and thorough duty, for some time past, had been continually gaining ground-and at this time, were loudly professed by the Anti-Slavery societies, throughout the empire. The half-hearts, the abstract-haters of slavery, had retired from the contest, or had gone over to the educational plan. The electors became more and more influenced by the spirit of impartial liberty, and petitions multiplied more and more. The crisis came. Earl Grey and Lord Brougham, were at the head of the administration. The Colonial Secretaries, Lords Goderich and Howick, were enlightened, upright, and firm. T. F. Buxton, led on to the Parliamentary contest, nobly. The king was passive. The West Indians mustered to the battle; they found it impossible any longer to defer the final conflict, and they put forth all their strength, in order to mould it as much as possible to their purposes. The House of Lords, including the Bishops, as a body were on their side.

They gained an important advantage to their cause, by obtaining the substitution in the colonial secretaryship, of Messrs. Stanley and Lefevre, for Lords Goderich and Howick.

Mr. Buxton was known to be prepared to urge the question of immediate abolition early in the session. Mr. Stanley, as minister of the crown, took it out of his hands by pledging himself to introduce without delay, a measure which should be "safe and satisfactory to all parties." This measure was expected with deep anxiety.

But the friends of liberty saw too much ground of apprehension in the sudden change of the colonial sacretaries, and in Mr. Stanley's indefinite and unexplained terms, to be at ease. A deputation therefore was determined upon. Three hundred and thirty-one of the noblest minds, selected by the nation, hastened to London, and waiting upon the ministers, earnestly urged the prayer of the nation's heart. They were received with respect, and the above mentioned pledge was solemnly renewed to them. The hopes of the friends of liberty were warm-but the slave faction was indefatigable.

Mr. Stanley's plan appeared May 14th, 1833. It was properly speaking a West Indian plan-not such a plan by any means, as the West Indians, if left to themselves, would have devised--but just such a plan, as unflinching despo

tism and cupidity would grasp at in their condition. It began plausibly, by proposing to abolish slavery immediately; but it proceeded to substitute an apprenticeship of twelve years for slavery, and besides, to give the slave faction £15,000,000 for the loss which it pretended they would

sustain.

The leaders of the Anti-Slavery Society were shaken. They could not indeed look upon the plan, as either safe or satisfactory; but in the substitution of a limited and comparatively short period of vastly mitigated bondage, for interminable slavery of the most ferocious description, they saw within their grasp, an inestimable boon, and trembling at the idea of losing it, they compromised their principles. Immediate and thorough emancipation was let go, and the claim of compensation was allowed to entangle the question. But there were many, with the Agency Sub-Committee at their head, who could not thus wave their principles. They could not concur a moment in the substitution of the mitigation, for the abolition of sin; especially, of sin of such an aggravated nature as colonial slavery! The law of God, which prohibits all iniquity and all participation in all iniquity, was as precious to them as ever, and they saw no reason in the craft of His enemies, for beginning to mistrust His truth. The pursuit of the immediate and thorough emancipation of their poor and outraged fellow subjects, from iniquitous and cruel bondage, became not less a paramount duty in their estimation, because tyranny in its dying struggles sought to mutilate it. They recalled their leaders to the glorious principles of uncompromising righteousness which they had asserted together, and which had been the mighty cement of their union.

They were kindly listened to, and their remonstrances were of some avail. The length of the apprenticeship was decidedly refused--and when Mr. Stanley declared to a deputation, which was appointed to wait upon him by the united committee, that he could not shorten the twelve years, the question was promptly referred to the people.

The minister, and the slave faction, felt obliged to bend. They offered and carried a compromise. It was, that slavery, so called, should cease in all the British slave colonies, on the first of August, 1834. That from that day, a species of apprenticeship should begin, and continue with the non

prædial (non-agricultural) slaves for four years, (1st August, 1838,) and with the prædial (agricultural) slaves for six years, or until August 1st, 1840. That the children, under six years of age, on the first of August, 1834, should be free; but might, at the discretion of their parents, be apprenticed to their former masters, until of age.

And that in consideration of the loss which it was pretended the slaveholders were to undergo, £20,000,000 of the national money should be paid to them.

The triumph was glorious, but incomplete. The law of God, though less outrageously trampled under foot, yet remained broken. The British law was only partially vindicated. The wrongs and sufferings of the guiltless, and outraged poor, were mitigated-greatly mitigated--but not remedied. Slavery, though shorn of its lordly port, as a triumphant pirate, yet preyed upon the colonies, under the form of apprenticeship, a legalized robber! And still the cry of the laborers' wages, kept back by force and fraud, went up to heaven against the nation.

But still the friends of liberty rejoiced. Good, much good, was done. Tyranny received a blow, from which it will probably never recover-and the glorious day seems at hand, when all heaven's atmosphere, within the boundaries of Britain's empire, shall be "too pure for a slave to breathe in."

