A website from the Massachusetts Historical Society; founded 1791.

Robert Treat Paine Papers

Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 2

beta

Apollos Leonard to Dr. William McKinstry

25 February 1767

To Apollos Leonard

2 March 1767
From Samuel Eliot
Eliot, Samuel RTP
Feby. 26.1767 Sir,

I do myself the Pleasure of inclosing a Pamphlet1 which I hope you will be kind enough to lend to those who may be concernd in enslaving or keeping Negroes; which as it will be agreeable to your own Humanity will also much oblige Yr. Hble. Servt.,

SAML. ELIOT

Edes & Gill inform me that the Author of this Pamphlet ordered them to present each of the Representatives with one, & that they were given to the House last Saturday.

If you incline to suspect me of as the author of this Piece (which for a trifling Reason I should not chuse) to own) I can swear to your Worship I am not.

RC ; addressed: "To Robert Treat Paine Esqr. Attorney at Law In Taunton Per Favr. of Mr. Y?."

1.

Considerations on Slavery. In a Letter to a Friend (Boston: Edes and Gill, 1767), a fiery attack on slavery, was written by RTP's Harvard classmate Nathaniel Appleton (1731–1798), a leading Son of Liberty, and caused Appleton to be ranked with the prominent anti-slavery leaders of his time (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 12:355–359).