DUNCAN (Henry.)
Presbyter's Letters on the West India Question;
A MINISTER STATES HIS CASE FOR ABOLITION
In addition to Duncan’s activities as a minister, he lent his support to radical causes such as the abolition of slavery. This work comprises an excellent statement of his beliefs in that regard. The letters originally appeared as a column in the Dumfries and Galloway Courier. Duncan has slightly revised them for publication in book form. They address the ongoing problem of slavery in the British colonies in the wake of the 1807 Abolition Act. The letters discuss slavery as anathema to Christianity, and at length the condition of slaves and means for their improvement.
Ragatz summarises Duncan’s argument: “If the negroes continued to advance as rapidly as they had in recent times, their complete emancipation would soon be generally regarded as a measure required both by duty and by the interests of the planters themselves.”
Henry Duncan is perhaps best known as the founder of the Ruthwell Savings Bank, the very first of its kind.
Ragatz, p.500.
