cal and commercial expediency, and that multitudes of our fellow creatures, several scores of thousands annually, were to be reduced to the moft wretched of all ftates, that individuals might enjoy a greater degree of opulence, or that the ftate might collect fomewhat more for its revenue. Thefe confiderations, compared with the facred and eternal rules of justice and mercy, were fo trifling, that he trufted they would have no weight whatever, when opposed to them; and he could not but be very fanguine in his hopes of fuccels to the measure propofed by the worthy mover, when he confidered, that from the goodness of his caufe, he must neceffarily have the countenance and fupport of the most refpectable bodies of men, as well as of private individuals of almoft every description, as he fhould now endeavour to show.

However, Mr. Martin faid, we might have differed in party opinions, concerning certain high and diftinguished characters, he believed that all would allow the first perfons of royal dignity in this country to be of merciful and benevolent difpofitions, and that they had infpired thofe defcended from them with the fame fentiments of humanity and generofity. This being fo, we might juftly entertain the warmeft hopes of the countenance and fupport of every part of the Royal family. Both Houfes of Parliament were now engaged in the profecution of a gentleman accused of cruelty and oppreffion in a high degree. He feared that fome of the charges brought against that gentleman might be too well founded; but fo far as appeared to him, in regard to the exercife of any cruelties brought home to him, they were neither to be compared in number or degree to those which were every day, and every hour, committed in the abominable traffic, the abolition of which was now under difcuffion. Of the reverend bench of Bishops, who were, by their doctrine and example, to render Chriftianity amiable, and to recommend it to the world, he must not be permitted to doubt on this occafion; and fome of the inferior Clergy had already manifefted an honeft zeal in this most righteous caufe.-The University of Cambridge had prefented a petition to that Houfe worthy the attention of every well-wisher to humanity; and the fifter Univerfity had, by the mouth of one of her refpectable representatives, given a fanction to the measure.-Diffenters of various denominations (particularly the Quakers, who, upon this occafion, to their immortal honour, had taken a leading part) vied with fome of the most respectable of the established church, ftanding forth in this excellent caufe.--We had, for many years, and, Heaven knows, with too much reafon, been hearing violent accufations of delinquents from India. Surely the accufers of fuch delinquents would be eager, upon this occafion, to fhow

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fhow that they had been actuated by the pure principles of humanity, without party fpirit or other unworthy motives. Particularly, he fhould much confide in thofe gentlemen, who, as managers of the profecution against Mr. Haftings, had exhibited fuch aftonishing eloquence, as, perhaps, was never excelled, or even equalled. The fame powers of eloquence, exerted in a caufe at leaft as worthy, must bear down all obftacles or refiftance, and defeat every oppofition which narrow and miftaken felf-intereft could raise against the measure. Some of the greateft trading towns in this country had declared for the abolition, in which they had been joined by many of the first counties in weight and confequence, particularly by that county of which the honourable mover is one of the reprefentatives. The county of York had always been, and, he trufted, ever would be, forward to take the lead in every public meafure in which the general rights of mankind were interefted. He was perfuaded, that the wifhes of that diftinguished county upon this, as upon every occafion, would be powerfully fupported by its two excellent reprefentatives.

With fo much good fupport, and so good a cause, it must be impoffible to fail.-Let but every man ftand forth, who had, at any time in his life, boafted, as an Englishman, of a fuperior regard to the general rights of nature and mankind, and who had pretended at leaft, to defpife other nations as being defective in fuch regard-and we thould most affuredly. fucceed; but if it were otherwife, we must have a moft fhameless effrontery, if we should ever after pretend to the character of real Chriftians, or Britons, or indeed of men of fuch general moral principles as fhould govern every human being, of whatever country or religion.—Indeed, as Britons, and especially as the reprefentatives of a people priding themselves in, and perpetually boafting of, liberal fentiments towards all mankind, we fhould be particularly cautious, and even extremely anxious, to avoid the fmalleft appearance of any unjust and tyrannical principle. But how diftinguishingly hypocritical fhould we appear, if, instead of defending the rights of the oppreffed, we fhould be the leaders in oppreffion and cruelty, or at least wait for the example of thofe whom we accufe of being tyrannical, before we checked and stopped the arm of tyranny, which had been too long violently wielded over our fellow-creatures?

We who were tenacious to excess, if it were poffible, of our rights, and manifefted the hotteft indignation even at the fmalleft perfonal infult, (particularly if it were offered by the hand of Government)-we, who had punished tyrants of the highest rank in this country-were we to fuffer innocent creatures to be whipped, fcourged, and tortured with

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out difcretion, without control, without trial, and without law? In fhort, if we had any regard to national reputation, let us not add the most fhameful and abominable hypocrify to guilt and infamy, by exercifing tyranny of the blackest kind, and affecting, at the fan e time, the keeneft indignation at every exertion of power amongst ourselves which was not strictly and perfectly legal. He was fo far from condemning the jealoufy of illegal power amongst ourselves, that it had his higheft applaufe-but he could with, that the fame laudable principle thould be exerted, in its fullest exWhile we could hardly tent, towards the reft of mankind.

bear the fight of any thing refembling flavery, even as a punishment, among ourfelves, thould we countenance the exercife of the most defpotic power over millions of creatures, who, for aught we know, were not only innocent, but meritorious?

