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matter. It is far from being uncommon to fee a gentleman at dinner and his reputed offspring a flave, waiting at the table. I myself,' fays this writer, faw two inftances of this kind; and the company would very facetiously trace the features of the father and mother in the child, and very accurately point out the more characteristic resemblances. The fathers neither of them blufhed, nor feemed difconcerted. They were called men of worth, politenefs, and humanity. Strange perverfion of terms and language! The Africans are faid to be inferior in point of sense, understanding, fentiment and feeling to white people: Hence the one infers a right to enslave the other. The African labours night and day to collect a fmall pittance to purchase the freedom of his child: The white man begets his likeness, and with much indifference and dignity of foul, fees his offspring in bondage and mifery, and makes not one effort to redeem his own blood. Choice food for fatire! wide field for burlefque noble game for wit! fad caufe for pity to bleed, and for humanity to weep! unless the enkindled blood inflame refentment, and vent itself into execrations!'

To thefe I fhall add the obfervations of a native* of a state which contains a greater number of flaves than any of the others. For although his obfervations upon the influence of flavery were intended for a particular ftate, they will apply equally well to all places where this pernicious practice in any confiderable degree prevails.

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There muft, doubtlefs,' he observes, be an unhappy influence on the manners of our people produced by the exiftence of flavery among us. The whole commerce between master and flave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous paffions, the most unremitting defpotifm on the one part, and degrading fubmiffions on the other. Our children fee this, and learn to imitate it; for man is an imitative animal. This quality is the germ of all education in him. From his cradle to his grave he is learning to do what he fees others do. a parent could find no motive either in his philanthropy or his felf-love, for reftraining the intemperance of paffion towards his flave, it should always be a fufficent one that his child is prefent. Bnt generally it is not fufficient. The parent forms, the child looks on, catches the lineaments of wrath, puts on the fame airs in the circle of fmaller flaves, gives a loose to his worst of paffions, and thus nurfed, educated, and daily exercised in tyranny, cannot but be ftamped by it with odious peculiarities. The man must be a prodigy who can retain his manners and morals undepraved by fuch circumftances. And with what execration fhould the ftatefman be loaded, who permitting one half the citizens thus to trample on the rights of the other, transforms those into defpots, and thefe into enemies, deftroys the morals of the one part, and the amor patrie of the other. For if a flave can have a country in this world, it must be any other in preference to that in which he is born to live and labour for another: in which he muft lock up the faculties of his nature, contribute as far as depends on his individual endeavours to the evanishment of the human race, or entail his own miserable condition on the endless generations proceeding from him. With the morals of the people, their industry alfo is destroyed. For in a warm climate, no man will labour for himself who can make another labour for him. This is

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fo true, that of the proprietors of flaves a very fmall proportion indeed are ever seen to labour. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm bafis, a conviction in the minds of the people that thefe liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just that his juftice cannot feep for ever; that confidering numbers, nature and natural means only, a revolution of the wheel of fortune, and exchange of fituation, is among poffible events that it may become probable by fupernatural interference!-The Almighty has no attribute which can take fide with us in fuch a conteft. But it is impoffile to be temperate and to puríue this fubject through the various considerations of policy, of morals, of history natural and civil. We must be contented to hope they will force their way into every one's mind. I think a change already perceptible, fince the origin of the prefent revolution. The spirit of the mafter is abating, that of the flave rifing from the duft, his condition mollifying, the way I hope preparing, under the aufpices of heaven, for a total emancipation; and that this is difpofed, in the order of events, to be with the confent of the masters, rather than by their extirpation.'

Under the fœderal government which is now eftablished, we have reason to believe that all flaves in the United States will in time be emancipated, in a manner moft confiftent with their own happinefs, and the true interest of their proprietors. Whether this will be affected by tranfporting them back to Africa; or by colonizing them in fome part of our own territory, and extending to them our alliance and protection until they fhall have acquired ftrength fufficient for their own defence; or by incorporation with the whites; or in fome other way, remains to be determined. All thefe methods are attended with difficulties. The firft would be cruel; the fecond dangerous; and the latter difagreable and unnatural. Deep-rooted prejudices entertained by the whites; ten thoufand recollections, by the blacks, of the injuries they have fuftained; new provocations; the real diftinction which nature has made; befides many other circumstances which would tend to divide them into parties, and produce convulfions, are, objections againft retaining and incorporating the blacks with the citizens of the feveral states, But juflice and humanity demand that thefe difficulties fhould be furmounted.

