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\y^ ADDRESS 
 
 YEARLY MEETING 
 
 OK Tin: 
 
 RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS, 
 
 HELD IN 
 
 THE CITY OF NEW-YORK, 
 
 IN THE 
 
 SIXTH MONTH, 1§5!S, 
 
 TO THE 
 
 PROFESSORS OF CHRISTIANFrY 
 
 IX THE 
 
 UNITED STATES, 
 
 ON THE SUBJECT OF 
 
 SLA V E R Y . 
 
 N E W - Y O R K : 
 
 JAMES EGBERT, PRINTER, 374 PEARL-STREET, 
 
 ( SUCCESSOR TO W. day's PRESS. ) 
 
 18 5 2. 
 

en 
 
 ^ ADDRE SS 
 
 The religious Society of Friends is known to the com- 
 munity as a people entertaining a conscientious conviction 
 of the incompatibility of Slavery w^ith the spirit and pre- 
 cepts of the Gospel ; and under this conviction they have 
 at different times appeared before the public in advocacy 
 of the cause of liberty as the inalienable right of all men. 
 
 We feel engaged once more to invite the attention of 
 our fellow citizens — professors of the benign religion of 
 Jesus Christ, whose office it was prophetically declared 
 should be, " to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim 
 liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to 
 them that are bound," to a serious consideration of this 
 subject. 
 
 There can be no doubt that the Church of Christ is 
 ■designed to occupy a very elevated position as relates to 
 purity and uprightness, and to exert through its teaching 
 and example a purifying influence in the world j that the 
 members of it should be distinguished by a scrupulous 
 observance of the moral and social duties, agreeably to 
 the language of prophecy, — " He hath showed thee, O 
 man, what is good ; and what doth the Lord require of 
 thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk 
 humbly with thy God ?" 
 
 Our Holy Redeemer, in his public ministrations while 
 on the earth, was engaged impressively to set before his 
 followers the high position in which they were to stand, 
 
( 4 ) 
 
 and the weight of responsibility that would rest upon 
 them. '' Ye are the light of the woild," said he. " A city 
 that is set on a hill, cannot be hid. Neither do men light 
 a candle, and put it under a bushel, baton a candle-stick ; 
 and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let 
 your light so shine before men, that they may see your 
 good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." 
 
 It becomes then a very interesting inquiry, wlieth<.r the 
 Christian Church in the present day, does indeed stand in 
 that elevated position, which is represented by the figure 
 of " a city that is set on a hill ]" Whether the light v/hich 
 it diffuses is of that pure and holy character, that will 
 induce others to glorify our " Father which is in heaven ?" 
 
 If such an inquiry, scrupulously conducted, can leave 
 on our minds the impression that the members of the 
 Christian Church are in such a state that it may be truly 
 said of them, in the language of the Apostle, that they 
 "walk as children of liglit, proving what is acceptable unto 
 the Lord, and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works 
 of darkness," then may we be comforted in the hope, ♦.hat 
 the blessing of the Lord will rest upon the Church, and 
 upon our beloved country for its sake. For we are 
 instructed by the highest authority to believe that the mem- 
 bers of the Church, if standing in their proper allotments, 
 "are the salt of the earth." 
 
 But if the proposed review should result in the convic- 
 tion, that the Church in the present day has, in some 
 degree, fallen below the standing of its briglit original ; 
 and that practices at variance with the principles o( justice 
 and ?}iercu are tolerated in it ; then is thei-e not cause that 
 it should be earnestly engaged to return to its first love, 
 and to do its first works ] 
 
 "We are aware of the sensitive state of feeling respect- 
 ing the subject of slavery. It is our desire not to arouse 
 
( 5 ) 
 
 angry discussion, nor to array one section of our country 
 in hostile feeling against another. But in all soberness 
 we would treat the subject as a question of right, and as 
 in the presence of Him who is to be our judge, and who 
 has solemnly forewarned us, that he will regard the with- 
 holding of deeds of mercy from even ihe lowest of our 
 fellow beings, as being withheld from himself. "Verily I 
 say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least 
 of these, ye did it not to me." 
 
 It will readily be admitted, that all who lake upon them 
 the name of Christ are called to ''depart from iniquity," 
 — and that the declaration. "Righteousness exalteth a 
 nation, but sin is a reproach to any people," is language 
 full of truth. The Deity is represented in the Holy Scrip- 
 tures, as a Being infinite in power and wisdom, and perfect 
 in justice, mercy, and love. The nature of man, his 
 relation and responsibility to his Creator, and his duties 
 to his fellow creatures, are also clearly defined therein. 
 We are told that man was n^.ade in the image of God ; 
 that although finite in knowledge, and hmited in power, 
 he is called to iaiitate the Divine attributes in deeds of 
 justice and mercy, and in works of love ; that though the 
 image of his Creator has been lost by transgression, it may 
 be restored through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and by 
 obedience to his precepts. 
 
