nce to determine, that gain should be
our God, and, like the heathens of old, were prepared to offer up human
victims at the shrine of our idolatry?

This consideration precluded also the giving heed for an instant to another
plea, namely, that if we were to abolish the trade it would be
proportionably taken up by other nations. But, whatever other nations did,
it became Great Britain, in every point of view, to take a forward part.
One half of this guilty commerce had been carried on by her subjects. As we
had been great in our crime, we should be early in our repentance. If
Providence had showered his blessings upon us in unparalleled abundance, we
should show ourselves grateful for them by rendering them subservient to
the purposes for which they were intended. There would be a day of
retribution, wherein we should have to give an account of all those
talents, faculties, and opportunities, with which we had been intrusted.
Let it not then appear, that our superior power had been employed to
oppress our fellow-creatures, and our superior light to darken the creation
of God. He could not but look forward with delight to the happy prospects
which opened themselves to his view in Africa from the abolition of the
Slave-trade; when a commerce, justly deserving that name, should be
established with her; not like that, falsely so called, which now
subsisted, and which all who were interested for the honour of the
commercial character (though there were no superior principle) should
hasten to disavow. Had this trade indeed been ever so profitable, his
decision would have been in no degree affected by that consideration.
"Here's the smell of blood on the hand still, and all the perfumes of
Arabia cannot sweeten it."

He doubted, whether it was not almost an act of degrading condescension to
stoop to discuss the question in the view of commercial interest. On this
ground, however, he was no less strong than on every other. Africa abounded
with productions of value, which she would gladly exchange for our
manufactures, when these were not otherwise to be obtained: and to what an
extent her demand might then grow exceeded almost the powers of
computation. One instance already existed of a native king, who being
debarred by his religion the use of spirituous liquors, and therefore not
feeling the irresistible temptation to acts of rapine which they afforded
to his countrymen, had abolished the Slave-trade throughout all his
domin