, 39, 40) before
the least intimation of the design of forming this Association had come
to my knowledge.

I cannot forbear, however, to remark, that although it would give me
inexpressible pleasure to see the banners of knowledge and rational
religion triumphing over ignorance and superstition, in Africa, as well
as in the many other vast regions of the earth, yet it impresses me that
it will absorb all the benevolence, all the delegated authority, and all
the resources, for a century to come, of both our national and state
legislatures, to reclaim from the awful abyss of ignorance, vice, and
consequential misery, in which thousands and hundreds of thousands of
human beings, of all colours and all extractions, are involved on our
own continent:--That moral contamination on this continent cannot
produce religion and moral purification by a transfer to the continent
of Africa:--And that the great moral debt which this continent has
incurred, is due more specifically to the immense population of the sons
of Africa, who still remain in the shackles of slavery, than to those
who are now enjoying personal liberty, or to the continent of Africa.

I have been assured by citizens of Philadelphia, who were active in
aiding Capt. Cuffee in collecting emigrants for Sierra Leone, that the
injunctions of the British authorities were very positive not to admit
any without testimonials of an irreproachable moral character from
respectable magistrates. After a proper system of African education has
become matured in this country, the seeds of much future good might be
gradually disseminated in Africa, by frequent exportations to that
country of well instructed virtuous school-masters, artisans and
farmers; as the Society of Friends have done, with encouraging prospects
of success, amongst the aboriginal natives of this country.

* * * * *

I will conclude for the present, with a transcript of the Proceedings of
a Meeting of the free Coloured People at Richmond, (Virg.) which have
come to hand (through the "Freeman's Journal,") just in time for
insertion, before this Work is dismissed from the press.--They are
similar to those of a similar Meeting at Georgetown several weeks ago.

RICHMOND, JAN. 28.

_Meeting of Free People of Colour_.

At a Meeting of a respectable portion of the Free People of Colour,
of the City of Richmond, on

Friday the 24th of January 1817, William