etters of slavery, but immortal the honour of accomplishing
their FREEDOM.

* * * * *

_To the_ SOCIETY.

Such were the sentiments, my friends, that first induced you to form
yourselves into this Society.

For seeing human nature debased in the most vile manner, and seeing
also that your country deeply suffered from the iniquitous custom of
holding man in slavery, you have justly concluded "that at this
particular crisis, when Europe and America appear to pay some
attention to this evil, the united endeavours of a few, might greatly
influence the public opinion, and produce from the transient sentiment
of the times, effects, extensive, lasting and useful."--But however
great have been your exertions; however much they have been guided by
the precepts of humanity and religion, your public reward has been
censure and criticism; but let not such airy weapons damp your ardour
for doing good; your _just reward_ is in Heaven, not on earth.

Yours is the business of mercy and compassion, not of oppression. You
forcibly rescue from the hands of no man his property, but by your
examples and precepts you promote the Abolition of Slavery, and give
relief to free Negroes, and others unlawfully held in bondage.

You have shown an anxiety to extend a portion of that freedom to
others, which GOD in his Providence hath extended unto you, and a
release from that thraldom to which yourselves and your country were
so lately tyrannically doomed, and from which you have been but
recently delivered. You have evinced to the world your inclination to
remove as much as possible the sorrows of those who have lived in
undeserved bondage, and that your hearts are expanded with kindness
toward men of all colours, conditions and nations; and if you did not
interest yourselves in their behalf, how long might their situations
remain hard and distressing.

Numbers might passively remain for life in abject slavery from an
ignorance of the mode of acquiring their emancipation, notwithstanding
they may be justly entitled to their freedom by birth and by the law.

If the hand of prosecution is now raised against you, for relieving
your fellow mortals from the distresses of unlawful slavery, and
restoring them to liberty, it is to be hoped it will not be of long
duration; the principles of your institutions will be daily made more
known, and others will begin to think as you do; they will find upon