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

village to village, and from one end of the kingdom to the other; but he relied too much upon simple lying and gross fiction,* and was comparatively ignorant of

The following anecdote, related to me by a friend in London, who was an eye-witness of the scene, is given as a specimen of BORTHWICK'S effrontery. One evening, he was holding forth upon colonial slavery to a large audience in Edinburgh or Glasgow, wholly unaware of the presence of MR. THOMPSON, who sat taking notes in a remote corner of the hall. In the course of his lecture, he boldly asserted, that, by a law of Jamaica, if a slave should testify that his master had maltreated him, his naked declaration would suffice to cause the master to be heavily fined, although the accusation should be groundless! To confirm his statement, he said he held the law in his hand, which he would read to the assembly, if any one present should call for it. He then paused, as if to afford an opportunity for the request to be made, and was about to proceed, when MR. THOMPSON audibly said, Read the law!' Though taken by surprise, BORTHWICK immediately recognized his opponent, and coolly replied: "The honorable gentleman cries-Read the law! Does he doubt my readiness to read it? I will read it, if he should again urge his request if not, I will proceed with my lecture.' Again MR. THOMPSON responded more emphatically, READ THE LAW!' The audience now became considerably agitated. BORTHWICK himself was dashed, (for he had no law to read,) and turning to MR. THOMPSON imploringly said, 'I appeal to the honorable gentleman, whether it is fair to interrupt the lecture, and to agitate this meeting, by pertinaciously insisting upon the reading of the law. Have I not declared that I hold the law in my hand? Have I not referred distinctly to its provisions? I pledge my word that it shall be given to the public. Ought not this to satisfy the gentleman? I throw myself upon his courtesy and kindness: will he allow me to proceed without further interruption?' Once more, in a clear tone, MR. THOMPSON responded, 'READ THE LAW!' The pro-slavery portion of the audience, seeing the terrible dilemma into which their champion was brought, and true to their character all over the world, now raved and stormed at Mr. T., and vehemently cried out, Down, sir! down, sir! Out with him! out with him!' The chairman, too, was rampant with vexation, and ordered Mr. T. to be silent, or he would call for the police officers to take him out of the house-BORTHWICK, all the while, looking unutterable things. During this extraordinary hubbub, MR. THOMPSON stood with much calmness and dignity, and turning to those around him, said determinately, Turn him out! Who will turn me out? Will you,

the intellectual and moral strength of his formidable opponent. On his part, the aspect of the conflict was soon changed from offensive to defensive. The last attempt on the part of MR. THOMPSON, to confront MR. BORTHWICK before a public audience, was made while I was in England. The cities of Bath and Bristol were the strong holds of the pro-slavery party, and they contributed liberally to the support of MR. BORTHWICK. A splendid service of plate had just been presented to him

sir? or you, sir? or you, sir?' Then as they recoiled, addressing himself to the chairman, he continued-It looks well in you, sir, to talk of forcing me from this hall! Have you so soon forgotten that to me you are indebted for having been saved from a violent expulsion, a few evenings since, in this city, for your turbulent conduct, at one of my lectures? When some of my auditors exclaimed, Turn him out!' I said, 'No-let him remain ; nay, let him be heard. If he is thrust out, I shall also leave.' And now, sir, regardless of this timely interference in your behalf, you threaten to expel me from this assembly! And why? Have I behaved disorderly? No. Have I taken a liberty that was not proffered? No. MR. BORTHWICK said that his statement concerning certain features of West India slavery was derived from a law that he held in his hand, which, if any were skeptical, he would read. Confident there was no such law in existence, I repeatedly requested him to read the law. This is the head and front of my offending. If he had fulfilled his promise, there would have been no disturbance. If he has the law, why does he not read it? The audience must now be satisfied that MR. BORTHWICK has promised more than he is able to perform; and, consequently, that his glowing description of the happy condition of the enslaved negro is drawn from his imagination, rather than from the statute-book. If he shall finish his lecture without reading the law, he will have succeeded by his labors this evening in bringing condemnation upon himself and his cause. To give him a chance, therefore, to rescue both, if possible, for the last time I call upon him to READ THE LAW.'

The whole of this scene cannot be adequately described. Order was at length restored-poor BORTHWICK was confounded, and wound up his lecture as speedily as possible, still persisting that there was such a law, but he had unfortunately mislaid it. It should certainly be forthcoming at another time.' That time never came!

in the former city, for his advocacy of colonial slavery, and Bath was now his chosen place of residence, in which he was ignobly figuring as the lion of the day.' MR. THOMPSON had long been anxious to deliver a lecture in that city, although he was aware of the disadvantages under which he must labor as the advocate of emancipation. Having made his arrangements accordingly, we left London together, in the stage-coach early in the evening, and rode all night, and just as morning dawned entered Bath, experiencing the bodily depression usually arising from a sleepless night and a long journey. As we rode through various streets, large placards upon the walls met our eyes, informing the public that MR. GEORGE THOMPSON would reply to MR. BORTHWICK's lecture at 12 o'clock of that day. MR. THOMPSON had not seen the lecture alluded to, and it was with difficulty he obtained a copy of it in season for perusal, before he went to the place of meeting to reply to it! Thus fatigued, and thus unprepared, he was called to stand up, for the first time, before a severely critical and highly intellectual assembly in the Athens of England! He had scarcely finished his brief exordium, before his physical depression was changed to vigorous action; and for more than three hours, an affluent stream of eloquence, widening and deepening in its course, was poured from the exhaustless fountain of his mind. His auditors were evidently taken by surprise. They went (very many of them at least) to cavil, not to applaud—to depress the orator by their coolness, not to animate him by their enthusiasrn. But their half equivocal ejaculations of 'hear! hear!' at the commencement, were soon succeeded by loud cheers. As