The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-05-19
andria who is called to Philadelphia, to attend

andria, who is called to Philadelphia, to attend
what he conceives TO be vexatious lawsuit
respecting n slave of his, whom a society o.
( Quakers in the city, formed for such purposes
have attempted to liberate. The merits of thi'
case will, no doubt, appear upon trial. From
! Mr.. Dalbys state of the matter, it should
seem, that this society liz not only acting re
pugnantly to justice, SO far as its conduct con
Germs strangers but in my opinion impolitlcly
with respect to the State, the city in particu
lar, without being able, except by acts Of tyr
amy and oppression, to accomplish its owl
! ends He saws the conduct of this society Is
not sanctioned by law. Had the case been
otherwise, whatever my opinion of the law
might have been, my respect for the policy o.
| the State would on this occasion have appeared
in my silence; because against the penalties
Of promulgated laws one may guard, but there
is no avoiding the Shares of individuals, or OF
/ private societies. If the practice of this So
! ciety, Of which Mr.. Daily speaks is not dis
! cOuntenanced, none of those whose misfortune
it is 10 have slaves as attendants will visit the
city, if they can possibly avoid it; because, by
so doing, they hazard their property or they
must be at the expense land this will not al
ways succeed Of providing servants Of another
description.
hope it will not be conceived, from these
observations that it is my wish to hold the I'M
happy people, who are the subject of this let
ter in slavery | can only say that there is
not a man living who wishes more sincerely
than do to see Il plan adopted for the aboli-
ton Of it, But there is only one proper and
eflcctuaI mode by which it can lie accomplish
cd and that is by legislative authority and
this, az far as my suffrage will go, shall never
be wantng* But when slaves, who are hap
py and contented with their present masters,
are tempered with, and seduced to leave them
when masters are taken unawares by these
practices when conduct of this kind begets
discomfort on one side and resentment on the
other; and when it happens to fall on man
whose purse will not measure with that OF the
society, and he loses his property for want Of
means to defend it; it is oppression in such q
case, and not humanity in any, because it in
PRODUCES more evils than it can cure.
| will make no apology for writing to you
on this subject; for, if Mr. Daily has not mis-
conceived the matter, an evil exists, which re-
qurcs a remedy: if he has my intentions have
been good, though | may have been too pre-
cipitate in this address Mrs Washington
joins me in every good and kind wish for Mrs.
Morris and your family, and | am.-Vol. ia,
PIP. 15S-l60.
The bencyolence of your heart, my dear
Marquis, is so conspicuous on all occasions,
that never wonder at any fresh proofs of it,;
but your late purchase OF an estate in the col
ony of Cayenne with view of emancipating
the slaves on it, is generous and noble proof
of your humanity Would to God like spirit
might dffuse itself generally into the minds
Of the people of this country But despair
of seeing it, Some. petitions were presented
to the Assembly, at its last session, for the
abolition Of slavery; but they could scarcely
obtain n reading To set the slaves ailoat at
once would, really believe, be productive of
much inconvenience and mischief; but by de-
gree5 it certainly might, and assuredly ought
to be effected; and that, too by legislative au-
thorty.-Pp. 1863, l6i,
To Charles PinckncB Governor Of South Caro-
haa---uarch II, 1892. Extract.
| must say, that | lament the decision of
your Legislature upon the question Of import
ing slaves after March, 1893. was in hopes
that motives of policy as well as other good
reasons supported by the dreiul effects of sla-
very, which at this moment are presented,
would have operated to produce a total pro-
hibiton of the importation of slaves whenever
the question came to be agitated in any State
that might be interested in the measure, /
In writing to Mr. John L. Mercer on this subject
General Washington said i never mean unless
some particular circumstances should compel me TO
it, to possess another slave by purchase, it being
among my first wishes to see some plan adopted by
which slavery in this country may be abolished by
law '--Sfytem6ey g. 1856.
In a remarkable and very interesting letter, writ
ten by Lafayette in the prison of Magdeburg he said
" know not what disposition has been made Of my
plantation at Cayenne; but | hope Madame dc La
flyotto will take that the negroes who cultivate
it shall preserve their liberty'-Spaykss hfe of |
GOeucyH,itr Morris, roi. /, p. 40
From Governor Pnrkneys letter: "Our Lcgis- |
laiure among other questions, agtatcd the ono re-
spoctng tho future importation OF slaves the pro-
hibition expires in March, 1893. Great pains were |
used TO effect total prohibition; but upon the ques
ton being taken in tho senate, it was lost by de-
cdcd n majority, that ! think may consider it
certain that this State will, after March 1893, i'm.
port largely as they did 1t is decision,
upon the policy of which confess | have my doubts"
TO Be CONTINUED