It is unnecessary to dwell longer even upon this most important of all temporal subjects—this subject, which shall deeply concern us all in the world beyond the grave.
Another characteristic of the United Americans is considered to be an enlightened practical humanity.
The declaration of American independence correctly affirms it to be a self-evident truth, that all men are born with an equal right to pursue happiness, laying the broadest foundation for the national humanity. Alex ander the Great, and a Helot once had ; the greater Napoleon and a slave have now, as we think, equal rights to seek the blessings of this sublunary wen Id— the blessings of eternity.
In this spirit, the Americans have, in a manner, pledged themselves to admit into their political family such persons as they do admit, without preference to the members of any one nation—an enlarged and I humanity.
As this philanthropy appears to have been ac ceptable to every state, since no objection to the con stitutional provision occurred in any of the conventions, so it cannot he doubted, that it is acceptable also to the various natives of other countries naturalized in Ame rica.
In the same humane spirit, the slavery and dcstruc. tion of Indian prisoners, which occurred in a f •w instan ces iu the earlier days of sonic of the late American provinces, have entirely disappeared. The mild regi men of William Penn, of his legislative coadjutors, and of his religious brethren, have been adopted and main tained under our four successive national administra tions. Missionaries of several of the pacific chmanies are constantly employed, as voluntary auxiliaries to the national government, without reward and without in demnity, in the humane and pious employment of win ring the Red natives to the sweet peace of the Chris tian religion. The Indian traffic in ardent spirits, a: sure provocatives to strife and murder, and in good., convertible to war and bloodshed, is not permitted with • out many wholesome restraints and precaution.;. Sales of their lands in moments of Indian intoxication and delusion, are carefully prevented, for though accom plished with every other circumstance of regularity, no sale by an Indian or a tribe is valid in law, unless effect ed by means of an authorized and responsible agem of the United States. All sales of territory by the Red
natives, even to the general government itself, must be of their own free will, and must of cow se be satisfac tory to them in the terms of sale. By these and other fair and tender means, territory is acquired with the necessary good-humour, and wars with the natives have been unknown for the last fourteen years.• The same characteristic humanity occasioned several of our late provincial legislatures to obstruct and bur den the importation of slaves. An insupportable duty on that trade was imposed in Pennsylvania more than forty years ago ; but, as in the case of the law to per fect religious liberty, so in the case of the duty on slaves, the negative of the crown in Great Britain was unhap pily exercised. The extinction of that royal power, by the declaration of independence, was followed by the memorable act of the state of Virginia ; first abolishing, on the great principles of humanity, the future importa tion of slaves. Various acts of the other legislatures and of the conventions, have since followed, till at length, on the first day of January, 1808, the introduction of en slaved men into the country was terminated in the re maining states by a national law.
The spirit of the American people on this subject was not satisfied by a mere attempt to discontinue the import trade. The very delicate and serious work of the gradual abolition of all slavery in the United States was commenced in Pennsylvania by their legislature, in the year 1779. In the middle states the absence of all danger left those, who had first in America endeavoured to obstruct the trade by duties, at liberty to adopt this measure. Considering the times, however, and the contiguity of Pennsylvania to three of the southern states, it is probable that the friends of abolition there have gone the whole length which prudence allowed.