Adams Papers Digital Edition

Papers of John Adams, volume 20

From John Trumbull

From Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Franklin to John Adams, 9 February 1790 Franklin, Benjamin Adams, John
From Benjamin Franklin
Sir, Philadelphia Feby 9th: 1790

At the Request of the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery, I have the Honour of presenting to your Excellency the enclosed Petition, which I beg leave to recommend to your favourable Notice.1 Some further Particulars respecting it, requested by the Society, will appear in their Letter to me, of which I enclose a Copy, and have the Honor to be, / Sir, / Your Excellency’s / most obedient / & most humble Servant

B Franklin Presidt of the Society.
ENCLOSURE
Philadelphia Febry. 3d. 1790 To the Senate & House of Representatives of the United States,

The Memorial of the Pennsylvania Society for promoting the Abolition of Slavery, the relief of free Negroes unlawfully held in bondage, & the Improvement of the Condition of the African Race—

Respectfully Sheweth,

237

That from a regard for the happiness of Mankind an Association was formed several years since in this State by a number of her Citizens of various religious denominations for promoting the Abolition of Slavery & for the relief of those unlawfully held in bondage. A just & accurate Conception of the true Principles of liberty, as it spread through the land, produced accessions to their numbers, many friends to their Cause, & a legislative Co-operation with their views, which, by the blessing of Divine Providence, have been successfully directed to the relieving from bondage a large number of their fellow Creatures of the African Race— They have also the Satisfaction to observe, that in consequence of that Spirit of Philanthropy & genuine liberty which is generally diffusing its beneficial Influence, similar Institutions are gradually forming at home & abroad.

That mankind are all formed by the same Almighty being, alike objects of his Care & equally designed for the Enjoyment of Happiness the Christian Religion teaches us to believe, & the Political Creed of America fully coincides with the Position. Your Memorialists, particularly engaged in attending to the Distresses arising from Slavery, believe it their indispensible Duty to present this Subject to your notice— They have observed with great Satisfaction, that many important & Salutary Powers are vested in you for “promoting the Welfare & securing the blessings of liberty to the People of the United States.” And as they conceive, that these blessings ought rightfully to be administered, without distinction of Colour, 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 care, will be either omitted or delayed—

From a persuasion that equal liberty was originally the Portion, & is still the Birthright of all Men, & influenced by the strong ties of Humanity & the Principles of their Institution, your Memorialists conceive themselves bound to use all justifiable endeavours to loosen the bands of Slavery and promote a general Enjoyment of the blessings of Freedom. Under these Impressions they earnestly intreat your serious attention to the Subject of Slavery, that 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 Servile Subjection, that you will devise means for removing this Inconsistency from the Character of the American People, that you will promote Mercy and Justice towards this distressed Race, & that you will Step to the very verge of the Powers 238 vested in you for discouraging every Species of Traffick in the Persons of our fellow Men.

B Franklin Presidt of the Society

RC and enclosures (DNA:RG 46, Records of the U.S. Senate); internal address: “His Excelly John Adams Esqr. / Vice President of the United States”; endorsed: “2d Sess: 1st: Con: / Letter / from B. Franklin to / the Vice President en- / closing a Petition from / the Society for the Abolition / of Slavery. / February 9th / 1790.”; and on the enclosure: “2d Sess: 1st: Con: / Memorial / of the Pennsylvania Socie / ty for the Abolition of / Slavery. / February 3rd / 1790.”

 1.

With his final extant letter to JA, Franklin sent this memorial from the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery. Formed in 1774, the society reorganized in 1787 under Franklin’s leadership, with Quaker merchant James Pemberton (1723–1809), of Philadelphia, acting as a vice president. Pemberton secured Franklin’s signature on two copies of the petition and then requested that he forward them to both houses of Congress. On 15 Feb. 1790, JA laid the petition before the Senate, where discussion ensued but no further action was taken. The petition found greater traction in the House, where it aggravated regional tensions over the national assumption of state debts and the site of the federal seat. From 11 to 12 Feb., representatives considered three antislavery petitions sent by Quakers, including this one, and referred them all to committee. The committee presented a report on 8 March that called for humane treatment of enslaved persons “while on their passages to the United States,” observing that the Constitution curbed congressional regulation of the states’ participation in the African slave trade. Members debated the report throughout March, with Elias Boudinot of New Jersey supporting the cause of abolition and William Loughton Smith of South Carolina leading the opposition. In a vote of 29 to 25, representatives agreed to include a copy of the report in the official record, but they took no further legislative action (Philadelphia Freeman’s Journal, 23 May 1787; Philadelphia American Daily Advertiser, 14 Feb. 1809; First Fed. Cong. , 1:242; 3:294, 295–296, 316, 321, 332, 334, 335, 337, 341; 9:202; Annals of Congress , 1st Cong., 2d sess., p. 1465–1466, 1503–1514, 1516–1525).