or
the same doctrine. Add to this, that slaves bred in the islands were more
expert at colonial labour, more reconciled to their situation, and better
disposed towards their masters, than those who were brought from Africa.

But it had been said, that the births and deaths in the islands were now
equal; and, that therefore no further supply was wanted. He denied the
propriety of this inference. The slaves were subject to peculiar diseases.
They were exposed also to hurricanes and consequent famines. That the day,
however, would come, when the stock there would be sufficient, no person
who attended to the former part of his argument could doubt. That they had
gradually increased, were gradually, increasing, and would, by certain
regulations, increase more and more, must be equally obvious. But these
were all considerations for continuing the traffic a little longer.

He then desired the House to reflect upon the state of St. Domingo. Had not
its calamities been imputed by its own deputies to the advocates for the
abolition? Were ever any scenes of horror equal to those which had passed
there? And should we, when principles of the same sort were lurking in our
own islands, expose our fellow-subjects to the same miseries, who, if
guilty of promoting this trade, had, at least, been encouraged in it by
ourselves?

That the Slave-trade was an evil, he admitted. That the state of slavery
itself was likewise an evil, he admitted; and if the question was, not
whether we should abolish, but whether we should establish these, he would
be the first to oppose himself to their existence; but there were many
evils, which we should have thought it our duty to prevent, yet which, when
they had once arisen, it was more dangerous to oppose than to submit to.
The duty of a statesman was, to consider abstractedly what was right or
wrong, but to weigh the consequences which were likely to result from the
abolition of an evil, against those, which were likely to result from its
continuance. Agreeing then most perfectly with the abolitionists in their
end, he differed from them only in the means of accomplishing it. He was
desirous of doing that gradually, which he conceived they were doing
rashly. He had therefore drawn up two propositions. The first was, That an
address be presented to His Majesty, that he would recommend to the
colonial assemblies to grant premiums to such planters, and overseers, as
should distinguish themselves by promot