How does Boswell describe this quote: “How is it that we hear the loudest yelps for liberty among the drivers of Negroes”?
This is a long-ingrained falsehood, I suspect Boswell describes it the same way.
It’s on pages 876-8 (out of some 1400) in my OUP paperback edition. Short answer, Boswell didn’t think ending the slave trade was a good idea. Thought it robbery of the slave traders!
He refers specifically to the quote about the drivers, found in Johnson’s “Taxation No Tyranny.”
Slavery in Boswell’s view was ordained by God and that’s that!
My copy of Life of Johnson was printed in the 80’s and has a tag of some $13, and you can probably get all the Boswell you’ll ever need at google books, free.
Speaking of Boswell, Chris Buckley wrote a very entertaining novel called The Judge Hunter. It’s worth the price tag :)