4

he had been always an Enemy to the Slave trade, tho' he had 

indeed known nothing more of it than other people, he knew 

only that the Africans were taken from their Country against 

their wills and that they were transported to the Colonies of 

Foreigners for whom they were made to work under a System 

commonly reputed cruel; but this he considered as an outrage 

against human nature and this alone had made him a det-

ermined Enemy to the Traffic - but when in after time he had 

read those Books which had furnished him with particulars 

on the Subject, and when he had seen the print of the Slave 

Ship he felt he sho'd be unworthy of the high situation he held 

if he had not done his utmost in all the late political conferences 

on that subject to wipe away such a pestilence from the 

face of the Earth.  After this he let go my hand, and we 

stood talking together face to face, there was no other person in the 

Room.  I told him I had long ago understood (as I had the honour 

of informing him in my letter) that his disposition towards 

the oppressed Africans had been such as I had now had the 

satisfaction of hearing from his own Mouth; that this kind 

dispostion towards them was now generally known and duly 

appreciated by the friends of the cause in England; that it had 

given them pleasure beyond measure to find that this injured People 

had so powerful a protector and Friend, and that I could not doubt


			

Thomas Clarkson Papers

Account of an Interview with Emperor Alexander I of Russia