New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-09-04
sIayERY IN PENNSYLVANIA.


The attempts now making for the recstablish-
ment of Slavery in the State ofPennsy wanna nasu
rally excite some curiosity as to what have been u
times past the sentiment and action upon that
subject of the people Of that State
Slavery was introduced into Pennsylvania CO.
temporaneously with its first settlement, but even
in those early times there were not wanting pro.
tests against it, especially on the part OF the Ger-
man Quakers, Chose from whom Germantown took
its name,) who were among the earliest emigranh
thither II has been stated that Penn himself We
the owner of slaves, but this statement, which
Bancroft repeats does not rest on any very strong
evidence, and has been discredited BY many u
PENIS admirers, including one or more Of his re-
cent biogI apbers What is more certain 10, that
Penn exerted himself, though with less success
than he desired, to provide by law for the mar
rage. religious instruction and kind treatment o.
slaves.
servie plot, real or pretended, in l7l2, to
burn the City of New-YOrk, and which resulted in
the execution Of nineteen negroes accused Of par
ticpaton in IT, Occasioned no little alarm In all the
neiphboring Colonies. That alarm in connection
with tho French and Indian war then raging, pro-
Cuce1 IN OloSbdCuubcttc III aCb totoiiy
the further import of Indians as slaves-slave' Of
that description being at that time occasionally
brought from the Spanish Main, and in larger numi
bers from the more southerly English colonies, 90.
pecially the Carolinas. where the practice pre-
vailed not only Of selling as slaves Indian prisoners
of war, but, as the fashion still is in Africa, OF
making war with an eye to the capture Of prison
srs and of the profit to be made by selling them
That same alarm occssioned in Pennsylvania
the passage of an act imposing duty Of ~enty
pounds INTENDED to operate as prohibition,)
upon all negroes or Indians brought into tho
pre- vince by land or water, intended to be held
or sold as slaves But the British Governmeat-
which. on behalf of the British slavetraders,
exercised at that time over the legislation OIL
Pennsylvania the same vigilant superintenaence
which Judge Kane now assumes to exercise On
behalf of the Southern slsvehoders-saw nt@
interfere; and this act, few months after US
passage, was dissllowed and repealed BY tho
Queen.
There was indeed clause 10 this act granting
indulgence fer a period not exceeding SIX
months 10 gentlemen and strangers travelling
:. in the province, who might have negro or 10.
:. dian slaves to attend them" but as this num-
Der Of attendants was expressly limited, not to
exceed 1.-TWO for one person, IL would hardly
have served the purpose Of Dir. Minister
Wheeler, who came attended by three. Ho
might, however. have claimed the privilege Of
a Grader" Ito which probably he would have
bad no objection aud have awaited himself Of
that clause Of the act which allowed draw
back of the duty upon rsexportation wi'hia
twenty days But though this act MAS repeslod
BY the British Government, as the act fer the
abolition Of Slavery has since been by Judge
Kane, smaller duty was allowed to be imposed
without objection; AID this. with the existing
scruples on the subject. and the preference 'or
white indentea servants Of which PennsT'Ani'
had q large supply. hep. the number % s's,oo'
imported within very narrow lima ee1 10"
slave. being held on. Of the city Of PaiiAdsipas.
Ats later period tho Quaker te'tia0ny asMn's
s,.x,,, 90, ,.keu up and renewed BY sand'ford
.alIr uAo brought with them 10 Pesn'J"a'
nj, strong de,e.ssiioa of the system OF .e'",
,.la which hey had seen in Barbados In al
,,. ,,s,,, The same testimony wa' per-
,s,,sripx,, urged BY wooima ana
n.as.s. uAese sxhsrsatieas were not WIN
.., sasst. a, .ems Of the oaAhers, rot In Penn
,,,,.ul. only. but Ia North Carolina ana osasr
s,.,s., sex.a TO -, the example Of mAnumistins
tAslr .lsvss, psnevolsss aud reasahas ms>