diments in our way, but the prejudice against the unfortunate and
degraded Africans, and the self-interest of many others will also be
arrayed against us. Yet we would calmly and dispassionately appeal to
the good sense of the people of this nation--to those who exercise the
sovereign authority in this great republic--this boasted land of
freedom and equal rights--and recommend the serious consideration of
this very important subject. We most earnestly beseech them to weigh
well the consequences of tolerating within the limits of this
District, a system that has uniformly proved destructive to every
nation that long permitted its continuance. But most especially, we
would appeal to them as Christians and Philanthropists; and urge them
by all the feelings of humanity and benevolence--by all the ties of
social affection that binds man to his fellow man--by a due regard to
the immutable principles of justice, mercy, and consistency--and by
every desire for the perpetuation of our free institutions and the
peace and happiness of our posterity,--to come forth in their might,
and exert every moral energy to arrest the march of this gigantic
evil, ere it overwhelms us, and precipitates us into the vortex of
corruption and despotism.

Not only do we consider the honour of the nation as implicated by the
toleration of Slavery in the District of Columbia; but the example has
a most deleterious and pernicious effect even upon those whose
education and habits have opposed it, when they come within the range
of its influence. As a proof of the correctness of this opinion, we
need only advert to the conduct of sundry persons who have acted in
the capacity of representatives to Congress from non-slave holding
states. We have reason to believe that they have thus in some
instances become so insensible of the evils of the anti-christian
practice as to disregard the will of their constituents, and join with
its advocates in the adoption of measures for its extension and
perpetuation. And we fear that this state of things cannot be remedied
until the people of the United States in general turn their attention
to the subject, and adopt measures for the extinction of the odious
system, wheresoever it can be done, consistently with the Constitution
of the Republic.

From statements submitted to this Convention, we are glad to find that
this subject has already arrested the attention of a respectable
portion of our fellow citizens, in diffe