomplishment of the Abolition of the African Slave Trade by the British Parliament (1808), Volume IIClarkson, Thomas
History
The History of the Rise, Progress and Accomplishment of the Abolition of the African Slave Trade by the British Parliament (1808), Volume II
Clarkson, Thomas
Slave trade -- Africa
It had been frequently, but most disgracefully said, that "we should not be
too eager in setting the example. Let the French begin it." Such a
sentiment was a direct libel upon the ancient, noble, and generous
character of this nation. We ought, on the other hand, under the blessings
we enjoyed, and under the high sense we entertained of our own dignity as a
people, to be proudly fearful, lest other nations should anticipate our
design, and obtain the palm before us. It became us to lead. And if others
should not follow us, it would belong to them to glory in the shame of
trampling under foot the laws of reason, humanity, and religion.
This motion, he said, came strongly recommended to them. The honourable
member, who introduced it, was justly esteemed for his character. He was
the representative too of a noble county, which had been always ready to
take the lead in every public measure for the good of the community, or for
the general benefit of mankind; of a county too, which had had the honour
of producing a Saville. Had his illustrious predecessor been alive, he
would have shown the same zeal on the same occasion. The preservation of
the unalienable rights of all his fellow-creatures was one of the chief
characteristics of that excellent citizen. Let every member in that house
imitate him in the purity of their conduct and in the universal rectitude
of their measures, and they would pay the same tender regard to the rights
of other countries as to those of their own; and, for his part, he should
never believe those persons to be sincere, who were loud in their
professions of love of liberty, if he saw that love confined to the narrow
circle of one community, which ought to be extended to the natural rights
of every inhabitant of the globe.
But we should be better able to bring ourselves up to this standard of
rectitude, if we were to put ourselves into the situation of those, whom we
oppressed. This was the rule of our religion. What should we think of
those, who should say, that it was their interest to injure us? But he
hoped we should not deceive ourselves so grossly as to imagine, that it was
our real interest to oppress any one. The advantages to be obtained by
tyranny were imaginary, and deceitful to the tyrant; and the evils they
caused to the oppressed were grievous, and often insupportable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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