Address to Congress on Slavery, Signed by 535 Friends

ADDRESS TO CONGRESS ON SLAVERY,

SIGNED BY 535 FRIENDS.

The following friends are appointed to wait on the Congress with the address of this Meeting now signing, viz: Warner Mifflin, Geo. Dillwyn, James Pemberton, Anthony Benezet, David Evans, David Cooper, Robert Kirkbride, Jno. Parrish, John Hoskins, Joseph West, Benj. Clark, Daniel Byrnes, Geo. Bowne, Eli Yarnall, Jacob Linley, who are desired to make Report to the Mtg. for Sufferrings of their performance of this service—which Meeting is desired carefully to attend to what may appear to them further necessary to promote the work in view:

TO THE UNITED STATES IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED.

The address of the People called Quakers.

Being through the favor of divine Providence met as usual at this season in our Annual Assembly we find with great satisfaction our well meant endeavours for the Relief of an oppressed Part of our fellow men have been so far blessed that those of them who have been held in Bondage by Members of our religious society are generally restored to Freedom, their natural and just Right.

Commiserating the afflicted state into which the Inhabitants of Africa are very deeply involved by many professors of the mild & benign doctrines of the Gospel, and affected with a sincere concern for the essential good of our Country, we conceive it our indispensable duty to revive in your view the lamentable grievance of that oppressed people, as an interesting subject evidently claiming the serious attention of those who are entrusted with the powers of Government as Guardians of the Common Rights of Mankind & Advocates for Liberty.

We have long beheld with sorrow the complicated Evils produced by an unrighteous commerce which subjects many thousands of the human species to the deplorable state of Slavery.

The Restoration of Peace and Restraint to the Effusion of human Blood we are persuaded excite in the minds of many of all Christian Denominations Gratitude & Thankfulness to the all wise Controller of human events; but we have grounds to fear, that some forgetful of the days of distress are prompted by avaricious Motives to renew the Trade for Slaves to the African Coasts, contrary to every humane & righteous consideration & in opposition to the solemn Declarations often repeated, in favor of universal Liberty; thereby increasing the too general Torrent of Corruption and Licentiousness & laying a Foundation for future calamities.

We therefore earnestly solicit your Christian Interposition to discourage & prevent so obvious an Evil in such manner as under the Influence of divine Wisdom you shall see meet.

Signed in and on behalf of our Yearly Meeting held in Phila. for Penna., New Jersey & Delaware & the Western parts of Md. & Va. dated the 4th day of the 10th Mo. 1783 by 535 Friends