t was wholly
unexpected by us, I can assure you. We know that there were friendly
hearts here, for we had received abundant testimonials to that effect
from letters which had come to us across the Atlantic--letters wholly
unexpected, and which filled our souls with surprise; but we had no
thought that there was such a feeling throughout England, and we
scarcely know how to conduct ourselves under it, for we are not
accustomed to this kind of receptions. In our own country, unhappily, we
are very much divided, and the preponderance of feeling expressed is in
the other direction, entirely in opposition, and not in favor. [Hear,
hear!] We knew that this city had been the scene of some of the
greatest, most disinterested, and most powerful efforts in behalf of
emancipation. The name of Clarkson was indissolubly associated with this
place, for here he came to make his investigations, and here he was in
danger of his life, and here he was protected by friends who stood by
him through the whole struggle. The names of Cropper, and of Stephen,
and of many others in this city, were very familiar to us--[Hear,
hear!]--and it was in connection with this city that we received what to
our feelings was a most effective testimonial, an unexpected letter from
Lord Denman, whom we have always venerated. When I was in England in
1836, there were no two persons whom I more desired to see than the Duke
of Wellington and Lord Denman; and soon I sought admission to the House
of Lords, where I had the pleasure both of seeing and hearing England's
great captain; and I found my way to the Court of Queen's Bench, where I
had the pleasure of seeing and hearing England's great judge. But how
unexpected was all this to us! When that book was written, in sorrow,
and in sadness, and obscurity, and with the heart almost broken in the
view of the sufferings which it described, and the still greater
sufferings which it dared not describe, there was no expectation of any
thing but the prayers of the sufferers and the blessing of God, who has
said that the seed which is buried in the earth shall spring up in his
own good time; and though it may be long buried, it will still at length
come forth and bear fruit. We never could believe that slavery in our
land would be a perpetual curse; but we felt, and felt deeply, that
there must be a terrible struggle before we could be delivered from it,
and that there must be suffering and martyrdom in this cause, as in