 Of the precepts uttered by Him the following has been 
 distinguished by the appellation of " the golden rule." 
 " Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men 
 should do to you, do ye even so to them, for this is the 
 law and the prophets." 
 
 Now if we compare the practice of enslaving our fel- 
 low-men, with this rule, and try it by this test, it is evident 
 that the unhe sitating verdict of conscience must be against 
 it. If brought to bear upon ourselves and our posterity 
 
( 6 ) 
 
 we should certainly regard it as the greatest possible 
 calamity — an act of oppression too heavy to be borne. 
 And if we judge thus in our own case, by what rule as 
 Christians, should we judge in the case of others 1 We are 
 warned in the sacred Scriptures, against allowing our 
 judgment to be warped by considerations of self interest, 
 or popularity. "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do 
 evil, neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after 
 many to wrest judgment." 
 
 That ail mankind are tlie descendants of a common 
 ancestor; that G-od "hath made of one blood all natioijs 
 of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth;" and 
 that He is no respecter of persons; are truths prominent- 
 ly set) forth in Holy Writ: and they appear to have been 
 fully recognized in the Declaration on which our form of 
 government claims to be based, — that all men are created 
 equal; that they are endowed with certain inalienable 
 rights ; and that among these are, life, liberty, and the 
 pursuit of happiness. Happy, indeed, would it have 
 been for our beloved country, had these immutable princi- 
 ples been fully carried into practice. It appears strikingly 
 inconsistent, that our free form of government and its 
 liberal institutions should be linked with slavery; and 
 there is the plainest evidence that they do not harmonize. 
 If we trace to their source, the dissensions which have 
 disturbed the tranquillity of our government, and even 
 threatened its dissolution, it will be obvious to all that 
 slavery has been a fruitful source of those troubles. 
 
 Amongst the measures latterly adopted, to allay the 
 excitement and remove the discontent existing in some 
 portions of our country, was the enactment of the stringent 
 law for the recovery of those who escape from bondage. 
 The execution of this law has been attended with circum- 
 atances, from the contemplation of which humanity 
 
( 7 ) 
 
 shrinks : — jet the discontent has not been allayed. But, 
 we would seriously ask, has not an additional weight of 
 accountability, in the sight of our Omniscient Judge, been 
 incurred ? 
 
 Patriotism in its purest form may lead us to regard 
 every country as our country, and every man as our bro- 
 ther ; and may prompt the desire to promote the happiness 
 of all, to enlighten the uninformed, to assist the needy, 
 and to relieve the oppressed : and popular outbursts of 
 this nature, are not unfr«quently manifested. But it 
 belongs to religion to enlarge and perfect this generous 
 feeling. Religion founds the sentiment, not alone on the 
 circumstance of a common Creator, or common ancestry, 
 but also upon the interesting truth, that all are alike ob- 
 jects of the love of a common Redeemer, who gave himself 
 a ransom for all. He has tauo^ht us to ref?ard him alone as 
 our master, and that all wc are brethren, designed- alike 
 for a happy immortalityj to be enjoyed in His holy pres- 
 ence. 
 
 Then how can Christians seize upon a portion of their 
 fellow-men, consign them to a state of bondage that is to 
 end- only with their lives, shut out in a large measure the 
 light of knowledge from theii understanding, and reduce 
 them to the state of chattels, to be bought and sold at the 
 option of the master ; — thus severing the tenderest ties of 
 human nature ? How can Christians do thus, and still 
 stand approved in the sir^ht of that Gracious Being whose 
 ear is open to the cries of the poor and the oppressed, and 
 whom we acknowledore to be our Lord 1 
 
 To bring slavery to the test of the precepts of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, let us suppose ourselves, our cliildren, our 
 parents, our brothers and sisters, in the position of the slave. 
 Let us ask ourselves what course of conduct we should, in 
 this condition, desire and expect from the followers of Him 
 
( 8 ) 
 
 who was sent "to proclaim liberty to the captive&, and the 
 opening of the prison to them that are bound ;" and who 
 enjoined his disciples to do to others as they would that 
 others should do to them ? Should we not expect that 
 Christian freemen would raise their voices to plead our 
 cause ? — that Christian legislators would employ their 
 power to loosen, rather than strengthen our bonds ? — 
 that Christian masters would feel constrained to remove 
 the heavy burden, break every yoke, and let the oppressed 
 go free 1 
 
 We speak of slavery as constituting a national sin ; 
 and when we reflect upon the millions of our fellow crea- 
 tures who are subjected to its blighting influence, the sub- 
 ject assumes a magnitude that may well aflect us with deep 
 concern. It cannot be supposed that such is to be the per- 
 manently established state of things ; and by what raeaus a 
 chan<je is to be effected, is amonor those fearful events 
 which lie concealed in the unknown future. Would that 
 the hearts of our countrymen could be inclined to seek 
 out, and adopt measures tending to the peaceable extinc- 
 tion of this oppressive system ! 
 
