“Your Royal Highness will, I trust, excuse
| LIFE OF WILLIAM ROSCOE. | 471 |
“I confess, that as far as these remarks relate to myself, they appear, from his own statement, to be so unfounded, that I should willingly have left the decision to the candid judgment of his readers, but on further consideration, it appeared to me, that the sentiments avowed by Mr. Harrison were not only inconsistent with those enlightened views upon which the Institution has hitherto acted, but likely to prove injurious to the best interests of those for whose benefit it was established. In fact, a considerable degree of prejudice seems to prevail against all those who have engaged in a direct and legitimate trade with Africa, although their motives and conduct are as different from those of their predecessors as light from darkness, and the existence of such an intercourse is indispensably necessary to the civilisation of those countries.
“An idea has, I find, been entertained, that I had myself
engaged in this trade; but, in fact, I never had in my life any share or
concern in any ship or adventure. My second
son is, indeed, a partner in a mercantile house in Liver-
| 472 | LIFE OF WILLIAM ROSCOE. |
“Anxious as I am that every measure should be adopted that may eradicate the traffic for slaves, I cannot perceive that the regulations now proposed to parliament for that purpose will be more effectual than those which preceded them. The former act has been evaded, not because of the inadequacy of the penalties, but because of the difficulty of conviction, in an intercourse which can be carried on between the coast of Africa and foreign ports, though with the property and for the use of British subjects.
“To increase these penalties will, therefore, only induce
the slave-dealers to redouble their precautions; and if they have not been
convicted when punishable only by fine, they will certainly not be convicted
when punishable by transportation or death. I have already too far intruded on
your Royal Highness’s indulgence on this subject, but I cannot relinquish
my decided conviction, that it is only by one great and virtuous effort that
the slave trade can be effectually abolished, and until it can be demonstrated
that power is improperly exercised when employed
| LIFE OF WILLIAM ROSCOE. | 473 |
“Should the enclosed paper accord with the sentiments entertained by your Royal Highness on the subject in discussion, it will give me the greatest satisfaction.”
