Page:Copley 1844 A History of Slavery and its Abolition 2nd Ed.djvu/357

Rh him, which had not been damped even by disappointment and delay. He urged on the meeting the necessity of impressing on the legislature its solemn determination that early and efficacious measures should be adopted for accomplishing the wishes of the people, and the resolutions of parliament on this subject, otherwise, he observed, the progress made, or pretended to be made, towards the accomplishment of their great object, would be that of standing stock still, or of going right backwards; and expressed his firm belief that their disappointment would be renewed, and that neither government would effect, nor parliament enforce, those reforms which they promised to effect, in compliance with the universal voice of the English people.

This sentiment was corroborated by Mr. Wilberforce. "Unless," said he, "the people of this country come forward with a zeal and unanimity worthy of themselves, worthy of their history, worthy of the country to which they belong, we shall in vain expect, within any time to which we can look forward, to see slavery abolished in our colonies." Happily the people were unanimous, and zealous, and persevering; and, though the struggle was prolonged yet six years, Wilberforce was spared to witness its termination. The other speakers were, Mr. Denman, Sir James Mackintosh, Mr. Buxton, Rev. G. Noel, Rev. J. W. Cunningham, Mr. Sykes, and the Duke of Gloucester, and never, perhaps, were the speeches of a public meeting more worthy of being preserved, or more likely to be read with interest, even when the object has been accomplished, and the excitement has passed away.