King of Thomas De Quincey's translation Friedrich Laun 's Der Mohrenkonig (1819), appeared in London Magazine (November, 1823). Laun, pseudonym for Friedrich August Schulze, was popular for his satirical tales of middle-class manners, several of which De Quincey translated in 1823 and 1824. (1) Following reign of thirteen years, Henri Christophe, King of Hayti, committed suicide in October, 1820, and his son and heir was assassinated ten days later. In Der Mohrenkonig, written while Christophe still reigned, Latin responded to widespread controversy over Haitian nobility. De Quincey's choice of tale was prompted by Parliamentary Resolutions, May 15, 1823, which called for measures to be taken to meliorate condition of slave population of British Colonies, in order to raise them to a participation in those rights and which are enjoyed by other classes of His Majesty's subjects. If slaves were to be liberated, so it was reasoned, they would need to be educated in civil rights and privileges of British citizenry. De Quincey converted names and altered elements in Laun's tale in order to render it pertinent to abolitionist movement in England. Aware that Henri Christophe, as well as William Wordsworth, had both corresponded with abolitionist, Thomas Clarkson, De Quincey introduced William Wordsworth lightly disguised as recently deceased stamp-distributor Goodchild, who may, or may not, have an uncanny physiognomical resemblance to Henri Christophe. In comic context of this tale, racial prejudice is mocked and ridiculed, and satire reflected almost allegorically legal protection of plantations and maintaining lucrative colonial revenue, in spite of popular opposition to slavery. Just as in King of Hayti De Quincey responded to Parliamentary Resolutions of 1823 (see: Thoughts on Projected Abolition of Negro Slavery, 1823; Considerations on Negro slavery, 1824), five years later, in his two-part essay, India Property (June 14, 28, 1828). De Quincey offered rebuttal to accusations raised at meeting of Edinburgh's Anti-Slavery Society on June 5, 1828. Al this meeting, resolutions were passed to be submitted together with petition to Parliament calling for prompt action. The plantation owners were charged with resisting and forestalling all efforts at change. Citing rebellion in Santo Domingo as an example of tragic consequences of rash and rapid change followed by Napoleon's unwise effort to reverse French policy, De Quincey argued that change was indeed taking place in condition of slaves of Jamaica, Barbados, and other islands of West Indies. His sympathies, however, were for plantation owners and slaveholders, rather than for slaves, In his two-part essay, India Properly, he upheld argument of colonists concerning loss of income and property, and he advocated gradual process of liberation. De Quincey's arguments on India Property elaborated very objections that contributed to long delay between ACT for ABOLITION OF THE SLAVE TRADE THAT WAS PASSED IN Parliament in 1807 and Slave it Abolition Act of 1833. Although act to end slave trade passed with an overwhelming majority (283 votes in favor; 16 against), slave-trade was still pursued by ships of other nations, and even by British ships, whose Captains would order cargo of slaves to be dumped overboard if they were approached by Navy ships. When Parliament finally passed an act abolishing slavery throughout British Empire, it was compromised by notable exceptions to protect economy of Britain's largest investments. Slavery was allowed to continue in Territories in Possession of East India Company, of Ceylon, and the Island of Saint Helena. These exceptions were not eliminated until 1843. …