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Show ) 180 'rUE SLAVE TRADE. enjoyment of happiness, the Christian religion teaches us to believe ; an<l the political creed of .Americans fully coincides with the position. Your mcmorialisls, particularly engaged in attending to the distresses ari ·ing from slavery, Lelicve it their indispensable duty to present this subj ect to your notice. They have observed, with real satisfaction, that many important and salutary powers are vested in you for " promoting ihc welfare, and securing ihc blessiugs of liberty to the people of the United States;" and as they conceive ihat these blessings ought rightfully to be administered, without distinction of color, to all descriptions of people, so they indulge themselves in the pleasing expectation that nothing which can be done for the relief of the unhappy objects of their cn,re will be either omitted or delayed. From a persuasion that equal liberty was originally the portion, and is still the birthright of all men, and influenced by the strong tic~ of humanity, anJ the principles of their institution, your memorialists conceive themselves bound to usc all justifiable endeavors to loosen the bands of slavery; and promote a general enjoyment of the blcs ings of freedom. Under these impressions, they earnestly entreat your serious attention to the subject of sbvery. 'fhat you will be pleased to countenance the restoration of liberty to those unhappy men who alone in this land of freedom are degraded into perpetual bondage, and who, amidst the general joy of surrounding freemen, are groaning in servilo subjection ; that you will devise means for removing this inconsistency from the character of the American people; that you will promote mercy and jnstice toward this distressed race, and that you will step to the very verge of the power invested in you for di ~co uraging every species of traffic in the persons of our fellow-men. 'l'he memorial was referred to a special committee. THE SLAVE TRADE. 181 REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE. The Committee to whom were referred sundry memorials from the people called Quakers ; and also a memorial from the Pennsylvania Society for promoting the .Abolition of Slavery, submit the following report : That, from ihe nature of the matters contained in these memorials, they were induced to examine the powers vested in Congress under the present Constitution, relating to the abolition of Slavery, and are clearly of opinion- Firstly. That the General Government is expressly restrained from prohibiting the importation of such persons "as any of the other States now existing shall think proper to admit until the year one thousand eight hundred and eight." Secondly. That Congress, by a fair construction of the Constitution, is equally restrained from interfering in the emancipation of slaves, who already are, or who may, within the period mentioned, be imported into, or born within, any of the said States. Thirdly. That Congress has no authority to interfere in the internal regulations of particular States, relative to the instruction of slaves in the principles of morality and religion ; to their comfortable clothing, accommodations, and subsistence; to the regulation of their marriages, and the violation of the rights thereof, or the separation of children from theit· parents; to a comfortable provision in case of sickncs ·,age, or infirmity; or to the seizure, transportation, or sale of free negroes; but have ihe fullest confidence in the wisdom and humanity of the legislatures of the several States ; that thoy will revise their laws from time to time, when necessary, and promote the objects mentioned in the memorials, and every other measure that may tend to the happiness of slaves. Fou/rthly. That, nevertheless, Congl'ess have authority, |