ecrecy which the Chancellor of the Exchequer
had observed relative to his own opinion on this important subject. Why
did he refuse to give it? Had Mr. Wilberforce been present, the house
would have had a great advantage in this respect, because doubtless he
would have stated in what view he saw the subject, and in a general way
described the nature of the project he meant to propose. But now they
were kept in the dark as to the nature of any plan, till the next
session. The Chancellor of the Exchequer had indeed said, that it had
been a very general opinion that the African Slave Trade should be
abolished. He had said again, that others had not gone so far, but had
given it as their opinion, that it required to be revised and regulated.
But why did he not give his own sentiments boldly to the world on this
great question? As for himself, he (Mr. Fox) had no scruple to declare
at the outset, that the Slave Trade ought not to be regulated, but
destroyed. To this opinion his mind was made up; and he was persuaded
that, the more the subject was considered, the more his opinion would
gain ground; and it would be admitted, that to consider it in any other
manner, or on any other principles than those of humanity and justice,
would be idle and absurd. If there were any such men, and he did not
know but that there were those, who, led away by local and interested
considerations, thought the Slave Trade might still continue under
certain modifications, these were the dupes of error, and mistook what
they thought their interest, for what he would undertake to convince
them was their loss. Let such men only hear the case further, and they
would find the result to be, that a cold-hearted policy was folly when
it opposed the great principles of humanity and justice.

He concluded by saying that he would not oppose the resolution, if other
members thought it best to postpone the consideration of the subject;
but he should have been better pleased if it had been discussed sooner;
and he certainly reserved to himself the right of voting for any
question upon it that should be brought forward by any other member in
the course of the present session.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, that nothing he had heard had
satisfied him of the propriety of departing from the rule he had laid
down for himself, of not offering, but of studiously avoiding to offer,
any opinion upon the subject till the time should arrive when it could
be fully