Volume II Part 27 (1/2)

[Page Head: HENRY TAYLOR ON ABOLITION OF SLAVERY]

It seems that the Government project (or perhaps only the fact that they have one) about West Indian eot wind, and the West Indians are of course in a state of great alarm They believe that it will be announced, whatever it is to be, in the King's Speech, though I doubt there being anything but a vague intention expressed in it Of all political feelings and passions--and such this rage for emancipation is, rather than a consideration of interest--it has always struck me as the most extraordinary and rereat many of the Abolitionists are actuated by very pure motives; they have been shocked at the cruelties which have been and still are very often practised towards slaves, their minds are imbued with the horrors they have read and heard of, and they have an invincible conviction that the state of slavery under any forlish Constitution and the Christian religion, and that it is a stain upon the national character which ought to be wiped away These people, generally speaking, are very ignorant concerning all the various difficulties which beset the question; their notions are superficial; they pity the slaves, whoard as injured innocents, and they hate their masters, whom they treat as criminal barbarians Others are ani that it is a capital subject to talk upon, and a cheap and easy species of benevolence; others have satisfied themselves that slavery is a ratuitous, and that free labour will answer the purpose as well or better, and get rid of the odius and opinions, corees and proportions, according to the bent of individual character; but there are so the most zealous and able of the Abolitionists who avail thenorance of the people to carry this point, while they carefully conceal their own sentiments as to the result of the experih I only know (of acity of the man and the conformity of his opinions with those of others on this and other topics, I have no doubt that there are ht I allude to Henry Taylor,[6] who rules half the West Indies in the Colonial Office, though with an invisible sceptre Talking over the matter the other day, he said that he ell aware of the consequences of eroes and the planters The estates of the latter would not be cultivated; it would be iroes would not work--no inducement would be sufficient to ht be idle They would, on being eround, the fertility of which in those regions is so great that very trifling labour will be sufficient to provide them with the means of existence, and they will thus relapse rapidly into a state of barbarism; they will resume the habits of their African brethren, but, he thinks, without the ferocity and savageness which distinguish the latter

Of course the ger them in their servile state will be speedily obliterated; if not, as man must either rise or fall in the th, with it power, and as certainly the desire of using that power for the amelioration of their condition The island (for Jamaica may be taken for exa be tenable for whites; indeed, it is difficult to conceive how any planters could reer cultivable, even though the eentle as the ancient Mexicans Notwithstanding this view of the acity to perceive soh (he admits) with much uncertainty as to its operation, influenced as it must be by circu at once 'Fiat justitia ruat coelum'--that is, I do not know that he is for immediate, unconditional e the deed; whether he goes before or lags after the Governh-principled , philosophical character, and neither a visionary in religion nor in politics, only of a so turn of mind, and with some of the positiveness of a theorist who has a lofty opinion of his own capacity, and has never undergone that discipline of the world, that tuet modesty and diffidence and prudence, from the necessity which they inculcate of constant coonist interests and hostile passions But what is the upshot of all this? Why, that in the midst of the uproar and confusion, the smoke and the dust of the controversy, oneof the real futurity in the case--and that is a long series of troubles and a wide scene of ruin

[6] [Afterwards Sir Henry Taylor, KMG, author of 'Philip van Artevelde' Nearly forty years later Sir H Taylor continued to fill the saned in 1872]

January 30th, 1833 {p349}

The intentions of Governard to the West Indies (or rather that they have intentions of a nature very fatal to that interest) having got wind, the consternation of the West India body is great A deputation, headed by Sir Alexander Grant, waited upon Lords Grey and Goderich the other day, and put certain questions to the that the prevalence of reports, soreatly alarmed them, and they wished to ascertain if any of them had been authorised by Government Lord Grey said 'certainly not; the Govern' They asked if he would reappoint the Coe as to this, but they discussed the propriety of so doing, he seeue answers, refusing to co was decided, but a plan was under the consideration of the Cabinet in which the interests of all parties were consulted He added that he could not pledge hiive any previous intimation of the intentions of Government to the West India body, nor to disclose the measure at all until it was proposed to Parliament There are in the meantime no end of reports of the nature and extent of the proposed measure, and no end to the projects and opinions of those who are interested

I dined at Lord Bathurst's yesterday, and sat next to Lord Ellenborough, who said that he was convinced the best thing the proprietors could do would be to agree instantly to stop their orders, which he believes would coh acquainted with the subject to judge how far they ht operate, but I doubt it, or that in the temper of the people of this country, or rather of those zealots who represent it, and with the disposition of this Government to yield to every popular cry, the fear of any consequences would prevent their going on It would, I believe, only give the them pecuniary compensation I was h's We were talking of the war between the Turks and the Egyptians, and the resources of Egypt, &c, when he said, 'If I had continued at the Board of Control I would have had Egypt, got at it from the Red Sea; I had already ordered the foruides_!'