It has been frequently, but most difgracefully, faid, by the advocates for the continuance, or at leaft by thofe who were not very zealous for the abolition, of this commerce, that we fhould not be too eager in fetting the example; but that we fhould wait for the French, or other foreigners, to take the lead in this bufinefs. How far fuch a fentiment was confiftent with the ancient, noble, and generous character of this nation, and with the high opinion we were apt to entertain of our national honour at this time, he would leave to the judgement of every impartial perfon. But he muft flatter himself, that we should rather have been eager to be first in fo good a cause, and that we should rather have been fearful of being anticipated by those whofe principles, in regard to the rights of mankind, we had not been accustomed to hold in very high refpe&t. If any nation was to be foremost in fuch a matter, which was most bound to take the lead, fuch as pretended, and proudly too, to a vast superiority over the rest of mankind in their civil rights, or fuch as they had always affected to defpife for abject fubmiffion and the meanest fervility? If we fhould fet this good example, and not be followed by other European nations, let the guilt and infamy of fuch a tyftem lie heavy on thofe, who, in that cafe, would continue to act upon it, in fpite of example, added to the dictates both of reafon and religion.

Surely, continued Mr. Martin, this motion came recommended to us in the strongest manner. The honourable gentleman who introduced it, was juftly esteemed for the refpectability of his character. He was one of the representatives of a county, which, as he had faid before, (but which, for its credit, could not be mentioned too often) had always manifefted a readiness to take the lead in every public meafure, for the good of the community, or for the general be

nefit of mankind. If this business had been in hands lefs able and lefs refpectable, he should now particularly have much regretted the lofs of one of the honourable gentleman's predeceffors in the reprefentation of Yorkshire, who, he was fure, upon this occafion, would have eagerly displayed that ardent zeal for the unalienable rights of all his fellow-creatures, which was one of the chief characteristics of that moft excellent citizen; but, he was perfuaded, that, as the prefent reprefentatives of the county of York had been worthy followers of that bright example, fo, on this moft interefting occafion, they would burn with the fame ardent zeal for relieving the diftreffed, which animated the breaft of that most incomparable man. Would to Heaven, that every Member of the British Parliament would look up with reverence to that illuftrious pattern! Let them follow his footftops in the purity of their conduct, in their love of juftice, mercy, and truth, and in the univerfal rectitude of all their meatures. If they did this, they would pay the fame tender regard to the rights of other countries as to their own; and, for his part, he fhould never believe thofe perfons really fincere, who were loud in their profeffions of love to liberty, if he faw that love confined within the narrow circle of one community, which ought to be extended to the natural rights of every human inhabitant of the globe.

We fhould be more able to bring ourfelves up to this ftandard of rectitule, if we heartily endeavoured to imagine ourfelves in the fituation of those who are oppreffed, and then feriously confidered what we should think of fuch as would wish to establish a juft and equitable fyftem of morality in regard to themfelves, and one of another kind towards thofe, whom, for certain reafons, they might erroneoufly think it their intereft to opprefs. But, he added, let us not deceive ourfelyes fo groffly, as to imagine, that it is our real intereft to oppress any of our fellow-creatures. The advantages to be obtained by oppreffion and tyranny were imaginary and deceitful to the oppreffor and the tyrant and the evils they caufed to the oppreffed, were heavy, grievous, and many times infupportable.

Before he fat down, he would beg leave to observe, that if, in delivering thofe fentiments which he had prefumed to offer to the Houfe, he fhould appear to have expreffed himfelf in any way too ftrongly, or with too much vehemence, he freely trufted to the candour and fairness of gentlemen for giving him the credit of not wifhing or meaning to fay any thing violent or offenfive. But he muft declare, that he fhould think moft contemptibly of himfelf, could he mention the enormities of the flave trade, without a very confiderable degree of emotion and refentment; nevertheless, he

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would wish that it were perfectly understood, that this refentment went only to the principles and confequences of the trade itself, without any ill-will towards the perfons concerned it it. Many of those perfons, from peculiar fituations, and from circumftances, perhaps almoft unavoidable, might be involved in it, and probably much to their concern and discontent. Such perfons, he doubted not, from ufe and habit, faw it in a very different light, however, from others. If a perfon, being betrayed by his feelings into an unbecoming degree of heat, in fuch matters as relate folely to his own felfifh interefts, was pardoned for such an offence, he furely had a jufter claim to liberal allowance, whose feelings were excited by the wrongs of others, with whom he had only that general connection, which, however, ought ftrongly to be felt by every human creature.

He could feel no grievance whatever from the continuance of the flave trade; and he therefore trufted, that there would be a disposition to excufe any excefs which could have been occafioned only by that pity which he felt for others. He was aware but of one unworthy motive to which his conduct, as well as that of many other individuals, upon this occafion, might be attributed-He meant the oftentation and parade of virtuous and worthy fentiments. Now, he must beg leave to remark, that it appeared to him that there is no one good action which could be performed in life that might not be attributed, by fufpicion or malevolence, to that particular motive. Men might always infinuate, that vain-glory was the cause by which individuals were induced to actions apparently good; but that matter must be decided between Heaven and the confciences of thofe perfons whofe conduct was fufpected, or perhaps maliciously accufed, even without fufpicion; and if the general tenor of a man's life did not fairly lead to fufpicion that he was hypocritical or oftentatious, it was furely highly uncharitable to impute to him.fuch a dif pofition without fufficient grounds; and it was moreover of most pernicious confequence to the public, as a great discouragement to men from acting meritorioully, when they not only loft the credit of fo acting, but were accufed of doing that which was right in itself, merely for the fake of public and popular applause. *If, notwithstanding this remark, he fhould be fo unhappy as to draw upon himself, by the part he had taken in this business, that harsh and undeserved cenfure which he wished to deprecate, he must endeavour to fatisfy himself with the confcioufnefs of his own fair inten tions, and his moft fincere unwillingness to give offence to any one-and with declaring, that as he did not pretend to judge of the feelings of other men's minds, fo he must proteft, that feeing this matter in the light he did, he should

efteem