I was now very anxious to know the sentiments which these gentlemen entertained on the subject of the Slave-trade.  If they were with us, they might be very useful to us; not only by their votes in the Assembly, but by the knowledge of facts, which they would be able to adduce there in our favour.  If they were against us, it became me to be upon my guard against them, and to take measures accordingly.  I therefore stated to them at once the nature of my errand to France, and desired their opinion upon it.  This they gave me without reserve.  They broke out into lavish commendations of my conduct, and called me their friend.  The Slave-trade, they said, was the parent of all the miseries in St. Domingo, not only on account of the cruel treatment it occasioned to the slaves, but on account of the discord which it constantly kept up between the Whites and People of Colour, in consequence of the hateful distinctions it introduced.  These distinctions could never be obliterated while it lasted.  Indeed both the trade and the slavery must fall before the infamy, now fixed upon a skin of colour, could be so done away, that Whites and Blacks could meet cordially, and look with respect upon one another.  They had it in their instructions, in case they should obtain a seat in the Assembly, to propose an immediate abolition of the Slave-trade, and an immediate amelioration of the state of slavery also, with a view to its final abolition in fifteen years.

But time was flying apace, I had now been nearly seven weeks in Paris; and had done nothing.  The thought of this made me uneasy, and I saw no consoling prospect before me.  I found it even difficult to obtain a meeting of the Friends of the Negros.  The Marquis de la Fayette had no time to attend.  Those of the committee, who were members of the National Assembly, were almost constantly engaged at Versailles.  Such of them as belonged to the Municipality, had enough to do at the Hotel de Ville.  Others were employed either in learning the use of arms, or in keeping their daily and nightly guards.  These circumstances made me almost despair of doing any thing for the cause at Paris, at least in any reasonable time.  But a new circumstance occurred, which distressed me greatly; for I discovered, in the most satisfactory manner, that two out of the six at the last committee were spies.  They had come into the society for no other reason, than to watch and report its motions, and they were in direct correspondence with the slave-merchants at Havre de Grace.  This matter I brought home to them afterwards, and I had the pleasure of seeing them excluded from all our future meetings.