Slavery...

Clare wrote this passage as part of his novel "Memoirs of Uncle Barnaby" in the mid-1820s.  The Slave-Trade was of course, abolished in 1807, but it was 1833 when slavery itself was abolished in the UK and Colonies.  Clare, of course, was ahead of his time.  Written, as is always our practice, exactly as Clare wrote in his manuscript.

"Talk not of distinction – look at the poor affrican     does the color of his skin forbid us to treat him with mercy     is his complextion the liscence for our inhumanity – is it a discontinuance of that link that enacts us to be humane to our fellow creatures in what ever grade or station we find them     is color & complextion any insult to our feelings     no"

"Memoirs of Uncle Barnaby" is planned to be published in the Spring of 2017 by Arbour Editions