The Abbé Grégoire, by John Pye-Smith
In 1816, I had the honour of being introduced to him at his residence in Paris. His reception of me was with great dignity, but with peculiar kindness and affability. His conversation was entirely upon christian duty, and the importance of making a holy regard to God our primary motive. On his table were lying the first two volumes of Mr. Owen's History of the British and Foreign Bible Society. He read English, I doubt not, with considerable facility. His religious sentiments, I have reason to believe, were those of the Jansenists (such as Du Verger, the Arnaulds, Pascal, le Maistre de Sacy, Quesnel, &c.) the evangelical party in the Church of Rome. After my return to England, he favoured me with friendly letters and presents of his writings down to the last year of his life. In one of his early letters, he took great pains to convince me of the exclusive authority by divine institution of the Roman Catholic Church; and expressed a most amiable and benevolent solicitude that I should enter as a wandering but recovered sheep into that which he deemed the true fold of Jesus Christ.
The reason of my wishing that the name of my revered friend should possess a place in your proposed publication, is that part of his character and history which refers to Negro-slavery. It was not to be expected that such a man as Grégoire could be indifferent to the great questions upon the abolition of the Slave Trade, and the emancipation of the Slaves. His sentiments and feelings he took pains, in various ways, to make known to his countrymen. During the peace of Amiens, he visited this country; and one of his chief objects was to see and converse with the illustrious Wilberforce. To demonstrate the ignorance or injustice of an argument, which has been, I believe, more relied on in France than in England, founded on an alleged inferiority of intellectual capacity and capability of improvement, in the negro race, M. Grégoire employed long and laborious diligence in collecting the printed works of negroes and men of colour; and he combined the results in a very interesting work, published at Paris in 1809, "On Negro Literature." He promptly seized the opportunity furnished by the conduct of the Allied Powers and the restored Bourbon government, in 1814, upon the Slave Question; and he published a powerful appeal to reason and religion, feeling and interest, on this subject, in a pamphlet, "On the Slave Trade and Slavery;" Paris, 1815. Of this, an English translation, with "Prefatory Observations and Notes," which enhance its value, was published in London by Mr. Josiah Conder.
M. Grégoire finished his earthly course, May 28, 1831. On his dying bed he was harassed by admonitions and entreaties from the archbishop of Paris, that he would acknowledge his various acts and writings against the Holy See to be schismatical, that he would revoke them, and that he would implore reconciliation with the Church. These efforts were in vain. The dying man was firm to his principles, and rejoiced in the testimony of a good conscience; though, by the archbishop's order, the absolution and other rites of his Church, which are supposed to be of so great importance in the article of death, were withheld from him. I trust that my venerable friend enjoyed the hope which maketh not ashamed, and felt those consolations from the best source which satisfied him that he might well dispense with the broken cisterns of men's invention. In the last letter which I received from him, dated August 30, 1830, he introduced sentiments which I am sure you will be delighted to read in his own words; and you will think with me that they authorize the belief that the intrusions which persecuted his dying hours would only move his pity: -- "Moi, Catholique de coeur et d'esprit, conséquemment très différent de vous sur la croyance, je me sens penétré d'affection Chrétienne pour vous. La mort fauche dans tous les ages. Cependant, d'après le cours de la nature, je dois vous précéder dans l'éternité. Mes régards se tournent sans cesse avec les sentimens d'adoration sur Jésus-Christ, l'Auteur et le Consommateur de la foi, dont j'ai reçu tant de graces."
John Pye Smith.
Homerton.