s became an accomplished fact--a consummation for
which, as Wesleyan Methodists, they had universally prayed and
laboured. They cannot therefore, but profoundly rejoice at the
jubilee of the great event, with its incalculable benefits, not
only to the West Indies, but to all other peoples throughout the
world.

"It may not, perhaps, be generally known to you that Slavery was
abolished in India in 1843 by the simple passing of an Act
destroying its legal status, and putting the freeman and Slave
on the same footing before the law. The natural result took
place, and millions of Slaves gratuitously procured their own
freedom without any sudden dislocation of the rights claimed by
their masters. A plan similar to this would be found a most
effectual one in Egypt and other Mohammedan countries. This
example was followed by Lord Carnarvon in 1874 on the Gold Coast
of Western Africa, where he was able to abolish Slavery without
any serious interference with the habits and customs of the
people. Under the influence of England, the Bey of Tunis issued
a decree in 1846, abolishing Slavery and the Slave-trade
throughout his dominions, which concluded in the following
simple and forcible terms:--'Know that all Slaves that shall
touch our territory by sea or by land shall become free.'

"In connection with this there are two names which I cannot do
otherwise than allude to to-day--that of Sir Samuel Baker, and
one which is on everybody's lips--that of General Gordon. You
are well aware that during the term of five or six years that
they were governors of the Soudan their great object was to put
down the Slave-trade on the White Nile. They were successful to
a great extent, but I fear they had great difficulties to
contend with, and when their backs were turned much of the evil
came out again which they had found on their arrival.

"I will now turn to Europe. The great Republic of France in
1848, under the guidance of the veteran Abolitionist M. Victor
Schoelcher and his colleagues, passed a short Act abolishing
Slavery throughout the French dominions: 'La Republique n'admet
plus d'esclaves sur le territoire Francais.' In Russia the
emancipation of twenty millions of serfs in 1861 by the late
Emperor of Russia must not pass unchronicled in a review of the
history of emancipation,