Phipps followed Lord Carysfort. He denied that this was a question
in which the rights of humanity and the laws of nature were concerned. The
Africans became slaves in consequence of the constitution of their own
governments. These were founded in absolute despotism. Every subject was an
actual slave. The inhabitants were slaves to the great men; and the great
men were slaves to the Prince. Prisoners of war, too, were by law subject
to slavery. Such being the case, he saw no more cruelty in disposing of
them to our merchants, than to those of any other nation. Criminals also in
cases of adultery and witchcraft became slaves by the same laws.

It had been said, that there were no regulations in the West Indies for the
protection of slaves. There were several; though he was ready to admit,
that more were necessary; and he would go in this respect as far as
humanity might require. He had passed ten months in Jamaica, where he had
never seen any such acts of cruelty as had been talked of. Those which he
had seen were not exercised by the Whites, but by the Blacks. The dreadful
stories, which had been told, ought no more to fix a general stigma upon
the planters, than the story of Mrs. Brownrigg to stamp this polished
metropolis with the general brand of murder. There was once a haberdasher's
wife (Mrs. Nairne) who locked up her apprentice girl, and starved her to
death; but did ever any body think of abolishing haberdashery on this
account? He was persuaded the Negros in the West Indies were cheerful and
happy. They were fond of ornaments; but it was not the characteristic of
miserable persons to show a taste for finery. Such a taste, on the
contrary, implied a cheerful and contented mind. He was sorry to differ
from his friend Mr. Wilberforce, but he must oppose his motion.

Mr. Pitt rose, and said, that from the first hour of his having had the
honour to sit in parliament down to the present, among all the questions,
whether political or personal, in which it had been his fortune to take a
share, there had never been one in which his heart was so deeply interested
as in the present; both on account of the serious principles it involved,
and the consequences connected with it.

The present was not a mere question of feeling. The argument, which ought
in his opinion to determine the committee, was, that the Slave-trade was
unjust. It was therefore such a trade as it was impossible for him to
support, unless it could be firs