however, to complete this of themselves, they called in the aid of the Slaves.  Here began the second cause; for the Slaves, feeling their own power, began to retaliate on the Whites.  And here it may be observed, that, in all revolutions, the clemency or cruelty of the victors will always be in proportion to their former privileges, or their oppression.  That the Slaves then should have been guilty of great excesses was not to be wondered at; for where did they learn their cruelty?  They learnt it from those who had tyrannized over them.  The oppression, which they themselves had suffered, was fresh in their memories, and this had driven them to exercise their vengeance so furiously.  If we wished to prevent similar scenes in our own islands, we must reject all moderate measures, and at once abolish the Slave-trade.  By doing this, we should procure a better treatment for the Slaves there; and when this happy change of system should have taken place, we might depend on them for the defence of the islands as much as on the Whites themselves.

Upon the whole, he would give his opinion of this traffic in a few words.  He believed it to be impolitic—­he knew it to be inhuman—­he was certain it was unjust—­he though it so inhuman and unjust, that, if the colonies could not be cultivated without it, they ought not to be cultivated at all.  It would be much better for us to be without them, than not abolish the Slave-trade.  He hoped therefore that members would this night act the part which would do them honour.  He declared, that, whether he should vote in a large minority or a small one, he would never give up the cause.  Whether in the House of Parliament or out of it, in whatever situation he might ever be, as long as he had a voice to speak, this question should never be at rest.  Believing the trade to be of the nature of crimes and pollutions, which stained the honour of the country, he would never relax his efforts.  It was his duty to prevent man from preying upon man; and if he and his friends should die before they had attained their glorious object, he hoped there would never be wanting men alive to their duty, who would continue to labour till the evil should be wholly done away.  If the situation of the Africans was as happy as servitude could make them, he could not consent to the enormous crime of selling man to man; nor permit a practice to continue, which put an entire bar to the civilization of one quarter of the globe.  He was sure that the nation would not much longer allow the continuance of enormities which shocked human nature.  The West Indians had no right to demand that crimes should be permitted by this country for their advantage; and, if they were wise, they would lend their cordial assistance to such measures, as would bring about, in the shortest possible time, the abolition of this execrable trade.

Mr. Dundas rose again, but it was only to move an amendment, namely, that the word “gradually” should be inserted before the words “to be abolished” in Mr. Wilberforce’s motion.