Difference between revisions of "Anti-Slavery Petition of 1795"
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John Davenport <br /> | John Davenport <br /> | ||
| − | + | Sam<sup>l</sup>. B. Harris<br /> | |
| − | + | Tho<sup>s</sup>. Ocean<br /> | |
Charles Hewlit<br /> | Charles Hewlit<br /> | ||
| − | + | Jos. Dobby<br /> | |
| − | + | Goe. Hite<br /> | |
Lewis Duckwell<br /> | Lewis Duckwell<br /> | ||
Philip Clover<br /> | Philip Clover<br /> | ||
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Thomas Hale<br /> | Thomas Hale<br /> | ||
Presley Boydston<br /> | Presley Boydston<br /> | ||
| − | + | Alex<sup>r</sup>. Lenierr<br /> | |
| − | + | Jo. Franklin Jr.<br /> | |
Enoch Martin<br /> | Enoch Martin<br /> | ||
| − | + | Benj<sup>a</sup>. Welsh<br /> | |
| − | (? | + | (?<sup>v</sup>Jo<sup>s</sup>.) Hare<br /> |
| − | + | W<sup>m</sup>. Heil<br /> | |
Moses? Harlan<br /> | Moses? Harlan<br /> | ||
James Baley<br /> | James Baley<br /> | ||
Richard Barrett<br /> | Richard Barrett<br /> | ||
| − | + | Rob<sup>t</sup>. Haines<br /> | |
| − | + | Rob<sup>t</sup>. Evans<br /> | |
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John Turner <br /> | John Turner <br /> | ||
Elijah Phelps<br /> | Elijah Phelps<br /> | ||
| − | Jh. Granthan<br /> | + | Jh<sup>o</sup>.. Granthan<br /> |
John Bond<br /> | John Bond<br /> | ||
James Daveion<br /> | James Daveion<br /> | ||
James Laurence<br /> | James Laurence<br /> | ||
James Law<br /> | James Law<br /> | ||
| − | + | Tho<sup>s</sup>. Halladay<br /> | |
Stephen Harlin<br /> | Stephen Harlin<br /> | ||
Jessie Harlan<br /> | Jessie Harlan<br /> | ||
| − | + | Benj<sup>a</sup>. (Boydston?)<br /> | |
Ralph Potter<br /> | Ralph Potter<br /> | ||
Baid Cross<br /> | Baid Cross<br /> | ||
Hezekiah Stephens<br /> | Hezekiah Stephens<br /> | ||
| − | + | Nath<sup>l</sup>. Mulliner<br /> | |
| − | + | Edw<sup>d</sup>. Frojatt?<br /> | |
Evan Rogers<br /> | Evan Rogers<br /> | ||
| − | + | Rich<sup>d</sup>. Ridgeway<br /> | |
Joseph Smith<br /> | Joseph Smith<br /> | ||
John Cowgill<br /> | John Cowgill<br /> | ||
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James Lee <br /> | James Lee <br /> | ||
Henry Smith<br /> | Henry Smith<br /> | ||
| − | + | Geo. Reed<br /> | |
(Obscured) Frum<br /> | (Obscured) Frum<br /> | ||
Peter McMahon<br /> | Peter McMahon<br /> | ||
| − | + | W<sup>m</sup>. Ambrose<br /> | |
Michel Gray<br /> | Michel Gray<br /> | ||
| − | ( | + | J(? n<sup>o</sup>). Bailey<br /> |
Joshua Hodges<br /> | Joshua Hodges<br /> | ||
John Welsh Jr.<br /> | John Welsh Jr.<br /> | ||
Lindsey Marshall<br /> | Lindsey Marshall<br /> | ||
| − | + | W<sup>m</sup>. Lemon<br /> | |
John Murphy<br /> | John Murphy<br /> | ||
George Manual<br /> | George Manual<br /> | ||
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Jonathon Wright<br /> | Jonathon Wright<br /> | ||
Edward Beeson<br /> | Edward Beeson<br /> | ||
| − | + | Natha<sup>l</sup>. White Jr.<br /> | |
| − | + | W<sup>m</sup>. Supton<br /> | |
David (Faulhaus?)<br /> | David (Faulhaus?)<br /> | ||
John Witt<br /> | John Witt<br /> | ||
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Robert Carter <br /> | Robert Carter <br /> | ||
