of success in the present undertaking against the Caribbees; but let me add, that even a victory, in so bad a cause, will load the English Government with indelible shame and dishonour. The credit of our Ministers must sink to the hateful level of politicians whose principles are baneful to human society, and must necessarily, therefore, be detestable before God and man. The blood that will probably be spilt on both sides, must somewhere be imputed: for open and avowed injustice, and wilful murder, cannot be vindicated before God by any deceitful sophistry about the necessity of such measures to produce the nation's good, or to maintain the prosperity of our colonies; because good and evil can never change places, and because we must not do evil that good may come.'

"These are the first and most fundamental principles of Government so that statesmen and politicians, who thus venture to dispense with them, ought to be reminded, that such measures not only accumulate a national, but a personal guilt, which they must one day personally answer for, when they shall be compelled to attend, with common robbers and murderers, expecting an eternal doom; for the nature of their crimes is essentially the same, and God is no respecter of persons.

"I am very well aware of the arguments that will be advanced to defend this unjust measure; and I am sufficiently prepared (I hope) to answer them, that is, privately in writing, to your Lordship, whenever you shall think proper to honour me with your commands.

"With great deference and respect, my Lord," &c.

In reply to this letter, Lord Dartmouth wrote to Mr. Sharp, requesting to see him the next day. He accordingly waited on his Lordship; and, in

this interview, it is not to be doubted that he urged every argument in favour of the injured Caribbees with his usual energy and manly sense. In fact, he appears to have made a strong impression on the mind of the amiable nobleman to whom he had so fortunate an opportunity of expressing his sentiments*; and it may be presumed, that, in the hands of so just and benevolent a mediator, his plea for national faith was not unavailing t.

* "To my Lord Dartmouth I wrote several letters, against the oppression exercised in the colonies, and more particularly against the monstrous iniquity of sending an armed force to dispossess the poor Caribbees at St. Vincent's. I have since had the honour of a conference with his Lordship; when I found he had no hand in promoting that expedition; and I obtained his promise that he would speak in behalf of the injured Caribbs, if he should have any favourable opportunity." -G. S. to A. Benezet, 7th July, 1773.

"At this period, Mr. Alderman Trecothick, M. P. for London, made several Motions in the House of Commons, for inquiring into this unjust expedition; all of which were nega. tived by a large majority. The public feelings were beginning to be greatly awakened, when intelligence arrived, that, after several encounters, in which our troops had suffered severely, a treaty of peace was at length concluded with the Caribbs. By this treaty they were confirmed in their ancient possessions, with the exception of certain districts to be surrendered to the Commissioners appointed by his Britannic Majesty, whom they. recognised as rightful sovereign of St. Vincent's, and consented to hold their lands as a grant from him."-Belsham's History of George III.

We may now proceed to the Manuscript account of the correspondence with Benezet (subsequent to the first two letters).

MS. On the 3d of January 1773, G. S. received 'Mr. Benezet's second letter, dated 8th November 1772, enclosing extracts from the minutes of the Assembly of Virginia, in April 1772, against the 'toleration of the Slave Trade; and signifying his ' hopes of succeeding in procuring such petitions as " I were recommended in G. S.'s letter of the 21st of August; stating also, that he will send copies of ' that letter to Virginia and Maryland, and that an ' eminent lawyer, to whom he had communicated it, had undertaken to draw up suitable forms of petitions.

In a third letter, dated 18th February 1772-3, · Mr. Benezet says, "I made out several copies of such parts of thy letter as were likely to promote the good end proposed. These were sent to Virginia, South Carolina, and Maryland, to such persons as had the matter at heart, with all the "additional strength in my power, in order to en

courage their taking the most effect."

In the same

' letter he adds, "We have pushed the point among ' ourselves" (the "(the people of Pennsylvania), "by

'handing about extracted copies of thy letter, the 'Virginian Petition, &c.". To which he adds, "And 'our Assembly meeting about the same time, we put forward a petition to be laid before them, of ' which I herewith send thee a copy. This was freely agreed to by all the clergy of every denomination, and other weighty members in society: scarce any but gave their cordial assent. If time 'would have allowed, I am persuaded we might have had ten thousand signers. The Assembly ⚫ concurred with the proposal, and appointed a short time for the second reading. Nevertheless, they ' have not thought it expedient to comply with the

petition, but, as a preliminary, have thought it 'best to frame a Bill, augmenting (i. e. in favour of 'the Crown) the duty upon the Negroes from ten to twenty pounds. I have also sent an extract of thy letter, of the Virginia Petition, &c., to some weighty members of three different counties in 'New-York Government, and the same to two counties in New Jersey, &c.""

(All these transactions appear to have taken place in the end of the year 1772. The letter is dated the 18th February, 1773.)

MS. On the 25th May, 1773, G. S. received a ' fourth letter from Mr. Benezet, dated 29th March, signifying, that, "in consequence of the Phila'delphian Petition, mentioned in his last letter, the

'Assembly had laid a further duty on slaves (and * made it perpetual) at 207. per head; and that they ' apprehended that the passing or refusal of this law "by the King and Council, will better enable them to judge what further steps to take, with respect to making head with the King and Parliament that the Slave Trade may be put an end to."

'On the 7th of June, 1773, G. S. received a fifth "letter from Mr. Benezet, dated April 5th, wherein 'he informs him, that an opposition to any farther 'importation of slaves in the northern colonies appears to be an increasing concern; and even the putting an end to slavery itself is endeavoured for ' in New England; and the Assembly has proposed, ' or intends to propose, a law for setting all Negroes 'free at a certain age, and declaring those to be 'imported in future, free, either at their landing, or ' after some short time of service, &c.'

'By a sixth letter from Mr. Benezet, in the same year (1773), G. S. received a copy of the Pennsyl'vanian Petition, and of the Act of Assembly which passed in consequence of it; together with a request to give intelligence to his friends in America, by the return of the same ship, whether any notice ' had been taken by the British Government of the Virginia Petition, and the Acts of the Pennsyl'vanian Assembly for laying a duty on Negroes.

This letter was not received till the beginning of 'January 1774. On the 7th of that month, G. S.

waited on Lord, the Secretary of State, at