Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/202

 . Mr. Pitt examined the former himself. He turned over leaf after leaf, in which the copies of the muster-rolls were contained, with great patience ; and when he had looked over above a hundred pages accurately, and found the name of every seaman inserted, his former abode or service, the time of his entry, and what had become of him, either by death, discharge, or desertion, he expressed his surprise at the great pains which had been taken in this branch of the inquiry, and confessed, with some emotion, that his doubts were wholly removed with respect to the destructive nature of this employment ; and he said, moreover, that the facts contained in these documents, if they had been but fairly copied, could never be disproved. He was equally astonished at the various woods and other productions of Africa, but most of all at the manufac- tures of the natives in cotton, leather, gold, and iron, which were laid before him. These he handled and examined over and over again. Many sublime thoughts seemed to rush in upon him at once at the sight of these, some of which he expressed with observations becoming a great and dignified mind. He thanked me for the light I had given him on many of the branches of this great question. And I went away under a certain conviction that I had left him much impressed in our favor."

The first witnesses examined by the council, were persons sent expressly as delegates from Liverpool, who had not only been themselves in the trade, but were at that time interested in it. They endeavored to show that none of the enormities charged belonged to it ; that it was attended with circumstances highly favorable to the Africans ; that it was so vitally connected with the manufacturing and commercial interests of the country that it would be almost national ruin to abolish it. A few, but highly respectable witnesses upon the other side were called before the council, and contributed to counteract the testimony of the Liverpool delegates. The inquiry continued for four months, during which time the petitions from the people to parliament had increased to one hundred and three.





 Mr. Pitt introduces the subject of the Abolition of the Slave-Trade into the House of Commons, May 9, 1788. — Speech of Mr. Pitt on the occasion. — Parliamentary action in 1789. — Debate of 12th of May. — Speech of William Wilberforce. — Travels and ex- ertions of Clarkson. — Sessions of 1791 and 1792. — Debates in the Commons. — Speeches of Wilberforce, Pitt, Fox, Bailie, Thornton, Whitbread, Dundas, and Jenkinson. — Gradual abolition agreed upon by House of Commons.

had been preparing to introduce the subject into the House of Commons when he was taken so ill that his life was despaired of. Under these circumstances, his friend Mr. Pitt, then chancellor of the exche-