Who knows but that emancipation, like a beautiful plant, may, in its due season, rise out of the ashes of the abolition of the Slave-trade, and that, when its own intrinsic value shall be known, the seed of it may be planted in other lands?
And looking at the subject in this point of view, we cannot but be struck with the wonderful concurrence of events as previously necessary for this purpose, namely, that two nations, England and America, the mother and the child, should, in the same month of the same year, have abolished this impious traffic; nations, which at this moment have more than a million of subjects within their jurisdiction to partake of the blessing; and one of which, on account of her local situation and increasing power, is likely in time to give, if not law, at least a tone to the manners and customs of the great continent, on which she is situated.
Reader! Thou art now acquainted with the history of this contest! Rejoice in the manner of its termination! And, if thou feelest grateful for the event, retire within thy closet, and pour out thy thanksgivings to the Almighty for this his unspeakable act of mercy to thy oppressed fellow-creatures.
THE END.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
VOL.

I.
CHAP.1.

INTRODUCTION--Estimate of the evil of the Slave-trade--and of the blessing of the Abolition of it--Usefulness of the contemplation of this subject CHAP.2.Those, who favoured the cause of the Africans previously to 1787, were so many necessary forerunners in it--Cardinal Ximenes--and others CHAP.3.Forerunners continued to 1787--divided now into four classes--First consists of persons in England of various descriptions, Godwyn, Baxter, and others CHAP.4.Second, of the Quakers in England, George Fox, and his religious descendants CHAP.5.Third, of the Quakers in America--Union of these with individuals of other religious denominations in the same cause CHAP.6.Facility of junction between the members of these three different classes CHAP.7.Fourth consists of Dr.Peckard--then of the Author--Author wishes to embark in the cause--falls in with several of the members of these classes CHAP.8.Fourth class continued--Langton--Baker--and others--Author now embarks in the cause as a business of his life CHAP.9.Fourth class continued--Sheldon--Mackworth--and others--Author seeks for further information on the subject--and visits Members of Parliament CHAP.10.Fourth class continued--Author enlarges his knowledge--Meeting at Mr.Wilberforce's--Remarkable junction of all the four classes, and a Committee formed out of them, in May 1787, for the Abolition of the Slave-trade CHAP.11.History of the preceding classes, and of their junction, shown by means of a map CHAP.12.Author endeavours to do away the charge of ostentation in consequence of becoming so conspicuous in this work CHAP.13.Proceedings of the Committee--Emancipation declared to be no part of its object--Wrongs of Africa by Mr.Roscoe CHAP.14.Author visits Bristol to collect information--Ill usage of seamen in the Slave-trade--Articles of African produce--Massacre at Calebar CHAP.15.Mode of procuring and paying seamen in that trade--their mortality in it--Construction and admeasurement of Slave-ships--Difficulty of procuring evidence--Cases of Gardiner and Arnold CHAP.16.Author meets with Alexander Falconbridge--visits ill-treated and disabled seamen--takes a mate out of one of the Slave-vessels--and puts another in prison for murder CHAP.17.Visits Liverpool--Specimens of African produce--Dock-duties--Iron-instruments used in the traffic--His introduction to Mr.Norris CHAP.18.Manner of procuring and paying seamen at Liverpool in the Slave-trade--their treatment and mortality--Murder of Peter Green--Dangerous situation of the Author in consequence of his inquiries CHAP.19.Author proceeds to Manchester--delivers a discourse there on the subject of the Slave-trade--revisits Bristol--New and difficult situation--suddenly crosses the Severn at night--returns to London CHAP.20.Labours of the Committee during the Author's journey--Mr.Sharp elected chairman--Seal engraved--Letters from different correspondents to the Committee CHAP.21.Further labours of the Committee to February 1788--List of new Correspondents CHAP.22.Progress of the cause to the middle of May--Petitions to Parliament--Author's interviews with Mr.Pitt and Mr.Grenville--Privy council inquire into the subject--examine Liverpool-delegates--Proceedings of the Committee for the abolition--Motion and debate in the House of Commons--Discussion of the general question postponed to the next session CHAP.23.Progress to the middle of July--Bill to diminish the horrors of the Middle Passage--Evidence examined against it--Debates--Bill passed through both Houses--Proceedings of the Committee, and effects of them.
VOL.

II.
CHAP.1.Continuation from June 1758 to July 1739--Author travels in search of fresh evidence--Privy council resume their examinations--prepare their report--Proceedings of the Committee for the abolition--and of the Planters and others--Privy council report laid on the table of the House of Commons--Debate upon it--Twelve propositions--Opponents refuse to argue from the report--Examine new evidence of their own in the House of Commons--Renewal of the Middle Passage-Bill--Death and character of Ramsay CHAP.2.Continuation from July 1789 to July 1790--Author travels to Paris to promote the abolition in France--His proceedings there--returns to England--Examination of opponents' evidence resumed in the Commons--Author travels in quest of new evidence on the side of the abolition--This, after great opposition, introduced--Renewal of the Middle Passage-Bill--Section of the Slave-ship--Cowper's Negro's Complaint--Wedgwood's Cameos.
CHAP.3.Continuation from July 1790 to July 1791--Author travels again--Examinations on the side of the abolition resumed in the Commons--List of those examined--Cruel circumstances of the times--Motion for the abolition of the trade--Debates--Motion lost--Resolutions of the Committee--Sierra Leone Company established CHAP.4.Continuation from July 1791 to July 1792--Author travels again--People begin to leave off sugar--Petition Parliament--Motion renewed in the Commons--Debates--Abolition resolved upon, but not to commence till 1796--The Lords determine upon hearing evidence on the resolution--This evidence introduced--Further hearing of it postponed to the next session CHAP.5.Continuation from July 1792 to July 1793--Author travels again--Motion to renew the Resolution of the last year in the Commons--Motion lost--New motion to abolish the foreign Slave-trade--Motion lost--Proceedings of the Lords CHAP.6.Continuation from July 1793 to July 1794--Author travels again--Motion to abolish the foreign Slave-trade renewed and carried--but lost in the Lords--Further proceedings there--Author, on account of declining health, obliged to retire from the cause CHAP.7.Continuation from July 1794 to July 1799--Various motions within this period CHAP.8.Continuation from July 1799 to July 18O5--Various motions within this period CHAP.9.Continuation from July 1805 to July 1806--Author, restored, joins the Committee again--Death of Mr.Pitt--Foreign Slave-trade abolished--Resolution to take measures for the total abolition of the trade--Address to the King to negotiate with foreign powers for their concurrence in it--Motion to prevent new vessels going into the trade--all these carried through both Houses of Parliament CHAP.10.Continuation from July 1806 to July 1807--Death of Mr.Fox--Bill for the total abolition carried in the Lords--Sent from thence to the Commons--amended, and passed there, and sent back to the Lords--receives the royal assent--Reflections on this great event.