sential to the
preservation of our trade with the West Indian islands; and that the
slaves were not only to be maintained, but increased there, by natural
population. He agreed, too, as to the propriety of the abolition. But
when his honourable friend talked of direct and abrupt abolition, he
would submit it to him, whether he did not run counter to the prejudices
of those who were most deeply interested in the question; and whether,
if he could obtain his object without wounding these, it would not be
better to do it? Did he not also forget the sacred attention which
parliament had ever shown to the private interests and patrimonial
rights of individuals?

Whatever idea men might then have of the African trade, certain it was
that they, who had connected themselves with it, had done it under the
sanction of parliament. It might also be well worth while to consider,
(though the conduct of other nations ought not to deter us from doing
our duty,) whether British subjects in the West Indies might not be
supplied with slaves under neutral flags. Now he believed it was
possible to avoid these objections, and at the same time to act in
harmony with the prejudices which had been mentioned. This might be done
by regulations, by which we should effect the end much more speedily
than by the way proposed. By regulations, he meant such as would
increase the breed of the slaves in the West Indies; such as would
ensure a moral education to their children; and such as would even in
time extinguish hereditary slavery. The extinction, however, of this was
not to be effected by allowing the son of an African slave to obtain his
freedom on the death of his parent. Such a son should be considered as
born free; he should then be educated at the expense of the person
importing his parents; and, when arrived at such a degree of strength as
might qualify him to labour, he should work for a term of years for the
payment of the expense of his education and maintenance. It was
impossible to emancipate the existing slaves at once; nor would such an
emancipation be of any immediate benefit to themselves; but this
observation would not apply to their descendants, if trained and
educated in the manner he had proposed.

He would now address himself to those who adopted the opposite extreme;
and he thought he should not assume too much when he said, that if both
slavery and the Slave Trade could be abolished with safety to their
property, it deeply