The first impression attempted to be made upon them was with respect to the slaves themselves.  It was contended, and attempted to be shown by the revival of the old argument of human sacrifices in Africa, that these were better off in the islands than in their own country.  It was contended, also, that they were people of very inferior capacities, and but little removed from the brute creation; whence an inference was drawn that their treatment, against which so much clamour had arisen, was adapted to their intellect and feelings.

The next attempt was to degrade the abolitionists in the opinion of the house, by showing the wildness and absurdity of their schemes.  It was again insisted upon that emancipation was the real, object of the former; so that thousands of slaves would be let loose in the islands to rob or perish, and who could never be brought back again into habits of useful industry.

An attempt was then made to excite their pity in behalf of the planters.  The abolition, it was said, would produce insurrections among the slaves.  But insurrections would produce the massacre of their masters; and, if any of these should happily escape from butchery, they would be reserved only for ruin.

An appeal was then made to them on the ground of their own interest and of that of the people whom they represented.  It was stated that the ruin of the islands would be the ruin of themselves and of the country.  Its revenue would be half annihilated; its naval strength would decay.  Merchants, manufacturers and others would come to beggary.  But in this deplorable situation they would expect to be indemnified for their losses.  Compensation, indeed, must follow:  it could not be withheld.  But what would be the amount of it?  The country would have no less than from eighty to a hundred millions to pay the sufferers; and it would be driven to such distress in paying this sum as it had never before experienced.

The last attempt was to show them that a regulation of the trade was all that was now wanted.  While this would remedy the evils complained of, it would prevent the mischief which would assuredly follow the abolition.  The planters had already done their part.  The assemblies of the different islands had most of them made wholesome laws upon the subject.  The very bills passed for this purpose in Jamaica and Grenada had arrived in England, and might be seen by the public; the great grievances had been redressed; no slave could now be mutilated or wantonly killed by his owner; one man could not now maltreat, or bruise, or wound the slave of another; the aged could not now be turned off to perish by hunger.  There were laws, also, relative to the better feeding and clothing of the slaves.  It remained only that the trade to Africa should be put under as wise and humane regulations as the slavery in the islands had undergone.