As it now appeared to me, that nothing material would be done with respect to our cause till after the election of the new legislature, I had thoughts of returning to England to resume my journey in quest of evidence; but I judged it right to communicate first with the Comte de Mirabeau and the Marquis de la Fayette, both of whom would have attended the meeting just mentioned, if unforeseen circumstances had not prevented them.

On conversing with the first, I found that he differed from those, whom I had consulted.  He thought that the question, on account of the nature and urgency of it, ought to be decided in the present legislature.  This was so much his opinion, that he had made a determination to introduce it there himself; and had been preparing for his motion.  He had already drawn up the outlines of a speech for the purpose; but was in want of circumstantial knowledge to complete it.  With this knowledge he desired me to furnish him.  He then put his speech into my hand; and wished me to take it home and peruse it.  He wrote down also some questions, and he gave them to me directly afterwards, and begged I would answer them at my leisure.

On conversing with the latter, he said, that he believed with those at the meeting, that there would be no greater difficulty in carrying the question in the succeeding than in the present legislature.  But this consideration afforded an argument for the immediate discussion of it:  for it would make a considerable difference to suffering humanity, whether it were to be decided now or then.  This was the moment to be taken to introduce it; nor did he think that they ought to be deterred from doing it, by any supposed clamours from some of the towns in France.  The great body of the people admired the constitution; and would support any decisions, which were made in strict conformity to its principles.  With respect to any committee of inquiry, he deprecated it.  The Slave-trade, he said, was not a trade.  It dishonoured the name of commerce.  It was piracy.  But if so, the question, which it involved, was a question of justice only; and it could not be decided with propriety by any other standard.  I then informed him, that the Comte de Mirabeau had undertaken to introduce it into the Assembly.  At this he expressed his uneasiness.  “Mirabeau,” says he, “is a host in himself; and I should not be surprised if by his own eloquence and popularity only he were to carry it; and yet I regret that he has taken the lead in it.  The cause is so lovely, that even ambition, abstractedly considered, is too impure to take it under its protection, and not to sully it.  It should have been placed in the hands of the most virtuous man in France.  This man is the Duc de la Rochefoucauld.  But you cannot alter things now.  You cannot take it out of his hands.  I am sure he will be second to no one on this occasion.”