rica. Though the treatment which
the Quakers adopted there towards those Africans who fell into their
hands, was so highly commendable, it did not prevent individuals among
them from becoming uneasy about holding them in slavery at all. Some of
these bore their private testimony against it from the beginning as a
wrong practice, and in process of time brought it before the notice of
their brethren as a religious body. So early as in the year 1688, some
emigrants from Krieshiem in Germany, who had adopted the principles of
William Penn, and followed him into Pennsylvania, urged, in the yearly
meeting of the society there, the inconsistency of buying, selling, and
holding men in slavery, with the principles of the Christian religion.

In the year 1696, the yearly meeting for that province took up the
subject as a public concern, and the result was, advice to the members
of it to guard against future-importations of African slaves, and to be
particularly attentive to the treatment of those who were then in their
possession.

In the year 1711, the same yearly meeting resumed the important subject,
and confirmed and renewed the advice which had been before given.

From this time it continued to keep the subject alive; but finding at
length, that though individuals refused to purchase slaves, yet others
continued the custom, and in greater numbers than it was apprehended
would have been the case after the public declarations which had been
made, it determined, in the year 1754, upon a fuller and more serious
publication of its sentiments; and therefore it issued, in the same
year, the following pertinent letter to all the members within its
jurisdiction:--

Dear Friends,

It hath frequently been the concern of our yearly meeting to
testify their uneasiness and disunity with the importation and
purchasing of negroes and other slaves, and to direct the
overseers of the several meetings to advise and deal with such
as engage therein. And it hath likewise been the continual care
of many weighty friends to press those who bear our name, to
guard, as much as possible, against being in any respect
concerned in promoting the bondage of such unhappy people. Yet,
as we have with sorrow to observe, that their number is of late
increased among us, we have thought it proper to make our advice
and judgment more public, that none may plead ignorance of our
principles therein; and a