owe to themselves and their Creator to embrace every opportunity for
the accomplishment of this mental culture and intellectual
development, and general social improvement; and, whereas, we, the
free colored people of the State of Maryland, are conscious that we
have made little or no progress in improvement during the past twenty
years, but are now sunken into a condition of social degradation
which is truly deplorable, and the continuing to live in which we
cannot but view as a crime and transgression against our God,
ourselves and our posterity; and, whereas, we believe that a crisis
in our history has arrived when we may choose for ourselves
degradation, misery and wretchedness, on the one hand, or happiness,
honor and enlightenment, on the other, by pursuing one of two paths
which are now laid before us for our consideration and choice; may we
not, therefore, hope that our people will awaken from their lethargic
slumbers, and seek for themselves that future course of conduct which
will elevate them from their present position and place them on an
equality with the other more advanced races of mankind--may we not
hope that they will consider seriously the self-evident proposition
that all men are created equal, and endowed by the Creator with the
same privileges of exerting themselves for their own and each
other's benefit; and, whereas, in view of these considerations, and
in order to commence the great and glorious work of our moral
elevation, and our social and intellectual improvement, we are of the
opinion that an organization of the friends of this just and holy
cause is absolutely necessary for effecting the object so much to be
desired, and we are therefore--

_Resolved_, That we will each and every one, here pledge ourselves to
each other and to our God, to use on every and all occasions, our
utmost efforts to accomplish the objects set forth in the foregoing
preamble; and that we will, now, and forever hereafter, engraft this
truth in our prayers, our hopes, our instructions to our brethren and
our children--namely, that degradation is a sin and a source of
misery, and it is a high, and honorable and a blessed privilege we
enjoy, the right to improve ourselves and transmit to posterity
happiness instea