February 1st, 1833 {p351}

[Page Head: RUSSIA AND TURKEY]

The Reformed Parliament opened heavily (on Tuesday), as Government think satisfactorily Cobbett took his seat on the Treasury Bench, and spoke three tih the last ti, and said but one good thing, when he called O'Connell the member for _Ireland_

Saw Madaainst Government; she vowed that nobody ever had been treated with such personal incivility as Lieven, 'des injures, des reproches,' that Cobbett, Hunt, and all the blackguards in England could not usewas ial, Turkey, 'tout etait la Russie et les intrigues de la Russie;' that she foresaw they should be driven away froland With reference to the war in Asia Minor, she said the Sultan had applied to the Emperor for assistance, 'et qu'il l'aurait, et que le Sultan n'avait pas un yptians would advance no farther, and a great deal more of complaint at the injustice evinced towards the I told all this to Mellish of the Foreign Office, who knows everything about foreign affairs, and he said it was all a lie, that Russia had offered her assistance, which the Sultan had refused, and she was, in fact, intriguing and e Villiers writes et up a war anywhere, and that this Turkish business isone about[7]

[7] [The state of the Ottoman Empire was most critical In the latter months of 1832 the victorious troops of Mehomet Ali had forced their way across the Taunus; the peace of Koniah was concluded early in 1833 with the Egyptians; and the Treaty of Unkiar Skelessi with the Russians in July 1833]

February 2nd, 1833 {p351}

Dinner at Lord Lansdowne's for the Sheriffs; soon over and not particularly disagreeable, though I hate dining with the Ministers; had sorave has done very well there, perhaps rather too vigorously, that the dissolution of the assembly under all circumstances is questionable, but hefrorave, who says that they are incorrigible The fact is their conduct paralyses the exertions of their friends here, if, indeed, they have any friends ould make any exertions

February 4th, 1833 {p352}

At Court for the King's Speech and the appointh were sworn Privy Councillors The West Indians have taken such an attitude of desperation that the Government is somewhat alarmed, and seems disposed to pause at the adoption of its abolitionary ht that if they were driven to extre they were not ready to do, and that there would be another panic if Government did not take care, and so Rothschild had told them

I dined with Madaonies of doubt about her re has been appointed A, and the Enant, and will not send anybody else If the Ee d'Affaires at his Court, and in that case he will not leave an Ambassador at ours There seems to be at present no way out of the quarrel Stratford Canning's mission to Madrid cannot last for ever, and when it is over the point must be decided

The people of Ja (I don't know exactly in what shape, or how got up), praying to be released froiance Goderich told rave's recent _coup de theatre_ is severely conde can save these unhappy colonies, for all parties vie with each other in violence and folly--the people here and the people there, the Government here and the Governe Head: DEBATE ON THE ADDRESS]

After four days' debate in the House of Commons (quite unprecedented, I believe) the Address was carried by a large majority[8] Opinions are of course very various upon the state of the House and the character of the discussion The anti-Reformers, with a sort of melancholy triumph, boast that their worst expectations have been fulfilled The Governh on the whole they think they have reason to be satisfied, they cannot help seeing that they have in fact very little power of rees that the aspect of the House of Coe faces; the swagger of O'Connell, walking about incessantly, andwith, his followers in various parts; the Tories few and scattered; Peel no longer surrounded with a stout band of supporters, but pushed from his usual seat, which is occupied by Cobbett, O'Connell, and the Radicals; he is gone up nearer to the Speaker

[8] [The first Reformed Parliament met and was formally opened on the 29th of January, 1833 After the election of the Speaker (Manners Sutton) the King delivered his Speech from the Throne on the 5th of February]

The whole debate turned upon Ireland O'Connell pronounced a violent but powerful philippic, which Stanley answered very well