died of the treatment he had received.

[Sidenote: 1830--Parliamentary action against slavery]

The story of the accusation, the trial, and the death created an
immense sensation in England. Brougham, Buxton, Sir James Mackintosh,
the historian and scholar, and many others aroused the public
indignation by their rightful denunciations of the trial and the
verdict. The Government condemned and reversed the proceedings at the
trial, and when Brougham brought on a motion in the House of Commons,
publicly branding with just severity the whole conduct of the Demerara
authorities, his motion was only defeated by a small majority.
Meanwhile, the agitation against the whole system of colonial slavery
was receiving new impulse and new strength from the teaching of new
events in the colonies, and in May, 1830, a great meeting was held in
London to demand, not the mitigation, but the total abolition of
slavery in every land over which the flag of England floated. This
meeting was presided over by the great abolitionist, William
Wilberforce, who had been out of public life for some time owing to
severe ill-health, and who believed that he could not more fitly
celebrate his return to the active work of philanthropy than by taking
the chair at such a demonstration. Mr. Buxton proposed a resolution
calling on the country to agitate for the total abolition of slavery in
the colonies, and to be content with nothing else, and the resolution
was carried by enthusiastic acclamation. Brougham at once became the
champion of the great London meeting by a motion which he brought
forward in the House of Commons. One of the greatest speeches of his
lifetime {195} was made in justifying his appeal to the House for the
total abolition of a system which admitted of nothing like partial, or
what is called moderate, reform, and must either be swept out of
existence altogether or remain a curse to those who enforce it as well
as to those against whom it is enforced. Brougham's motion was
defeated, of course. We say of course because it was only a motion
made by an independent member, as the phrase goes, and was not proposed
by the leader of a strong Government, determined to stake its existence
on the carrying of its proposition. Every great reform, it may almost
literally be said, is heralded in Parliament by the motions of
independent members, who are sure to be defeated, but whose determined
efforts have success enough to make the leader