In the middle and northern states, there are comparatively but few flaves ; and of course there is lefs difficulty in giving them their freedom. Societies for the manumiffion of flaves have been inftituted in Philadelphia and New-York; and laws have been enacted, and other measures taken in the New.England ftates to accomplish the fame purpose. FRIENDS, (commonly called Quakers,) have evinced the propriety of their name, by their goodness in originating, and their vigorous exertions in executing, this truly humane and benevolent defign.

The

The English language is the one which is univerfally fpoken in the United States, in which business is tranfacted, and the records kept. It is spoken with great purity, and pronounced with propriety in New-England, by perfons of education; and, excepting fome few corruptions in pronunciation, by all ranks of people. In the middle and fouthern ftates, where they have had a great influx of foreigners, the language in many inftances

is corrupted, especially in pronunciation. Attempts are making to introduce a uniformity of pronunciation throughout the States, which for political as well as other reafons it is hoped will meet the approbation and encouragement of all literary and influential characters.

Intermingled with the Anglo-Americans are the Dutch, Scotch, Irish, French, Germans, Swedes and Jews; all thefe, except the Sotch and Irish, retain, in a greater or lefs degree, their native language, in which they perform their public worship, converfe and tranfact their bufinefs with each other.

The time, however, is anticipated when all distinctions between master and flave fhall be abolished; and when the language, manners, customs, political and religious fentiments of the mixed mafs of people who inhabit the United States, fhall have become fo affimilated, as that all nominal distinctions fhall be loft in the general and honourable name of AMERICANS.

Government. Until the fourth of July, 1776, the prefent Thirteen States were British colonies. On that memorable day, the Representa tives of the United States of America, in Congrefs affembled, made a folemn declaration, in which they affigned their reafons for withdrawing their allegiance from the king of Great-Britain. Appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of their intentions, they did, in the name and by the authority of the good people of the colonies, folemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies were, and of right ought to be FREE and INDEPENDENT States; that they were abfolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connection between them and Great Britain was, and ought to be totally diffolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they had full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, eftablish commerce, and do all other acts and things which Independent States may of right do. For the fupport of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, the delegates then in Congress, fifty-five in number, mutually pledged to each other their lives, their fortunes, and their facred honour.

At the fame time they published articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union between the States, in which they took the style of "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," and agreed that each flate should retain its fovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdicton and right not exprefsly delegated to Congrefs by the confed ration. By thefe articles the Thirteen United States feverally entered into a firm league of friendship with each other for their common defence, the fecurity of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, and bound themselves to affift each other, against all force offered to, or attacks that might be made upon all, or any of them, on account of religion, fovereignty, commerce, or any other pretence whatever. But for the more convenient management of the general interefts of the United States it was determined that Delegates fhould be annually appointed, in fuch manner as the Legiflature of each State fhould direct, to meet in Congrefs the first Monday in November of every year, with a power referved to each state to recal its delegates, or any of them, at any time within the year, and to

fend

No ftate was to

fend others in their ftead for the remainder of the year. be represented in Congress by lefs than two, or more than seven members; and no perfon could be a delegate for more than three years, in any term of fix years; nor was any perfon, being a delegate, capable of holding any office under the United States, for which he, or any other for his benefit, fhould receive any falary, fees, or emolument of any kind. In determining questions in Congrefs, each ftate was to have one vote. Every ftate was bound to abide by the determination of Congrefs, in all queftions which were fubmitted to them by the confederation. The articles of confederation were to be invariably obferved by every ftate, and the union to be perpetual; nor was any alteration at any time hereafter to be made in any of the articles, unless fuch alterations be agreed to in Congress, and be afterwards confirmed by the leigiflatures of every flate. The articles of confederation were ratified by Congrefs, July 9, 1778.

