G OF GEORGE THOMPSON, WITH A FULL REPORT OF THE DISCUSSION BETWEEN MR. THOMPSON WHICH CONTINUED FOR SIX EVENINGS WITH UN- ABATED INTEREST: COMPILED FROM VARIOUS Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1836, by ISAAC KNAPP, In the Clerk's office of the District Court of Massachusetts. PRINTED BY ISAAC KNAPP. MR. THOMPSON IN ENGLAND. In the spring of 1833, I was sent to England as the representative of the New England Anti-Slavery Society, to undeceive the philanthropists of that country, (who had been misled by Elliot Cresson,) in relation to the character and designs of the American Colonization Society, and to enlist their moral energies for the extinction of American slavery. Convicted of doubledealing, cowardice, and imposture, Mr. Cresson soon afterward left England in disgrace, and returned to a country, whose prejudices and oppressions enable him to pursue his mischievous work with more facility and success. Most happily for my mission, I found on my arrival in London, a large body of anti-slavery delegates, the élite of the cause, assembled from various parts of the kingdom, to watch the progress of the Emancipation Bill through Parliament. A majority of this body were highly influential members of the Society of Friends-among whom it will suffice to name Josiah Forster, William Allen, Robert Forster, James Cropper, Joseph John Gurney, William Forster, Richard Barrett, Richard Ball, Emanuel Cooper, Joseph Cooper, Joseph Sturge, Joseph Eaton, and Arthur West, as specimens of the elevated character of the whole body of delegates. Associated with these dis tinguished philanthropists and pure minded christians, was GEORGE THOMPSON, esteemed and beloved by them all, and taking a conspicuous part in their deliberations and discussions-the champion of liberty, who, in this country, has been branded as a miserable creature,' 'a scoundrel,' an incendiary,' 'a cut-throat,' 'a foreign emissary,' and a fugitive from justice'! The acme of calumny was attained when it was said of the immaculate Redeemer, that he was a wine bibber and a glutton,' and that he had a devil:' all surprise may cease, therefore, at the defamation of others, however virtuous and upright. It was in London that MR. THOMPSON was thus honorably associated, thus highly esteemed, and thus signally popular-the very city from which, it is said, by the unutterably base journalists of this country, he fled in disgrace to these shores! Although the pro-slavery party were as hostile as selfishness, prejudice and hatred could make them to the cause and the friends of emancipation, and although they particularly dreaded the unrivalled abilities, irresistible eloquence, and unexampled success of MR. THOMPSON as a public lecturer, yet not a whisper was heard against his reputation, not the least stain was thrown upon the resplendent brightness of his career. No: calumny was dumb, effrontery stood abashed, and malice was powerless. It was left for the human hyenas and jackalls of America, who delight to listen to negro groans, to revel in negro blood, and to batten upon negro flesh, to rend a character as fair as uprightness, and as lovely as benevolence itself. They vainly supposed, that the billows of the Atlantic would hide their malice from detection, and that distance would allow them to be ferocious with impunity. The folly of their conduct was as great as its enormity. It was perpetrated, too, for a diabolical purpose-to perpetuate the worse than Egyptian thraldom of more than two millions of their own countrymen, who are by law and usuage transformed, with their offspring, from rational, accountable, immortal beings, into goods and chattels, and implements of husbandry! MR. THOMPSON had just returned from a tour through the kingdom, which was followed by the most brilliant results in favor of the immediate abolition of colonial slavery. His lectures had been every where thronged to overflowing, and the enthusiam of his audiences was boundless. The West India party had sent into the field against MR. THOMPSON, a person by the name of PETER BORTHWICK, well skilled in artificial oratory, fluent in debate, stoically self-possessed, of considerable tact and ingenuity, with a face of bronze, and a heart of stone, and a faithful copyist of him who was a liar from the beginning.' The combatants met repeatedly, for public disputation, in Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and other places. The interest that was excited in these discussions arose to a high degree of intensity, but the victory was never for a single moment dubious. BORTHWICK was met and foiled at every point, with amazing celerity and overwhelming effect; and in a short time he as studiously shunned, as he had sought, a contest with his superior opponent. Yet the former was no mean antagonist, either in adroitness or ability. MR. BORTHWICK had confidently declared, that he would follow MR. THOMPSON from city, to city, from |