But now they were kept in the dark as to the nature of any plan, till the next session.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer had indeed said, that it had been a very general opinion that the African Slave Trade should be abolished.

He had said again, that others had not gone so far, but had given it as their opinion, that it required to be revised and regulated.
But why did he not give his own sentiments boldly to the world on this great question?
As for himself, he (Mr.Fox) had no scruple to declare at the outset, that the Slave Trade ought not to be regulated, but destroyed.

To this opinion his mind was made up; and he was persuaded that, the more the subject was considered, the more his opinion would gain ground; and it would be admitted, that to consider it in any other manner, or on any other principles than those of humanity and justice, would be idle and absurd.

If there were any such men, and he did not know but that there were those, who, led away by local and interested considerations, thought the Slave Trade might still continue under certain modifications, these were the dupes of error, and mistook what they thought their interest, for what he would undertake to convince them was their loss.