were
discussed.

The latter declaration called up Mr. Wilberforce again, who observed
that he had no intention of misrepresenting any fact: he did not know
that he had done it in any one instance; but, if he had, it would be
easy to convict him out of the report upon the table.

Mr. Burke then rose. He would not, he said, detain the committee long:
indeed, he was not able, weary and indisposed as he then felt himself,
even if he had an inclination to do it; but as on account of his other
parliamentary duty, he might not have it in his power to attend the
business now before them in its course, he would take that opportunity
of stating his opinion upon it.

And, first, the House, the nation, and all Europe were under great
obligations to Mr. Wilberforce for having brought this important subject
forward. He had done it in a manner the most masterly, impressive, and
eloquent. He had laid down his principles so admirably, and with so much
order and force, that his speech had equalled anything he had ever heard
in modern oratory, and perhaps it had not been excelled by anything to
be found in ancient times. As to the Slave Trade itself, there could not
be two opinions about it, where men were not interested. A trade begun
in savage war, prosecuted with unheard-of barbarity, continued during
the transportation with the most loathsome imprisonment, and ending in
perpetual exile and slavery, was a trade so horrid in all in
circumstances, that it; was impossible to produce a single argument in
its favour. On the ground of prudence, nothing could be said in defence
of it, nor could it be justified by necessity. It was necessity alone
that could be brought to justify inhumanity; but no case of necessity
could be made out strong enough to justify this monstrous traffic. It
was therefore the duty of the House to put an end to it, and this
without further delay. This conviction, that it became them to do it
immediately, made him regret (and it was the only thing he regretted in
the admirable speech he had heard) that his honourable friend should
have introduced propositions on this subject. He could have wished that
the business had been brought to a conclusion at once, without voting
the propositions which had been read to them. He was not over fond of
abstract propositions; they were seldom necessary, and often occasioned
great difficulty, embarrassment, and delay. There was, besides, no
occasion whatever to assign detailed rea