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

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80. .n.,s.rss II emancipation 'hs'' srw"'e"
-, !, n.as.,lsss.a, saa gradually save rise
Ia, sAere wse urged the see''seH 4"
-. a, ,'le demanded by moral ana by
S,,,l rassarx. On tAs aide Of TIE
800. YlNssIla tech decided stana. In the
N,,.sAs f rss.ie, wsish srrsns ny In fennyl,
,.,, ssrias the revolutionary struggle all
a.. ME kelepsea 80 tAc more democratic or
,l,,sl party were Of that way OF thin@ing'
4 N, earliest years Of Independence, while
r,ss,,lyaaia WAS a prii cipsl seat Of the war;
s.:se Aeins greatly distracted by party dissen-
ssa. tAe subject slept; but no sooner was
pssnnlvsnis freed from the presence OF the
sesmy and from the pressing danger OF fre'h To-
,,.ica than Che subject was revived, and was
wry warmly pressed by George Bryan who held
a that time the place of Acting president Of
fesnsylvsnis.
There was not then wanting party, who
exposed the policy of emancipation, and VINO
syes went 80 far as TO enter aProtest against
ne set that was passed; not indeed that they
.ere friends Of Slavery in the abstract, but out
AZ the same "comity" toward the South, which
i, now made by Judge Kane an excuse for null
diving the act. They acknowledged IN TINS
vro,es. "the humanity and justice Of manumis-
.. ting slave, in times Of peace" but denounced
.Ae act passed by the Legislature as "impru-
{" dent" and "premsture"-Judse Kane would
probably 90 further and say un'onstitusional-
ard likely to have by way OF example most dan'
..-or. effect on the Southern States, whittier the
cat of w.r seemed about to be transferred These
obiections. however, had no weight with the ma
Iority of the Legislature, who doubtless regarded
tssm a. merely cover well knowing, from the
character of the men by whom they were urged,
That whether it we're time Of peace or time OF
war. they would not fail to discover some equally
plausible objection to the action which they had
resolved to take. Conscious of the extraordinary
character Of the act they were passing-so tar as
we know, tn. first formal prohibition of Slavery
ever enacted by any govcrnment-tbey prehxed TO
il preamble, which, as it breathes the spirit OF
those times, and probably never has been seen by
most of our readers, we here insert at length:
"Wben we contemplate our adherence of that con-
don 10 which the and tyranny OF Great Britain
were exerted TO reduce us; when we look bacS on
the variety Of dangers TO which we have been e1-
posed and how miraculously our wants IN many IN
stances have been supplied, and our dellverances
wrought. when even hope and human fortltude had
become unequal to the conflict, we are unavoidabiy
led to serious and grateful sense OF the manifold
blessings which we have undeseryedly received from
the hand of that Being from whom every good
and perfect gift cOmeth. Impressed win these
ideas, we conceive that 1t Is our duty, ana
we rejoice that ii s In our power, 10 extenu
portion of that freedom TO others which hath been
extended to u.s. and 10 release them from that state of
shraldom to which were tyranIically doomed aud
from which we have now every prospect OF oeng ae-
eered II is not for usAo inquire why in the creation
Of mankind the inhabitants Of the several parts OF
the earth were distinguished by difference in feature
or complexion II is sufficient to know that all are the
work Of an Almighty hand. We find in the distribu-
ton of the human species that the most fertile as well
as the most barren parts of the earth are nha6ed by
of compilations different from ours, and from each
other, whence we may reasonably as well religousiy
infer that He who placed them In their various situa
lions hath extended equally bis care and protection to
all, and that it becometh not us to eounteract lis
merces We esteem it peculiar blessing grahed 10 US
w n
yersal by removing as much o. possible the
sorrows of who have lived 10 undeserved bondage
and from which, by the assumed authority oil the Kings
Of Great Britain, effectua legal reiei eoud De oo
tanned. Weaned by long courte OF experience from
those narrow prejudces aud partialitles we had I'M
bibed we find our hearts enlarged with kindness aud
bepeyolence toward Of all conditions and natoDs,
and we conceive ourselves at this particular peroi eA
fraofdnsrily called upon by the blessings which we
have received 10 manifest the sincerity OF our profes-
sons and to give substantial proof OF our gratitude.
whereas the condition Of those persons who have
heretofore been denomnated negro and muatto slaves
h6s been attended with circumstances which not only
deprived them of the common blessings that they
we're by nature entitled to- but has cast them into the
deepest affections by an unnatural separation ana
sale OF husband and wife from each other and from
their chdren-an injury the greatness OF when can
only be conceived by supposug that we were In ike
unhappy case; in justice therefore, to persons so I'M
happily circumstaDced, and who, having no prospect
before them wherein they may rest their sorrows ana
heir bopes have reasonable inducement to render
their services society which they otherwise might;
and also in grateful commentator Of our oWR Happy
delireranee from the state Of unconditional SUB
ni,sion 10 rkiek aoere doomed BY the tyranny Of
Great Britain
"Be a. enacted sc.
But though this Pennsylvania Act, thus ssh
emily introduced, was the first formal enact
NEIL ever made for the abolition Of Slavery, In
operative force it fell far short Of the action on
the same subject taken few months later 10
tie State Of Massachusetts,, where, if the abo-
lition of Slavery was less direct, specific and
Formal, il proved in fact much mere efectual.
Into the Constitution Of MASSACHUSETTS, framed
at that time, a clause WAS introduced, with an
eye to its legal effect upon slaveholding, de-
claring all men to be born free and equal, with
certain inalenable rights, of which liberty was