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British Antislavery 1833–1870 by Howard Temperley (review)
- The Canadian Historical Review
- University of Toronto Press
- Volume 55, Number 2, June 1974
- pp. 214-215
- Review
- Additional Information
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214 THE CANADIAN HISTORICAL REVIEW is needed, or a positive claimto the reviewby Mr x.' (xix). In the second volume theeditors haveattempted toprovide a moreexact picture ofcollaborationwhere it existed; theyhavealso virtually eliminated theobscure designation of 'signature' of volume • (whichmeantthatthenameof theauthorsupplied intheIndexwas notthename actually signed) infavour ofgiving thefullname oftheauthor, followed by'signed' andtheexact signature asit appeared at the beginning or theendof thearticle.Theseimprovements andchanges, aswell asthe variouskeysto the useof the Index, aresetout in the editor's introductorynotesand explanations, and it isimperativethat anyserious studentwishing to usethe Index become familiar with thismaterial. Whileeverypageof theIndexproclaims themonths andyears' of painstaking and meticulous research that lie behindit, we wouldbe doingthe editorsan injustice if we omittedto notethat theIndexisa fascinating, indeedan entertainingwork .It opens up the little-known but influential worldof publishers, editors, andcontributors in a society in whichtheirinfluence wasconsiderable. It reveals thesignificance of politicalviews, religious attitudes, andthepersonal qualities of editorsfor the life of a periodical, and it attempts to explainwhy somejournalswith high idealsand talentedcontributors failed, while othersof lesser qualitysucceeded. The tablesof contents of the Index holdsour attention for thesheer varietyof subjects, andfor thecomments of theeditors whenthey museon the problems of authorship. The Wellesley Index is a splendid work whichhasdonemuchtodeepen ourunderstanding of a greatage. SYDNEY EISEN York University BritishAntislavery•833-•87o. HOWARD TEMPERLEY. Columbia,Universityof SouthCarolinaPress, I972. Pp.xviii, 298.$I2.95. Howard Temperleyhasmade a notablecontribution to our knowledge of the anti-slavery movement.Studieshavealreadybeenmadeof the firstfifty years of activitywhichcontributed to the abolitionof the slavetradeandof slavery; this well-writtenand admirablydocumented work tracesthe internalhistory and publicactivities of the movementfollowingBritishabolition. It focuses on the abolitionists themselves, their principles, aimsandproblems. Temperley's assessments are sympathetic but accurate;he sees boththe virtues of the movement and its limitations. His analysis of the committee of the Britishand ForeignAnti-SlaverySociety demonstrates that itsmembers couldnot justlybeidentified withDickens' Mrs Jellaby whocaredonlyforthenatives of theNigerandnotat all for thesuffering of thepoorat home.O'nthecontrary, committeememberswere all involvedin promotingeducation,prisonreform, temperance, famine relief aswell asuniversalsuffrage,women'srights,peace, and free trade. It was,nevertheless, a narrowly-based movementorganizedby and appealing to the dissenting middleclass whichaimednot to restructure society but simplyto palliatethe hardships of the existing class system. And theirpolitics werebased on principle.The veterancampaigner James Cropper REVIEWS 215 definedthemovement's position whenhe toldJoseph Sturgeon thefoundation of theBritishand ForeignAnti-Slavery Society, '... donotfearif yournumbers be small.Keep to rightprinciples and do whatyouare able;and trustwith all yourheartsto Go.d'(p. 75). Dedicationto moral principle,however,had its limitatio.ns both as a guide to tacticsand as a basis of politicalinfluence. This wasdemonstrated by the x839-4x struggle overthesugar duties. Slave-grown BrazillianandCubansugar undersoldthe free grown Bwi product and the free tradersclamouredfor equalisation of the duties.The anti-slavery interesthad hithertowo.rked in collaboration withthefreetraders andJoseph Sturge was prominent bothasa freetraderandan opponent of slavery. The sugar duties issue, however, divided themovement. The LondonCommittee madeoppositio,n to slavery itsprimary moral concernand abandoned the free trade allianceon the groundthat to stimulatetrade with Braziland Cuba couldonlyincrease the slavetrade. In theprovinces, however, auxiliaryanti-slavery committees madetheneeds of the labouringpoora priorityand emphasised that currentpricesput sugarbeyond the reachof 'our actuallyfamishingpopulationat homewhereour charity shouldbegin' (p. I47). The SugarDutiesissue alsomakes clearthat thepoliticaleffectiveness of this morally-conscious groupdepended entirelyon beingableto sustain an alliance with the bigbattalions of Britain'scommercial interest.Once that alliancewas destroyed themovement losta greatdealof support andbeganto dwindleinto a small,respectable liberalpressure groupforcedto revivethe techniques of protestusedin the veryearlydaysof the anti-slavery movement and openfree producestores. The implications of these findings for a reassessment of theanti-slavery movementarenotexplored bytheauthor.He points,however, in an appendixto the inadequacy of Eric Williams'economic-determinist interpretation and theneed for substantial modification;his own work can be read asjust sucha contribution . MARY RECKFORD DalhousieUniversity LordJohnRussell. joan vREsT. Columbia,University of SouthCarolinaPress, x97e.Pp.xvi, 558,illus.$I7.95. During the interregnumfollowingPalmerston's death in Octoberx865,The Timessenta lightningshaftdownuponLord Russell. A leadingarticlewarned that catastrophe wouldfollowfor the Liberalparty shouldthe queenfind it necessary to returnthispurest of 'pureWhig'to thepremiership. RobertLowe, authorof the article,then madea casewhich,if exaggerated and venomous, wasnevertheless substantial. He conceded that Lord Johnhad donegreatwork in hisearlyyears:hadreformed themunicipal corporations, repealed theTest and Corporation Acts,sponsored theReformbill of x83e , led the government to accept some responsibility for theeducation of thepoor,andattempted to do ...