his Rights of Man.  This had been widely circulated.  At this time also the French revolution had existed nearly two years.  The people of England had seen, during this interval, a government as it were dissected.  They had seen an old constitution taken down, and a new one put up, piece by piece, in its stead.  The revolution, therefore, in conjunction with the book in question, had had the effect of producing dissatisfaction among thousands; and this dissatisfaction was growing, so as to alarm a great number of persons of property in the kingdom, as well as the government itself.  Now will it be believed that our opponents had the injustice to lay hold of these circumstances, at this critical moment, to give a death-blow to the cause of the abolition?  They represented the committee, though it had existed before the French revolution or the Rights of Man were heard of, as a nest of Jacobins; and they held up the cause, sacred as it was, and though it had the support of the minister, as affording an opportunity of meeting for the purpose of overthrowing the state.  Their cry succeeded.  The very book of the abridgment of the evidence was considered by many members as poisonous as that of the Rights of Man.  It was too profane for many of them to touch; and they who discarded it, discarded the cause also.

But these were not the only circumstances which were used as means, at this critical moment, to defeat us.  News of the revolution, which had commenced in St. Domingo in consequence of the disputes between the Whites and the People of Colour, had, long before this, arrived in England.  The horrible scenes which accompanied it, had been frequently published as so many arguments against our cause.  In January new insurrections were announced as having happened in Martinique.  The Negros there were described as armed, and the planters as having abandoned their estates for fear of massacre.  Early in the month of March insurrections in the smaller French islands were reported.  Every effort was then made to represent these as the effects of the new principles of liberty, and of the cry for abolition.  But what should happen, just at this moment, to increase the clamour against us?  Nothing less than an insurrection in Dominica.—­Yes!—­An insurrection in a British island.  This was the very event for our opponents.  “All the predictions of the planters had now become verified.  The horrible massacres were now realizing at home.”  To give this news still greater effect, a meeting of our opponents was held at the London Tavern.  By a letter read there it appeared, that “the ruin of Dominica was now at hand.”  Resolutions were voted, and a memorial presented to government, “immediately to dispatch such a military force to the different islands, as might preserve the Whites from destruction, and keep the Negros in subjection during the present critical state of the slave-bill.”  This alarm was kept up till the seventh of April, when another meeting took place to receive the answer