Robert Lowe<br /> | Robert Lowe<br /> | ||
| − | + | Tho<sup>s</sup>. Taylor<br /> | |
Abner Golet<br /> | Abner Golet<br /> | ||
Aaron Dolby<br /> | Aaron Dolby<br /> | ||
Nicholas Stovin<br /> | Nicholas Stovin<br /> | ||
| − | + | Fred<sup>k</sup>. Duckwell<br /> | |
John Butter<br /> | John Butter<br /> | ||
John Hite<br /> | John Hite<br /> | ||
| − | + | Sam<sup>l</sup>. J. Welsh<br /> | |
Michael Porter<br /> | Michael Porter<br /> | ||
| − | + | Tho<sup>s</sup>. Curry<br /> | |
Solomon Chaffis<br /> | Solomon Chaffis<br /> | ||
Joseph Gee<br /> | Joseph Gee<br /> | ||
| − | Jonas Hodges | + | Jonas Hodges Ju<sup>r</sup>.<br /> |
| − | + | Ja<sup>s</sup>. Mendenhall<br /> | |
Abraham Branson<br /> | Abraham Branson<br /> | ||
Joseph Bond<br /> | Joseph Bond<br /> | ||
Isaac Brown<br /> | Isaac Brown<br /> | ||
| − | + | Sam<sup>l</sup>.(Lupton?)<br /> | |
Robert Pleasants<br /> | Robert Pleasants<br /> | ||
<br /> | <br /> | ||
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John Steed <br /> | John Steed <br /> | ||
William Hite<br /> | William Hite<br /> | ||
| − | + | Geo. Bruce<br /> | |
(Meneios?) Ellis<br /> | (Meneios?) Ellis<br /> | ||
| − | + | Jos. P. Clutter<br /> | |
| − | + | Jos. Fletcher<br /> | |
John Fennis<br /> | John Fennis<br /> | ||
Charles Robinson<br /> | Charles Robinson<br /> | ||
| − | + | W<sup>m</sup>. Mereir<br /> | |
Joseph Hedges<br /> | Joseph Hedges<br /> | ||
Joseph Fohman<br /> | Joseph Fohman<br /> | ||
| − | + | Rich<sup>d</sup>. Swift<br /> | |
John Franklin<br /> | John Franklin<br /> | ||
Jacob Fletcher<br /> | Jacob Fletcher<br /> | ||
Solomon Chalsen<br /> | Solomon Chalsen<br /> | ||
Abel Walker<br /> | Abel Walker<br /> | ||
| − | + | Nath<sup>l</sup>. White Sr.<br /> | |
David Ross<br /> | David Ross<br /> | ||
Nathan Haines<br /> | Nathan Haines<br /> | ||
Stephen McBride<br /> | Stephen McBride<br /> | ||
| − | John ( | + | John M<sup>c</sup>. (Harrison?)<br /> |
James Lownes<br /> | James Lownes<br /> | ||
<br /> | <br /> | ||
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Joseph Hite<br /> | Joseph Hite<br /> | ||
James Wall<br /> | James Wall<br /> | ||
| − | + | Sam<sup>l</sup>. Smith<br /> | |
James Crumbley<br /> | James Crumbley<br /> | ||
John Knott<br /> | John Knott<br /> | ||
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John Dougherty<br /> | John Dougherty<br /> | ||
John Vinsanheller<br /> | John Vinsanheller<br /> | ||
| − | + | Tho<sup>s</sup>. Boydston<br /> | |
Joseph Stone<br /> | Joseph Stone<br /> | ||
| − | + | Jo. Franklin<br /> | |
| − | + | Tho<sup>s</sup>. Perkin<br /> | |
Christian Bloom<br /> | Christian Bloom<br /> | ||
John Antrein<br /> | John Antrein<br /> | ||
| − | + | W<sup>m</sup>. M<sup>c</sup>. Phirson<br /> | |
| − | + | Dan<sup>l</sup>. Brown<br /> | |
| − | + | Sam<sup>l</sup>. Finish<br /> | |
Lewis Walker<br /> | Lewis Walker<br /> | ||
Joseph (?)<br /> | Joseph (?)<br /> | ||
Revision as of 12:01, 3 February 2016
Text of the petition
Page one
To The Speaker and House of Delegates in Virginia. The Petition of sundry Inhabitants of various parts of this State.
