Student Anti-Slavery Rebellion 1835

Jan 21 1824 Dr Griffin Negro College

Single Paid Paid 1824 Mr. Leonard Bacon [Wonstown?] Jan 22 Andover (Mas.)

Revd Dear Sir, Millwood February 16th 1824

It was only a few hours before the receipt of your much esteemed letter & pamphlet that I read the conclusion of the review in one of the periodical publications of of the day and said to myself "these numbers might do good in pamphlet form, I should like to have more of them." therefor you can share a few copies & should be glad of them; and let me suggest the propriety of sending some to Washington for the use of the members of Congress. You thus perceive the estimation in which I hold the pamphlet & its author. You seem indeed to be allready possessed of all those views of the subject which my own observation [seems?] assure me to be correct, and which if admitted & proper I feel by our citizens generally could not fail to lead to the happiest results. In travelling thro New England some years since to ascertain what could be done for this cause I was happy to hear your most intelligent men & most enlightened Christians acknowledge that their views of slavery in the south were considerably changed; not that esteemed it a lesser wil as it regarded the Negroes but as a lesser crime on the part of the whites who were rather to be pitied than censured for what had hitherto brought upon them the heaviest condemnation from them who were [?] not born to such an inheritance. Could such sentiments as these you have expressed in your letter & review have prevailed in the in the mids of the men of Congress from New England, we have reason to believe that something more decided & efficient would have been done before this by the great council & chief magistrate of our country. But he in whose hands are

Indolence is another prevalent vice, which I fear it will be difficult to conquer. The influence however of those who recently sailed in the Cyrus will no doubt be felt & greatly contribute to the prosperity & morality of the settlement. Dr Ayres has resigned his agency and his wish to find a suitable successor. This I fear will not be easily accomplished. He will receive pay from Government, if he unites the character of physician + agent this will amount to more than two thousand dollars. Should you hear of any lesson qualified for the arduous duties of agent, please let me know it. Unless one should be obtained, to take passage in the Fidelity which will sail in a few days the Mr. Ashmun must superintend affairs at the colony until the Fall season. What plan shall be adopted to collect money in New England; money you know is every thing. Our Board have determined to apply to Congress]; should we fail this year, we may succeed the next. I should think if desirable that the publick who are favourable to us should loudly express their opinion. Our Report is in the press & will be transmitted soon. Let me frequently hear from you. With great respect Sir your friend R R Gurley

Rev Leonard Bacon Andover Massachusetts

Agent &e March 30, 1824

Copy of a letter to Rev ED Griffin May 1, 1824

Rev E D Griffin D.D. May 1, 1824

assuredly & forever

New York May 17 1824

Dear Sir,

I failed in my efforts to see Dr. Woods before he left town, which I regret, but I have the opportunity to send a package by Rev. Mr. Green to Bost and hope you will get it in due time. I sent along a few circulars not knowing exactly what you are doing for the object but I send them that you may see what I am doing. I also send a paper that contains some proceedings of the N. York Society. I doubt not you as taking measures to call the attention of the people to the 4th of July collections. I am sending to the various Newspapers &c and I hope the Boston publications will notice their collections.

and you I doubt not will give much atten-tion to the subject, as is important. I have to complain some of the operations of the Present Society, but I hope better things, yet I greatly fear they will delay their preparations for the expedition this year till it is too late, and again bring the [?] on themselves, which they have heretofore, by delaying the sailing, till much to late in the season. - I have for three months, been urging them to put out on expedition at this part, and call on the Auxiliaries of this city and vicinity to do it, but there is no determination yet - 'tis greatly wrong. Is it not immensely impor-tant an expedition should sail from the nor-thern states this season? Do urge it. Dr. Griffin has done something upon the subject of getting up a society or adopting some measures, to provide in-struction for the colony. He called a meeting and a part of your letter to him on the sub-ject, discussed it with others, and the meet-ing was interesting and all felt something must be done. Would agree on nothing def-initely - but choose a committee to corespond - and when proposed to call a meetng when and where they should see best. This committee consists of five, Dr. Griffin, Francis S. Key of Washington, that there might be a quorum for doing business somwhere, Sidney Morse, Rev. Mr. Patton and myself were appointed in this city. I can say nothing further on the subject now. Wrtie me your views most freely. I trust something will be done for the abused and long neglected sons of Africa. With High regard, I am a fellow laborer, L.D. Dewey

[illegible] recent circumstances, I cannot but think injudicioius. In his last letter he expressed confidence in the wisdom of the project, and I hope will abandon it. I thank you for your account of Mr Tracy. The services of such a man would be invaluable, & I trust the time is not remote when more than one such will recieve support from our Society. Mr. Tracy shall be mentioned particularly to our Board, but I am inclined to think, they will feel themselves obliged to trust to my feeble & solitary efforts of the present year. Our Commitee have determined to make the Resolution for a time a quarterly not as promised! a northern work & this change must reduce very much the labours of the Editor. It has been thought that in the present state of our Colony, it would be difficult to give interest & novelty to a monthly publication. Another year such a work may be supported. Dr Ayres is on his way to the north. He will probably be accompanied by the {illegible} an Episcopal clergyman in Philadelphia of great worth & piety. Their mission is to aid the objects of our Board; & the statements of Dr Ayres will I trust have a powerful influence on all candid minds. You will probably see these Gentlemen in Boston or Andover Your suggestion concerning Bible & tract Societies is important. At present I am informed, the Colony is abundly supplied with religious books. As its numbers increase the plan you mention must be adopted. The most important thing to be done, at this moment seems to me to be to obtain the consent of the Churches to take up collections for our benefit on the Fourth of July. I have & shall address better in the name of our Committee to several ecclesiastical bodies on this subject & hope they wll recommend the measure. Pray, Sir, can you see that

By receiving a part of my circulars you come to night; but you need not fear sending to their off. I intend to send one to Mr Wright of Montpelier I am, Dear Sir, very affectionately yours, D. Griffin Mr Leonard Bacon. Mr Douglass } Andover

June 12, 1824 Dr Griffin Circular concerning Negro College

Slave Trade.

Extracts from the Sierra Leone Gazettes

LONDON, 1823. THE following statements, extracted from a series of the Sierra Leone Gazettes recently received, are offered to the British public with a view of establishing the melancholy fact, that notwithstanding all that has been done to abolish the Slave Trade on the coast of Africa, thousands of our fellow creatures are yet annually made the victims of the cupidity of the dealers of human flesh.

It is the deemed desirable to give every degree of publicity to the extent to which the Slave Trade is now carried on, in order that whilst the sympathies of those who have long felt for this oppressed people are kept alive, the benevolent in every country may be stimulated to use their individual and collective influence to wipe away from civilized Europe, the foul stain which has so long sullied her character from the sufferance of this detestable commerce.

These statements, being most of them official documents, afford also satisfactory proof of the vigilance of our government in its endeavors to suppress the Slave Trade.