government whatever, and much less by that of a Christian country. With
regard to the regulation of the Slave-trade, he knew of no such thing as a
regulation of robbery and murder. There was no medium. The legislature must
either abolish it, or plead guilty of all the wickedness which had been
shown to attend it. He would now say a word or two with respect to the
conduct of foreign nations on this subject. It was possible that these,
when they heard that the matter had been discussed in that house, might
follow the example, or they might go before us and set one themselves. If
this were to happen, though we might be the losers, humanity would be the
gainer. He himself had been thought sometimes to use expressions relative
to France, which were too harsh, and as if he could only treat her as the
enemy of this country. Politically speaking, France was our rival. But he
well knew the distinction between political enmity and illiberal prejudice.
If there was any great and enlightened nation in Europe, it was France,
which was as likely as any country upon the face of the globe to catch a
spark from the light of our fire, and to act upon the present subject with
warmth and enthusiasm. France had often been improperly stimulated by her
ambition; and he had no doubt but that, in the present instance, she would
readily follow its honourable dictates.

Mr. (now Lord) Grenville would not detain the house by going into a
question, which had been so ably argued; but he should not do justice to
his feelings, if he did not express publicly to his honourable friend, Mr.
Wilberforce, the pleasure he had received from one of the most masterly and
eloquent speeches he had ever heard,--a speech, which, while it did honour
to him, entitled him to the thanks of the house, of the people of England,
of all Europe, and of the latest posterity. He approved of the
propositions, as the best mode of bringing this great question to a happy
issue. He was pleased also with the language which had been held out with
respect to foreign nations, and with our determination to assert our right