erefore, such a trade as it was impossible
for him to support, unless it could be first proved to him, that there
were no laws of morality binding upon nations; and that it was not the
duty of a legislature to restrain its subjects, from invading the
happiness of other countries, and from violating; the fundamental
principles of justice.

Several had stated the impracticability of the measure before them. They
wished to see the trade abolished; but there was some necessity for
continuing it, which they conceived to exist. Nay, almost every, one, he
believed, appeared to wish that the further importation of slaves might
cease, provided, it could be made out that, the population of the West
Indies could be maintained without it. He proposed, therefore, to
consider the latter point; for, as the impracticability of keeping up
the population there appeared to operate as the chief objection, he
trusted that, by showing it to be ill founded, he should clear away all
other obstacles whatever; so that, having no ground either of justice or
necessity to stand upon, there could be no excuse left to the committee
for resisting the present motion.

He might reasonably, however, hope that they would not reckon any small
or temporary disadvantage, which might arise from the abolition, to be a
sufficient reason against it. It was surely not any slight degree of
expediency, nor any small balance of profit, nor any light shades of
probability on the one side, rather than on the other, which would
determine them on this question. He asked pardon even for the
supposition. The Slave Trade was an evil of such magnitude, that there
must be a common wish in the committee at once to put an end to it, if
there were no great and serious obstacles. It was a trade, by which
multitudes of unoffending nations were deprived of the blessings of
civilization, and had their peace and happiness invaded. It ought,
therefore, to be no common expediency, it ought to be nothing less than
the utter ruin of our islands, which it became those to plead, who took
upon them to defend the continuance of it.

He could not help thinking that the West India gentlemen had manifested
an over great degree of sensibility as to the point in question; and
that their alarms had been unreasonably excited upon it. He had examined
the subject carefully for himself: and he would now detail those
reasons, which had induced him firmly to believe, not only that no
permanent misch