Meanwhile, the apprenticeship, generally speaking, works well. The colored people, by peaceable continuance in well doing by still, in their patience, possessing their souls: by unwearied quietness and submissiveness, are putting to shame the aspersions of their enemies, and proving how eminently fit they are to be entrusted with their sacred and unforfeited rights as men! And how criminal, insane and cruel, is the system, which will still go on to oppress and plunder them.

But in two of the late British slave colonies a happier state of things has arisen. Antigua and Bermudas, instead of accepting the base and pernicious substitute of apprenticeship, immediately proceeded to emancipation. On the first of August, 1834, their slaves became freemen. Their soil is pure-God hears no longer the cry of outrage and of blood against them. Danger, which still hangs over the other colonies, because mischief continues to be framed by law there, has rolled away from them; and, in the harmo

* Well for the cause of freedom, though oppressive to the apprentice.-ED.

nizing of the interests of all, by impartial law, the firmest pledge exists of their future happiness.

In the winter of 1833, the Agency Sub-Committee of London, having completed its short and glorious course, came to an end: but from its ashes immediately arose a new society, the object of which is, to obtain the abolition of slavery, throughout the world. Its leaders were George Stephen, and the two Coopers. Its secretary is John Scoble. Its friends are, the noblest hearts in Britain. George Thompson, grossly slandered by ignorance and falsehood in the United States, honored and beloved by those who have long known and tried him, is its agent. It moves forward firmly in peace and love, utterly rejecting all carnal weapons; superior alike to the provocations and the blandishments, which are on its way; not to be provoked to retaliation by insultnot to be deterred by threats or reviling, from its holy course. Above the baseness of flattery, it cannot cringe to wickedness however lordly, nor does the brazen front of hypocrisy, bold and lawless, daunt it. The law of God and of brotherly kindness is in its heart. The love of Christ constrains it, that even as he loved man, so should it love man, irrespectively of physical diversities, and labor with him, and under him, "to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prisons to them that are bound--to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God." Isa. lxi. 1, 2. To hasten the time, when all men, shall unite with the heavenly host in acclaiming, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will towards men."

I cannot conclude without stating, that amidst the deep and general degeneracy of the slave factions, noble exceptions arose; men and women, who, with double heroism, cast off the fetters of their nature, and their circumstances and their class, and dared to be just and humane-just, by restoring to their slaves their full and unforfeited freedom; and humane, by continuing afterwards their disinterested friends-even such men as Moses Brown, of Providence, and J. G. Birney, of Kentucky. Within my own little knowledge, I could name several such; and a larger number of an inferior grade, who, though they remained slave masters, unnecessarily, yet within the limits of that cruel and crying iniquity, did all they could to mitigate their own sin, and to

alleviate the degradation of their helpless bondmen. Such men as these last, forget him who "went away sorrowing, having great possessions," Matth. xix. 16-22, they forget, Gal. iii. 10, and James ii. 10. Of the former description, a female instance may be here recorded.

Mrs. Stumbles, of Stonehouse, near Plymouth, England, in 1829, had a small slave property in Nevis, West Indies, bequeathed to her, in connection with her brother, who was manager of a slave estate in that beautiful island. To her share, fell four slaves; two women, one man, and one little boy. God said to her, through the bequest, "here are four of my suffering poor-I put them into your power, that you may deliver them-let them go, that they may serve me!" She at once determined to obey-no subterfuge of inheritance clouded her faith. But how should she proceed? Could she confide the cause to her brother? No! He was a slave master, and she knew him too well. Could she hire an agent? None such was within her reach. With an infant in her arms, and in straitened circumstances, what could she do? She did, as the woman of old, "what she could." With her babe in her arms, she crossed the ocean and arrived in Nevis. Her brother met her with scorn; the surrounding slave masters sought to daunt her with threats and reviling; the slave laws filled her way with. perplexity; but, burning with holy love, cheered on of God, supported by the laws of her country, and refreshed with many local sympathies, she persevered and succeeded. She fulfilled the divine commission, and returned with the smiles of God, and the blessing of his delivered poor, to her native country.

Mr. Rice, a talented and generous young Methodist minister, then in Nevis, was returning to England the ensuing year. When about to depart, he inquired where he might best get some shells, preserves, &c. to take with him as a present to his friends in England. The two women, lately emancipated by Mrs. Stumbles, were mentioned to him, amongst others. He went to them, and they readily displayed their little stock. "What is the price?" said Mr. Rice. "Massa," they replied, "we no want to sell 'em." "Come, come, tell me what you want, I will give you a good price." "Massa, we already tell you, we no want to sell 'em." Why, what is the matter-what are you going to do with

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