 It is true that slavery is confined to a section of our 
 rountry, and is not under the control of the national govern- 
 ment ; and it may therefore be thought that the responsibi- 
 lity must rest upon the section in which the institution is 
 fostered. But permit us to ask if the statesman who ex- 
 pends his eloquence to rivet the chains of slavery, and fo 
 extend the area of it, and the citizen who supports thnt 
 statesman, have no connection with the system ? A!)d to 
 the members ol our own body, in common witli all who 
 profess the benio;n religion of the Gospel, we would address 
 the inquiries, Have the manufacturer and the merchant, to 
 whom the products of slave labor furnish the material for 
 a lucrative business, and the individual whose consump- 
 
( 9 ) 
 
 iion of those products sustains tlie manufacturer and the 
 merchant — have ihey no connection with slavery ? It has 
 been said, ** Whoso gives the motive, makes his brother's 
 sin his own." jMay we all carefully examine the sul)ject, 
 and consider whether, while freely trading in, and consum- 
 ing the produce of slave labor, we are not indeed giving 
 the motive ; and do not become ourselves, in fact, a party 
 to the system : and whether we shall be justified in the 
 sight of Him whojudgeth righteously, who is indeed a God 
 of knowledge, and by whom actions am weighed ? 
 
 We call upon the professors of Christianity throughout 
 the length and breadth of our land, seriously to consider in 
 what manner, as followers of Christ, called by him to be 
 as the salt of the earth, the weight of their influence shoulil 
 be exerted for the removal of this great evil. It is a 
 solemn tliought that retribution is consistent with the attri- 
 butes of the Diety. In sacred history we may trace the 
 visitations of Divine displeasure upon a highly favored but 
 revolting people, showing that God is indeed " terrible in 
 his doing towards the children of men :" and these things 
 are recorded for our warning. 
 
 We would respectfully invite those who claim to stand 
 as pastors to the people, to reflect upon the impf)rtance of 
 the station they occupy, and the weight of obligation rest- 
 ing upon them, faithfully to discharge the duty they have 
 assumed, and cast the weight of their influence on the side 
 of justice and freedom. 
 
 It is interesting to reflect upon the effect produced by 
 the preaching of the Gospel in the primitive age of the 
 Church, upon a people sunk in pagan darkness and pagan 
 immorality — how, through the reforming influence of this 
 ministry, they were drawn to forsake the evil of their ways, 
 and to " walk in newness of life." And tlK)Ugh these con- 
 verts to the Christian faith were despised and persecuted, 
 
( 16 ) 
 
 yet, unprotected by any earthly power, their numbers and 
 their influence increased, until at length the towering in- 
 fe^titution of paganism yielded to the force of truth. 
 
 And doubtless it was, and is, the design of the Great 
 Head of the Church, that this Christian in-flaence should 
 prevail against every system, the tendency of which is to 
 obstruct the coming of his Kingdom, until, through its pre- 
 valence, the kingdoms of this world shall become the king- 
 doms of our Lord, and of his Christ. 
 
 In the transporting view of this renovated condition of 
 the world, beheld in vision by the prophet, he, personating 
 the Most High, uttered the language — " The}'' shall not hurt 
 nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be 
 full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the 
 sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which 
 shall stand for an ensign of the people ; to it shall the 
 Gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious." 
 
 May it be our united engagement so to live in conformity 
 with the spirit of the gospel — so to labor in our separate 
 allotments, in the cause of our Holy Redeemer, as to hasten 
 the coming of this happy day — that at the solemn close of 
 life, when called to account for the occupancy of the 
 talents committed to us, we may be favored to receive the 
 answer of '* Well done, good and faithful servant ; thou 
 hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler 
 over many things : enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." 
 
 Signed on hehalf and by direction of the Yearly Meeting of 
 the Religious Society of Friends ^ held in New- York, in the 
 '■ - -- -i,l852. 
 
 RICHARD CARPENTER, Clerk. 
 
54 W 
 

 
 
 
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