Thefe articles of confederation, after eleven years experience, being found inadequate to the purposes of a foederal government, for reafona hereafter mentioned, delegates were chofen in each of the United States, to meet and fix upon the neceffary amendments. They accordingly met in convention at Philadelphia, in the fummer of 1787, and agreed to propofe the following conftitution for the confideration of their conflituents:

E, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, eftablish justice, infure domeftic tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and fecure the bleffings of liberty to ourselves and our pofterity, dó ordain and establish this Conftitution for the United States of America.

ARTICLE I.

Ì.

Sec. 1. ALL legislative powers herein granted fhall be vefted in a Congrefs of the United States, which fhall confift of a Senate and House of Reprefentatives.

Sec. 2. The Houfe of Reprefentatives fhall be compofed of members chofen every second year by the people of the feveral ftates, and the electors in each ftate fhall have the qualifications requifite for electors of the moft numerous branch of the state legislature.

No perfon fhall be a reprefentative who fhall not have attained to the age of twenty-five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and who fhall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that ftate in which he fhall be chofen.

Reprefentatives and direct taxes fhall be apportioned among the feveral ftates which may be included within this Union, according to their respective numbers, which fhall be determined by adding to the whole number of free perfons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians nor taxed, three-fifths of all other perfons. The actual enumeration fhall be made within three years after the firft meeting of the Congrefs of the United States, and within every fübfequent term of ten years, in fuch manner as they fhall by law direct. The number of reprefentatives fhall not exceed one for every thirty thoufand but each ftate fhall have at least one reprefentative; and until fuch enumeration fhall be made, the ftate of New-Hampshire fhall be entitled to

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choose three, Maffachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York fix, New-Jerfey four, Pennfylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland fix, Virginia ten, North-Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.

When vacancies happen in the reprefentation from any ftate, the Executive authority thereof shall iffue writs of election to fill fuch vacancies. The Houfe of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other officers; and fhall have the fole power of impeachment.

Sec. 3. The Senate of the United States shall be compofed of two fenators from each ftate, chofen by the legiflature thereof, for fix years; and each fenator fhall have one vote.

Immediately after they fhall be affembled in confequence of the first election, they fhall be divided as equally as may be into three claffes. The feats of the fenators of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of the fecond year; of the second class at the expiration of the fourth year; and of the third class at the expiration of the fixth year, so that one-third be chofen may every fecond and if vacancies happen by year; refignation, or otherwise, during the recefs of the legislature of any state, the executive thereof may make temporary appointments until the next meeting of the legislature, which fhall then fill fuch vacancies.

No perfon fhall be a fenator who shall not have attained to the age of thirty years, and been nine years a citizen of the United States, and who fhall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that ftate for which he shall be chofen.

The vice-prefident of the United States, fhall be prefident of the fenate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided.

The fenate fhall choose their other officers, and also a prefident protempore, in the abience of the vice-prefident, or when he fhall exercise the office of prefident of the United State.

The fenate fhall have the fole power to try all impeachments. When fitting for that purpose, they fhall be on oath or affirmation. When the prefident of the United States is tried, the chief justice shall prefide: And no perfon fhall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the members present.

Judgment in cafes of impeachment fhall not extend further than to removal from office, and difqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honour, trust, or profit under the United States; but the party convicted fhall neverthelefs by liable and fubject to indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment according to law.

Sec. 4. The times, places, and manner of holding elections for senators and reprefentatives, fhall be prescribed in each state by the legiflature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by law make or alter fuch regulations, except as the places of choofing fenators.

The Congreis fhall affemble at least once in every year, and such meeting fhall be on the first Monday in December, unless they fhall by law appoint a different day.

Se&.5. Each houfe fhall be the judge of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its own members, and a majority of each fhall conftitute a quorum to do bufinefs; but a fmaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorised to compel the attendance of abfent

members,

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