auses inferior to those which have
been now mentioned, or from little frivolous excuses, or idle and
unfounded conjectures, unworthy of beings expected to fill a moral
station in life. Yes, O man! often in these solitary journeyings have I
exclaimed against the baseness of thy nature, when reflecting on the
little paltry considerations which have smothered thy benevolence, and
hindered thee from succouring an oppressed brother. And yet, on a
further view of things, I have reasoned myself into a kinder feeling
towards thee. For I have been obliged to consider ultimately, that there
were both lights and shades in the human character; and that, if the bad
part of our nature was visible on these occasions, the nobler part of it
ought not to be forgotten. While I passed a censure upon those, who were
backward in serving this great cause of humanity and justice, how many
did I know, who were toiling in the support of it! I drew also this
consolation from my reflections, that I had done my duty; that I had
left nothing untried or undone; that amidst all these disappointments I
had collected information, which might be useful at a future time; and
that such disappointments were almost inseparable from the prosecution
of a cause of such magnitude, and where the interests of so many were
concerned:--

Having now given a general account of my own proceedings, I shall state
those of the committee; or show how they contributed, by fulfilling the
duties of their several departments, to promote the cause in the
interim.

In the first place they completed the rules, or code of laws, for their
own government.

They continued to adopt and circulate books, that they might still
enlighten the public mind on the subject, and preserve it interested in
favour of their institution. They kept the press indeed almost
constantly going for this purpose. They printed, within the period
mentioned, RAMSAY'S, _Address on the proposed Bill for the Abolition;
The Speech of Henry Beaufoy, Esq., on Sir William Dolben's Bill_, of
which an extract is given in Chap. xxiii.; _Notes by a Planter on the
two Reports from the Committee of the Honourable House of Assembly of
Jamaica_; _Observations on the Slave Trade_ by Mr. Wadstrom; and
DICKSON'S _Letters on Slavery._ These were all new publications. To
those they added others of less note, with new editions of the old.

They voted their thanks to the Rev. Mr. Clifford, for his excellent
Sermon on the Slave