rade was
productive of inexpressible misery, in various ways, to the innocent
natives of Africa; that it was the grave of our seamen; and so on: the
other, merely answering objections which might be started, and where there
might be a difference of opinion. He was however glad that the propositions
were likely to be entered upon the journals; since, if from any misfortune
the business should be deferred, it might succeed another year. Sure he was
that it could not fail to succeed sooner or later. He highly approved of
what Mr. Pitt had said, relative to the language it became us to hold out
to foreign powers in case of a clandestine trade. With respect, however, to
the assertion of Sir William Yonge, that a clandestine trade in slaves
would be worse than a legal one, he could not admit it. Such a trade, if it
existed at all, ought only to be clandestine. A trade in human flesh and
sinews was so scandalous, that it ought not openly to be carried on by any
government whatever, and much less by that of a Christian country. With
regard to the regulation of the Slave-trade, he knew of no such thing as a
regulation of robbery and murder. There was no medium. The legislature must
either abolish it, or plead guilty of all the wickedness which had been
shown to attend it. He would now say a word or two with respect to the
conduct of foreign nations on this subject. It was possible that these,
when they heard that the matter had been discussed in that house, might
follow the example, or they might go before us and set one themselves. If
this were to happen, though we might be the losers, humanity would be the
gainer. He himself had been thought sometimes to use expressions relative
to France, which were too harsh, and as if he could only treat her as the
enemy of this country. Politically speaking, France was our rival. But he
well knew the distinction between political enmity and illiberal prejudice.
If there was any great and enlightened nation in Europe, it was France,
which was as likely as any country upon the face of the globe to catch a
spark from the light of our fire, and to act upon the present subject with
warmth and enthusiasm. France had often been improperly stimulated by her
ambition; and he had no doubt but that, in the present instance, she would
readily follow its honourable dictates.

Mr. (now Lord) Grenville would not detain the house by going into a
question, which had been so ably argued; but he should not do