he books
chiefly among them." Works, x, 403.

The earliest statute for the suppression of slavery in the colonies
may be seen in Rhode Island Records, i, 248, under the date of May 19,
1652, which, however, was never enforced.

The earliest legislative protest against man-stealing, is the
following: "The General Court, conceiving themselves bound by the
first opportunity, to bear witness against the heinous and crying sin
of man-stealing, and also to prescribe such timely redress for what is
past, and such a law for the future, as may sufficiently deter all
others belonging to us to have to do in such vile and most odious
courses, justly abhorred of all good and just men--do order that the
negro interpreter, with others unlawfully take, be, by the first
opportunity, (at the charge of the country for present) sent to his
native country of Guinea, and a letter with him of the indignation of
the Court thereabouts, and justice hereof--desiring our honored
Governor would please to put this order in execution." November 4,
1646, Massachusetts Records, ii, p. 168.

[14] Patrick Henry, in a letter dated January 18, 1773, to Robert
Pleasants, afterwards President of the Virginia Abolition Society,
said: "Believe me, I shall honor the Quakers for their noble efforts
to abolish slavery. It is a debt we owe to the purity of our religion
to show that it is at variance with that law that warrants slavery. I
exhort you to persevere in so worthy a resolution. I believe a time
will come when an opportunity will be offered to abolish this
lamentable evil." Wm. Goodell's Slavery and Anti-Slavery, p. 70.

[15] The preamble of the Constitution then adopted was as follows:
"Whereas, there are in this and the neighboring states a number of
negroes and others kept in a state of slavery, who, we apprehend, from
different causes and circumstances, are justly entitled to their
freedom by the laws and Constitution under which we live, could their
particular cases be candidly and openly debated, and evidence to the
best advantage for them procured; but as in their situation, they,
being tied by the strong cords of oppression, are rendered incapable
of asserting their freedom, and many through this inability remain
unjustly in bondage through life; it therefore has appeared necessary
that some aid should be extended towards such poor unhappy sufferers,
wherever they may be discovered, either in this city or its
neighborhood; and, as loosing the