in literary compofitions, as in architecture, inferior talents will difcover flighter defects and overfights which have escaped the obfervation of great and comprehensive minds.

We may surely be allowed to dispute particular paffages of any author without the imputation of malignity, vanity, or conceit. And we may hope, that the acrimonious invectives, into which fome of the most able writers have been carried, will operate as an admonition to present and future ages to argue with moderation and candour.

If I have in any inftance affumed what has not been proved, I am open to the kind communications of any literary friend, and fhall receive them with gratitude and attention ; at the fame time affuring my readers, that the delicacy of my prefent undertaking has created much delay and very ferious deliberation.

The principle of general utility, under the reftrictions I have stated, will, I trust, be found fafe and tenable; nor is it intended to

con

controvert thofe propofitions which Mr. GISBORNE thinks fo much fafer.

But abstract and general propofitions are feldom thought of and applied in practice, and they are too often adduced only to be perverted.

The practitioners of the law may afford us admonition on this fubject. They are fo justly jealous of mifapplication, that they will only give opinions upon the minute and accurate statement of a particular case.

To clafs the duties we owe to God and man under the ten commandments will be found fufficiently general, and fufficiently plain to the bulk of mankind. I am favoured by a learned friend with the following quotation from CASTILLON:-" La morale eft "femblable a Nil, qui fertilifoit l'Egypte "méme quand on difputoit fur la fource.' Morality is like the Nile, which fertilifed Egypt even while men were difputing concerning it's fource.

A 3

That

That I have waved any obfervations on the flave trade is not owing to inhumanity, but to want of proper information. I difbelieve fome of the evidence which has been brought by the advocates for abolition, and particular inftances of cruelty will no more be conclufive against planters in general, than Mrs. Brownrigge's conduct against all mafters and miftreffes of parifh apprentices. Appeals to fcripture are worse than useless; it is fomewhat prophane to appeal to a fentence which has never been pronounced by the facred penmen. To make it kidnapping is to exaggerate the guilt of it, whatever that guilt may be, and without an actual furvey of the islands no adequate judgment can be formed. The negroes are undoubtedly less docile than fpeculative men have imagined, and without denying them the plenary honour of fellow creatures, we may be allowed to think, that in proportion as they are less capable of understanding the more liberal motives

motives of human conduct, they must be kept under ftricter difcipline.

Strictnefs, however, is one thing, and cruelty another, though mistaken humanity is ever ready to confound them.

The advocates for abolition have certainly accumulated much unmerited abufe upon the planters, and have taken full advantage of the prejudice of the world against every thing which has even the femblance of oppreffion.

Some happy, fome temperate expedient will, I hope, be thought of which may put the negroes in poffeffion of all the happiness they are capable of enjoying; but what that expedient is, and what evils they really labour under, is not in my power to determine.

If we can abate the virulence of mutual invective, an intermediate way will probably be found which may fatisfy the wishes of all parties, and be perfectly confiftent with the benign spirit of the chriftian religion. The admo

A 4

admonitions of Mr. SHARPE and the Rev. P. STOCKDALE, that the negroes fhould rife against their masters, cannot be read without horror. See Edward's hiftory of the Maroon War.

With respect to what are called Revolu→ tion principles, I hope the reader will be convinced, that a cafe of neceffity creates no general principles, and limits itself.

The origin of civil fociety feems more curious than useful in investigation, and the duty of man is rather to render the existing powers falutary, than to examine how they were firft obtained. But men argue and dif pute as if they were called upon to meet in a field, and to begin the inftitutions of government ab ovo.

On the fubject of clerical fubscription, while Mr. GISBORNE feemed to have juftly rejected