In fact, they had a right
to compensation. The planters generally spent their estates in this
country. They generally educated their children in it. They had never been
found seditious or rebellious; and they demanded of the Parliament of Great
Britain that protection, which, upon the principles of good faith, it was
in duty bound to afford them in common with the rest of his majesty's loyal
subjects.
[Footnote A: Here he quoted them specifically.]
Mr. Vaughan stated that, being a West Indian by birth and connected with
the islands, he could speak from his own knowledge. In the early part of
his life he was strongly in favour of the abolition of the Slave-trade. He
had been educated by Dr. Priestley and the father of Mrs. Barbauld; who
were both of them friends to that question. Their sentiments he had
imbibed: but, although bred at the feet of Gamaliel, he resolved to judge
for himself, and he left England for Jamaica.
He found the situation of the slaves much better than he had imagined.
Setting aside liberty, they were as well off as the poor in Europe. They
had little want of clothes or fuel: they had a house and garden found them;
were never imprisoned for debts; nor deterred from marrying through fear of
being unable to support a family; their orphans and widows were taken care
of, as they themselves were when old and disabled; they had medical
attendance without expense; they had private property, which no master ever
took front them; and they were resigned to their situation, and looked for
nothing beyond it.
Pages:
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340