Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/184

 bondage; and which hath often been observed to fill their possessors with haughtiness, tyranny, luxury, and barbarity, corrupting the minds and debasing the morals of their children, to the unspeakable prejudice of religion and virtue, and the exclusion of that holy spirit of universal love, meekness, and charity, which is the unchangeable nature and the glory of true Christianity. We therefore can do no less than, with the greatest earnestness, impress it upon Friends every where, that they endeavor to keep their hands clear of this unrighteous gain of oppression."

At the yearly meeting of 1761, they agreed to exclude from membership such as should be found concerned in this trade; and in the meeting of 1763, they endeavored to draw the cords still tighter, by attaching criminality to those who should aid and abet the trade in any manner.

The society was now ready to make an appeal to others, and to bear a more public testimony in favor of the injured Africans. Accordingly, in the month of June, 1783, when a bill had been brought into the house of commons for certain regulations to be made with respect to the African trade, the society sent the following petition to that branch of the legislature:

"Your petitioners, met in this their annual assembly, having solemnly considered the state of the enslaved negroes, conceive themselves engaged, in religious duty, to lay the suffering situation of that unhappy people before you, as a subject loudly calling for the humane interposition of the legislature.

"Your petitioners regret that a nation professing the Christian faith, should so far counteract the principles of humanity and justice, as by the cruel treatment of this oppressed race to fill their minds with prejudices against the mild and benificent doctrines of the Gospel.

"Under the countenance of the laws of this country, many thousands of these our fellow-creatures, entitled to the natural rights of mankind, are held as personal property in cruel bondage; and your petitioners being informed that a bill for the. regulation of the African trade is now before the house, containing a clause which restrains the officers of the African company from exporting negroes, your petitioners, deeply affected with a consideration of the rapine, oppression, and bloodshed attending this traffic, humbly request that this restriction may be extended to all persons whomsoever, or that the house would grant such other relief in the premises as in its wisdom may seem meet." This petition was presented by Sir Cecil Wray, who, on introducing it, spoke very respectfully of the society. He declared his hearty approbation of their application, and said he hoped he should see the day when not a slave would remain within the dominions of this realm. Lord North seconded the motion, saying he could have no objection to the petition, and that its object ought to recommend it to every humane breast; that it did credit to the most benevolent society in the world; but that, the session being so far advanced, the subject could not then be taken into consideration; and he regretted that the slave-trade, against which the petition was so justly directed, was, in a commercial view, necessary to almost every nation of Europe. The petition was then brought up and read, after which it was ordered to lie on the table. This was