To the —— of the State of South Carolina.
The memorial and petition of the Delegates from the several Societies, formed in different parts of the United States, for promoting the abolition of slavery, in Convention assembled, in Philadelphia, on the seventh day of January, 1795.
Respectfully shew,
That, having been deputed, and having convened, for the purpose of considering, and carrying into effect, the most proper measures for the abolition of slavery; and being forcibly impressed with a sense of the dangers to which the citizens of the United States are exposed, while a numerous class of men exist among them, deprived of their natural rights, and forcibly held in bondage;—we think it our duty to address you, as men, fellow citizens, and brethren, and earnestly to request your attention to the means of avoiding the evils naturally resulting from the above mentioned unhappy circumstances.
The first step which we take the liberty of suggesting to you, is an entire prohibition of all traffic in slaves, between your state and every other nation or state, either by importation or exportation: This is the first and principal object of our memorial—an object which we the more earnestly recommend to your attention, as we are informed that the law of your state, prohibiting the importation of slaves, will expire sometime in March next.
In considering this subject, many methods of conciliating the affections of this unfortunate people, and preparing them for that state in society upon which depends our political happiness, suggest themselves:—such as, an amelioration of their condition and a diffusion of knowledge among them. But, as nothing can be effectual while the number of slaves may be daily increased by importation, and while the minds of our citizens are debased, and their hearts hardened, by contemplating these people only through the medium of avarice or prejudice (a necessary consequence of the traffic in man) we confine the prayer of this petition to the total prohibition of all traffic in slaves, between your state and every other nation or state, either by importation or exportation; which we respectfully solicit you to grant, having full confidence, that, independant of other considerations, you will see the evident policy of the measure.
The committee, appointed to consider whether any, and what, amendments appear necessary in the act, passed by Congress, prohibiting the carrying on the slave-trade to any foreign place or country, made report as follows, viz.
The committee, to whom was referred the consideration of the act of the Congress of the United States, for prohibiting the traffic in slaves, report,—
That, in their opinion, no amendment is necessary to the law in question. It appears, to them, to prohibit the exportation of slaves from America, for the purposes of traffic, or from any part of any foreign country, whether a port, river, bay, or coast, to any other foreign country. The generical term "place" certainly includes as well the sea as the land; and it is, in substance, declared to be unlawful so to traffic in any place or manner, except only what the constitution, at present, denies the power of restraining, viz. the importation of slaves into the United States.