The History Librarian

Tom Stave, our Documents Librarian, came by this morning to hand me a photocopy of columns 993-994 from Vol. VIII. (1807) of Cobbett’s Parliamentary Debates. On February 23, 1807, the British Parliament passed the Slave Trade Abolition Bill; here are William Wilberforce’s final arguments as published in the Parliamentary Debates:

Mr. Wilberforce replied to the principal arguments which had been urged against the bill. He observed, that ever since he had engaged in this discussion, he had always endeavoured to avoid any expression which might be considered unjustly injurious towards those who opposed him. But it was not to be expected that the friends of the abolition were to overlook the general effect of human passions. Despotic power could not be possessed without much abuse in the exercise of it. All that he imputed to the West-India planters was, that they had yielded to the circumstances under which they existed. The children in the islands were accustomed to see an order of beings around them which they were taught to consider as inferior. Thus their prejudices were formed. It was not them, therefore, that he blamed; but those who, though not placed in a situation to be misled on the subject of this traffic, and who had the opportunity of seeing its horrors in their true colors, who possessed the power of putting an end to the evil, and yet had suffered it to exist. He referred to Mr. Parke’s book, to shew the evils which the slave trade created in Africa. It had been contended that Mr. Malthus, in his Essay on Population, had favoured the slave trade; the fact, however, was not so. Indeed, Mr. Malthus had called upon him that day, and expressed his surprise to have learned, that in some publications of the day he was regarded as a favourer of the slave trade; and stated that he had written an appendix to his work, to remove that impression. It was said, why not put an end to the lottery, and other evils in this country? He acknowledged that he considered the lottery a very bad mode of raising money, and would concur in any measure for putting an end to it, if there were any prospect of success in the attempt; but he was sorry to see gentlemen reduced to arguments of this sort. They searched out every recess of misery and vice in their own country, they looked around them every where for evils, and hugged them all to their bosoms. With regard to the complaints that had been made of his conduct towards the West-India planters, he had always been as just towards those gentlemen as he could. He had never behaved to them with any harshness, but he could never carry complaisance so far towards them, or any set of men alive, as to compliment away the rights and happiness of millions of human beings. The hon. gent. pronounced an eulogium upon the display of character and talent which the house had that night witnessed on the side of humanity and justice, particularly on the part of the younger members; whose lofty and liberal sentiments recommended and enforced by the elevation of their rank, and the purity of their form, must tend to produce the happiest effects upon all classes of the community. Such an indication of mind and feeling must afford gratification to any reflecting man, and diffuse the most salutary lessons throughout the country; must shew to the people, that their legislators, and especially the higher order of their youth, were forward to assert the rights of the weak against the strong; to vindicate the cause of the oppressed; and that where a practice was found to prevail, inconsistent with humanity and justice, no consideration of profit could reconcile them to its continuance. The generous and humane principles which had been that day unfolded, were worthy of a British parliament to teach, and of a British people to learn.

A brief list of books and websites for those with an interest in learning more:

• “British Abolitionists” http://www.brycchancarey.com/abolition/index.htm
• Robin Blackbourn, The Overthrow of Colonial Slavery, 1776-1848 (1988)
• Adam Hochschild, Bury the Chains (2005)
• “Joseph Loconte: British abolition’s faith-based roots” http://hnn.us/roundup/entries/35630.html