It was another effect of this trade, that it corrupted the morals of those,
who carried it on. Every fraud was used to deceive the ignorance of the
natives by false weights and measures, adulterated commodities, and other
impositions of a like sort. These frauds were even acknowledged by many,
who had themselves practised them in obedience to the orders of their
superiors. For the honour of the mercantile character of the country, such
a traffic ought immediately to be suppressed.
Yet these things, however clearly proved by positive testimony, by the
concession of opponents, by particular inference, by general reasoning, by
the most authentic histories of Africa, by the experience of all countries
and of all ages,--these things, and (what was still more extraordinary)
even the possibility of them, were denied by those, who had been brought
forward on the other side of the question. These, however, were chiefly
persons, who had been trading governors of forts in Africa; or who had long
commanded ships in the Slave-trade. As soon as he knew the sort of
witnesses which was to be called against him, he had been prepared to
expect much prejudice.
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