Respectfully Sheweth.
That your petitioners, from a full conviction that slavery is not only a moral but a political evil, which in all its forms, in all its degrees, is an outrageous violation and an odious degradation of human nature, tending to weaken the bonds of society, discourage trades and manufactures, indanger the peace and obstruct the prosperity of the country. And commiserating the unhappy situation of a large proportion of people within this state who by the Laws now in force, are held as personal property and they and their innocent offspring liable to be kept in perpetual bondage and ignorance, subject to the arbitrary will of those who hold them, as well in respect to inhuman treatment, as in unnatural separation from the most near and dear connections in life without appeal and without redress. They therefore conceive themselves in duty bound to remind this House as the proper guardians of every description of men within the State of a subject so interesting, and which appears to them in a particular manner, to call the attention and require the interposition of the Legislature.
Your Petitioners regret that several States within the American Union where these unalienable rights of human nature to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness have been so clearly defined and successfully assured, should in contradiction thereto and contrary to the divine command of, “doing to others as they would they should do unto them,” suffer under sanction of Law so large a number of fellow men to remain in a state of abject slavery; at a time too, when the burning spirit of liberty seems to be diffusing itself through the world.
Your Petitioners are aware of the objections that probably would arise to a general and immediate Emancipation, as well from interested motives, as the unfitness of individuals for freedom: They are not insensible that a people long destitute of the means of mental improvement may in some instances be sunk below the common standard of human nature; accustomed to move at the will of a master or overseer, reflection may in some degree be suspended and reason and conviction have but little influence on their conduct; They are also sensible to the effect of custom, and the prejudices arising from a habit of looking upon the African race as an inferior species of mankind, and regarding them only as property. Believing nevertheless that, “God is no respecter of persons,” that he “hath made of one blood all Nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the Earth,” and that, “his mercies are over all his works;” Encouraged also by that gracious declaration of our Saviour as an excitement to acts of humanity and benevolence, viz. “Verily I say unto you inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Your Petitioner therefore in discharge of the duty they owe to the merciful Father of all the families of the Earth; compassion for the sufferers; and a desire to promote the true interest and prosperity of the Country; and also to remove as much as may be the objections which may arise from motives of present interest or the unfitness of individuals for freedom, and at the same time gradually abolish an evil of great magnitude: They humbly propose, and pray, that a law may be (made?) declaring the children slaves now born, or to be born after the passing of such act, to be made free, as they (text obscured).
Page two
ages; to (inform?) their instruction to Read (??) and to invest them with suitable privileges as an (excitement?) to become useful citizens; and also to restrain the holders from inhuman treatment of those who may remain in Bondage. Or that the House may grant such other relief as in its wisdom may seem meet.
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David Meade
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John Harvie |
James Warrington |
Jams. Tyler |
Alexander Campbell |
John Barrit |
Page four
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John Davenport
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John Turner
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Edward Tiffin
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Thornton Fleming
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John Steed
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Anthony Hall |
