rican
race. They have also the satisfaction to observe that in consequence
of that spirit of philanthropy and genuine liberty, which is generally
diffusing its beneficial influence, similar institutions are forming
at home and abroad.

"That mankind are all formed by the same Almighty Being, alike objects
of his care and equally designed for the enjoyment of happiness, the
Christian religion teaches us to believe, and the political creed of
Americans fully coincides with the position.

"Your memorialists, particularly engaged in attending to the
distresses arising from slavery, believe it their indispensable duty
to present the subject to your notice. They have observed with real
satisfaction, that many important and salutary powers are vested in
you for 'promoting the welfare and 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
color 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, and
is still the birthright of all men, and influenced by the strong ties
of humanity and the principles of their institution, your memorialists
conceive themselves bound to use all justifiable endeavors to loosen
the bands of slavery, and promote a general enjoyment of the blessings
of freedom. Under these impressions they earnestly entreat your
serious attention to the subject of slavery; that you will be pleased
to countenance the restoration to liberty of 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; and that you
will step to the very verge of the power vested in you for
discouraging every species of traffic in the persons of our
fellow-men," Annals of Congress, i, p. 1239.

This memorial was drawn up and signed by "BENJAMIN FRANKLIN,
_President_, Feb. 3, 1790." It was the last public act of that eminent
man. He died on the 17th day of the April following. It will be
observed that the memorial strikes at slavery itself, on the ground
that the institution is