Thomas Fowell Buxton

Part of the speech made by Thomas Fowell Buxton to the House of Commons, on slavery, in 1827. At the end of the speech he was cheered by the whole House.

I would give the negro all that I could give home with security; I would do everything possible to mitigate and sweeten his lot; and to his children I would give unqualified emancipation. Having done this, I would settle with the planters. I am a friend to compensation but it is compensation on the broadest scale...Do you ask compensation for him who has yielded the whip? Then I ask compensation for him who has smarted under its lash! - Do you ask compensation for loss of property, contingent and future? Then I ask compensation for unnumbered wrongs, the very least of which is the incapacity of possessing any property whatever...If compensation be demanded, we re-echo the demand... It is that which we most fervently desire; only let it be just compensations, dealt out for the many who have suffered and not restrained to the few who may suffer in one particularly.