negro slavery.
381
scarcity of laborers. The number imported, or the
precise manner in which they were introduced, we have
not been able to learn; the evil, hoAveATer, soon became
so obvious and increasing, as to excite the attention of
the Society of Friends; and we may here remark that in
the succeeding pages Ave shall often have occasion to
notice the labors of this body of Christians. To the
influence of their precept and example, to their moral
weight in the community, and the untiring zeal and
activity with which they prosecuted this work of bene¬
volence, are mainly to be attributed the abolition of
slavery in Pennsylvania.
About the year 1682, a number of persons of this
society emigrated from Krieshiem, in Germany, and
settled themselves in Pennsylvania; and to this body
of humble, unpretending, and almost unnoticed philan¬
thropists belongs the honor of having been the first asso¬
ciation who ever remonstrated against negro slavery. In
the year 1688, they presented a paper to the Yearly
Meeting of Philadelphia, then held at Burlington, as
appears by a minute of that meeting, protesting against
the buying, selling, and holding men in slavery, as incon¬
sistent with the Christian religion.* The Yearly Meeting
then determined that, as the subject had reference to the
members of the society at large, before resolving defini-
* " A paper being here presented by some German Friends con¬
cerning the lawfulness and unlawfulness of buying and keeping
negroes; it was adjudged not to be so proper for this meeting to
give a positive judgment in the case, it having so general a relation
to many other parts, and therefore at present they forbear it."—
Extract from the Minutes.
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