me Thomas Paine had published
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 realiz