FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30  
31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   >>   >|  
which they had been unjustly deprived, I would feel myself unjust, were I to omit two zealous opposers of the _colonial_ tyranny, conspicuous at the present day. The first is Mr. _Granville Sharp_. This Gentleman has particularly distinguished himself in the cause of freedom. It is a notorious fact, that, but a few years since, many of the unfortunate black people, who had been brought from the colonies into this country, were sold in the metropolis to merchants and others, when their masters had no farther occasion for their services; though it was always understood that every person was free, as soon as he landed on the British shore. In consequence of this notion, these unfortunate black people, refused to go to the new masters, to whom they were consigned. They were however seized, and forcibly conveyed, under cover of the night, to ships then lying in the _Thames_, to be retransported to the colonies, and to be delivered again to the planters as merchantable goods. The humane Mr. _Sharpe_, was the means of putting a stop to this iniquitous traffick. Whenever he gained information of people in such a situation, he caused them to be brought on shore. At a considerable expence he undertook their cause, and was instrumental in obtaining the famous decree in the case of _Somersett_, that as soon as any person whatever set his foot in this country, he came under the protection of the _British_ laws, and was consequently free. Nor did he interfere less honourably in that cruel and disgraceful case, in the summer of the year 1781, when _an hundred and thirty two_ negroes, in their passage to the colonies, were thrown into the sea alive, to defraud the underwriters; but his pious endeavours were by no means attended with the same success. To enumerate his many laudable endeavours in the extirpation of tyranny and oppression, would be to swell the preface into a volume: suffice it to say, that he has written several books on the subject, and one particularly, which he distinguishes by the title of "_A Limitation of Slavery_." The second is the _Rev. James Ramsay_. This gentleman resided for many years in the _West-Indies_, in the clerical office. He perused all the colonial codes of law, with a view to find if there were any favourable clauses, by which the grievances of slaves could be redressed; but he was severely disappointed in his pursuits. He published a treatise, since his return to England, called _An Essay on t
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30  
31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
colonies
 

people

 

unfortunate

 

country

 
brought
 
British
 

person

 
masters
 

endeavours

 

colonial


tyranny

 

volume

 
preface
 

oppression

 
protection
 
enumerate
 

laudable

 

extirpation

 
success
 

hundred


thirty

 

suffice

 

passage

 
negroes
 

summer

 
interfere
 

thrown

 

honourably

 

defraud

 

disgraceful


underwriters

 

attended

 
resided
 

clauses

 

grievances

 

slaves

 
favourable
 
redressed
 

severely

 

called


England

 

return

 

disappointed

 

pursuits

 
published
 

treatise

 
Limitation
 

Slavery

 
distinguishes
 

written