culable, so it is, in
our opinion, the greatest and perhaps the only important service
we can render to them and to our country, to disseminate learning
and morality amongst them, thus raising them gradually and safely
to that level, to which they must, in the course of time,
inevitably attain.

The different Conventions have from year to year, endeavoured to
procure from the Abolition Societies, every kind of information
which may illustrate the history of slavery in the United States;
we now repeat their request, with a view to the formation of a
history of this important subject.

From the general accounts received, as well as from our own
observations we are induced strongly to recommend, that where
several Abolition Societies exist in one state, they would, if
possible, form a general plan of union or confederation, so as,
on all important occasions, to act in concert.

You are already well informed of the act of Congress of March
twenty-second, 1794, prohibiting the citizens of the United
States from supplying foreign nations with slaves; you will also
most probably have heard that this wise and humane law has been
too frequently violated by our citizens; in consequence of which
the Abolition Societies of Pennsylvania, New-York and Providence,
have severally commenced prosecutions against divers persons and
vessels, engaged in this abominable traffic; the first named
society has been successful in the two prosecutions they
undertook in the District Court of Pennsylvania and of the United
States of America. The vessels have been condemned, and actions
are pending against the masters and owners in the Circuit Court
of the United States in and for the Pennsylvania district of the
middle circuit. There is good ground to believe that the other
societies will meet with equal success.

Besides the information mutually given by the societies to each
other as occasions may require, to assist them in checking such
clandestine practices, we believe it would be highly useful to
forward every particular that comes to your knowledge on this
subject, to the next Convention, who may make a very important
use of it.

The difficulties which have continually occurred respecting the
blacks and people of color, who have for several years past