At a meeting of the representative committee, or meeting for sufferings, held 1st mo. 31, 1851, the committee on the subject of slavery produced an address to our members ... : extracted from the minutes

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UNIVERSITY

OF PITTSBURGH

LIBRARIES

THIS BOOK PRESENTED BY

Friends'
Historical Society of
Swarthmore College

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At a Meeting of the Representative Com-
mittee, or Meeting for Sufferings, held
1st mo. 31, 1851—

The Committee on the subject of Slavery produced
an Address to our menlb^rs, which was deliberately read
and united with ; and this Meeting concludes to direct a
sulficient number thereof to be printed, for the supply of
all the families and parts of families within our limits,
and for distribution as way may open.
Extracted from the Minutes.

JOHN J. WHITE, Clerk.

The Representative Committee, or Meeting for Suffer-
ings, of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of Friends,
having for some time had their attention turned towards
the late Act of Congress, relating to Fugitives from bond-
age, and being deeply impressed with the wrongs of hu-
man Slavery, are desirous of holding up to view some of
the testimonies of our religious society on this important
subject, and of extending such counsel as may be con-
sistent with the })rovisions of its Discipline.

We are sensible that very little can be done by us to-
wards strengthening the minds of others in the perform-
ance of christian duties, unless we are found walking
harmoniously together, and striving to uphold those pure
principles which give evidence that we are the disciples
of the Lord and Master we profess to follow ; and we
would therefore earnestly entreat all of our members to
abstain from discussions which tend to distract rather
than to convince the mind, and patiently to labour for

tlie promotk)n.of that confidepc^monw oiffsegi^es, which
will enable us to go forth before the world at a united
body.

"/i! appears to have been the concern" of the Yearly
Meeting, '■'■ revived from time to time with increasing weighty
to testify their entire disunity with the practice of enslaving
mankind;" and our members are '-exhorted to he no way
accessory to this enormous national evil, bid to discourage
it by all the justifiable means in their power;" they are al-
so ''earnestly desired to use the influence they have with
those who hold Slaves by inlicrit^nee or otherwise, to have
them treated with moderation and kindness, and instructed
as objects of the common salvation, in the jmnciples of the
christian religion."

It is looked upon as a violation of our principles for
Friends to hire Slaves, "when the price of their services
is intended for the benefd of those icho claim the right of
ownership;" and they are cautioned against "doing any
thing by which their bondage may be prolonged."

It is evident that tlie Yearly Meeting does not recog-
nize the institution of Slavery as one that can be upheld
where christian feelings predominate; and that under
this conviction its members cannot assist in carrying out
such laws as may be enacted to perpetuate its existence,
without violating our testimonies.

We do not know of any civil government where the
religious feelings of its members are more properly re-
garded than the one under which we live. It professes
to be founded on a recognition of equal rights between
man and man, and to allow each of its citizens the privi-
lege of wois!iipping the Supreme Author of his existence
in the manner which he believes most conducive to hia
own happiness.

Whilst we do not feel at liberty to oppose the laws of
the land by any demonstration of violence whatever, or
to speak evil of those who enacted them, we have the
right of calmly and firmly maintaining our ground
against wrong and injustice, and of giving living evi-
dence of our faith, by suffering, if necessary, for a cause
which we believe to be founded in Truth.

As followers of a mgek anrl lowly Pattern, we are
called upon to meet the spirit of oppression with humili-
ty, and siiould endeavour to convince the woild of the
efficacy of that power which ought to influence our
actions, by patiently maintaining our testimonies with
loving kindness under the most trying circumstances.

It still remains to be our duty to testify to the univer-
sality of the gospel dispensation, and to prove by our
lives that the injunction to "do unto others as we would
that they should do unto us," is held in remembrance by
us as a people.

We are therefore solicitous that the freedom of the
Slave should be advocated in that spirit which bears a
faithful testimony against evil, while it breathes kindness
and good will towards those who hold them in bondage.
To attempt to coerce our southern brethren to give up
that which they conceive to be their legal property, in-
stead of convincing them of the wrong they are doing by
holding their fellow men as Slaves, will almost necessa-
rily lead to excited and exasperated feelings, in which
the still small voice of truth is seldom heard. We are
apprehensive that such a course would be more likely to
close up the way of those who might be rightly qualified
to labour among them, than it would be to mitigate the
evils of Slavery.

The cause appears to us to require such faithful la-
bourers as may be qualified to go among our soutliern
brethren, to sit in feeling with them, and, as way opens,
endeavour to convince them of the iniquities that are in-
separably connected with the system of Slavery.

We are ready to believe that many minds would ac-
knowledge tlie witness for trutli within them, if awaken-
ed in that spirit of Love which should clothe a christian
messenger, and that more who now scarcely comprehend
the nature or tendency of the evils which surround them,
would rejoice in the freedom of the Slave, if they were
convinced that it could be rightly accomplished.

If our members will bring their minds to reflect upon
those means which would be most likely to operate on
themselves if in error, they will see the necessity of a

spirit of charity and forbearance, and will seek to be en-
dued with power from on High, to enable tliem to fjo
forth in gospel love and humility. Under such circum-
stances, we believe that their labours would be abundant-
ly blest; and although they might not perceive any im-
mediate effect produced from their efforts, yet we may
reasonably hope that the seed thus sown would eventu-
ally ripen into good fruit, and all have cause to rejoice
together.

We would recommend our members firmly to adhere
to the principle of acting conscientiously and uprightly
according to the light received, and to decline on such
grounds to be made the instruments of a law that re-
quires them to assist in returning a human being into a
bondage which we believe is not sanctioned by divine
authority ; but which, on the contrary, appears to us to
have been established in violation of those christian prin-
ciples which we profess.

And we also recommend them in their intercourse
with the colored people, to imbue them, as far as lies in
their power, with that christian spirit of meekness and
suffering which becomes the followers of the Lamb ; and
to counsel them tliat they offer no resistance, by carnal
weapons, to whatever injustice or oppression may fall to
their lot in consequence of the state of things now exist-
ing in our land.

Some of you may be called into suffering on this ac-
count; if such should be the case, we would encourage
you to place your whole reliance on that power which
can relieve your minds from all oppression, in the assu-
rance that "every one that hath forsaken houses or bre-
thren, or sisters, or father or mother, or wife or children,
or lands," for Christ's sake, "shall receive an hundred
fold, and shall inherit everlastinii life."