Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/181

 In the year 1784, Dr. Gregory produced his "Essays Historical and Moral." He took an opportunity of disseminating in these a circumstantial knowledge of the slave-trade, and an equal abhorrence of it at the same time. He explained the manner of procuring slaves in Africa; the treatment of them in the passage, (in which he mentioned the case of the ship Zong,) and the cruel treatment of them in the colonies. He recited and refuted also the various arguments adduced in defense of the trade. He showed that it was destructive to seamen. He produced many weighty arguments also against slavery itself. He proposed clauses for an act of parliament for the abolition of both; showing the good both to England and her colonies from such a measure, and that a trade might be substituted in Africa, in various articles for that which he proposed to suppress.

In the same year, James Ramsay, vicar of Testou in Kent, became also an able, zealous, and indefatigable patron of the African cause. This gentleman had resided niueteen years in the island of St. Christopher, where he had observed the treatment of the slaves, and had studied the laws relating to them. On his return to England, yielding to his own feelings of duty, and the solicitations of some friends, he published a work which he called "An Essay on the Treatment and Conversion of the African Slaves in the British Sugar Colonies." After having given an account of the relative situation of master and slave in various parts of the world, he explained the low and degrading situation which the Africans held in society in the British islands. He showed that their importance would be increased, and the temporal interest of their masters promoted, by giving them freedom, and by granting them other privileges. He showed the great difficulty of instructing them in the state in which they then were, and such as he himself had experienced both in his private and public attempts, and such as others had experienced also. He stated the way in which private attempts of this nature might probably be successful. He then answered all objections against their capacities, as drawn from philosophy, form, anatomy, and observation; and vindicated these from his own experience. And lastly, he threw out ideas for the improvement of their condition, by the establishment of a greater number of spiritual pastors among them; by giving them more privileges than they then possessed; and by extending towards them the benefits of a proper police. Mr. Ramsay had no other motive for giving this work to the public than that of humanity, for he compiled it at the hazard of forfeiting that friendship which he had contracted with many during his residence in the islands, and of suffering much in his private property, as well as subjecting himself to the ill-will and persecution of numerous individuals.

The publication of this book by one who professed to have been so long resident in the islands, and to have been an eye-witness of facts, produced, as may easily be supposed, a good deal of conversation, and made a considerable impression, but particularly at this time, when a storm was visibly gathering over the heads of the oppressors of the African race.

In the year 1785, another advocate was seen in Monsieur Necker, in his