true the freedom I have taken in the best light,

"I remain with love,
"ANTHONY BENEZET."

* * * * *

"HANOVER, January 18, 1773.

"_Dear Sir_:

"I take this opportunity to acknowledge the receipt of Anthony
Benezet's book against the slave trade: I thank you for it. It is not
a little surprising, that the professors of christianity, whose chief
excellence consists in softening the human heart, in cherishing and
improving its finer feelings, should encourage a practice so totally
repugnant to the first impressions of right and wrong. What adds to
the wonder is, that this abominable practice has been introduced in
the most enlightened ages. Times, that seem to have pretensions to
boast of high improvements in the arts and sciences, and refined
morality, have brought into general use, and guarded by many laws, a
species of violence and tyranny, which our more rude and barbarous,
but more honest ancestors detested. Is it not amazing, that at a time,
when the rights of humanity are defined and understood with precision,
in a country, above all others, fond of liberty; that in such an age,
and in such a country, we find men professing a religion the most
humane, mild, gentle and generous, adopting a principle as repugnant
to humanity, as it is inconsistent with the bible, and destructive to
liberty? How few in practice from conscientious motive!

"Would any one believe that I am master of slaves, of my own
purchase! I am drawn along by the general inconvenience of living here
without them. I will not, I cannot justify it. However capable my
conduct, I will so far pay my devoir to virtue, as to own the
excellence and rectitude of her precepts, and lament my want of
conformity to them.

"I believe a time will come when an opportunity will be offered to
abolish this lamentable evil. Every thing we can do, is to improve it,
if it happens in our day; if not, let us transmit to our descendants,
together with our slaves, a pity for their unhappy lot, and an
abhorrence for slavery. If we cannot reduce this wished for
reformation to practice, let us treat the unhappy victims with lenity.
It is the furthest advance we can make towards justice. It is a debt
we owe to the purity of our religion, to show that it is at variance
with that law, which warrants slavery.

"I know not where to stop. I could say many things on the subje