Citizens of Kentucky wrote to Congress asking that free Black people be transported “to the la
Citizens of Kentucky wrote to Congress asking that free Black people be transported “to the land of their fathers,” 4/23/1832. File Unit: Petitions and Memorials, Resolutions of State Legislatures, and Related Documents Which Were Referred to Various Select Committees during the 22nd Congress, 1831 - 1833Series: Records of Early Select Committees, 1793 - 1909Record Group 233: Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1789 - 2015Transcription: MEMORIAL._________To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, in Congress assembled. THE undersigned petitioners, citizens of the State of Kentucky, would respectfully represent,that we cordially unite with our fellow citizens of other States in the Union, in deeply lamentingthe miseries attendant upon slavery, and the resulting evil of an existing and rapidly increasing populationof Free Blacks throughout the Union; and that we are anxious to see those miseries and evilsmitigated by every possible means not repugnant to the rights of individuals or to the constitutionof the United States. Viewing - therefore, with the highest approbation, the exertions which are making by the friendsof Colonization throughout the United States, for the removal of the Free Blacks to the land of theirfathers; and believing that the enterprize, if successfully prosecuted, will meliorate our own conditionand that of the Colonists, and that it is intimately connected with the present dearest interestsand future welfare of our beloved country, we, as patriots, christians, and philanthropists, do mostearnestly request and petition your honorable body to extend its energetic arm for the complete andspeedy accomplishment of this great and glorious undertaking. We would not presume to prescribethe mode by which your patronage and assistance shall be afforded; but we trust that everyconstitutional expedient in your power will be adopted; and we would bed leave to suggest, that an appropriationof a portion of the national revenue, and especially of the surplus of the moneys derivedfrom the sales of the public lands, after existing claims upon that fund are satisfied – to be applied tothe object herein contemplated, either under the immediate direction of the executive, or in aid ofthe funds of the American Colonization Society, and the employment of a certain number of suitablevessels, to be owned, equipped and manned by the United States, in the transportation of FreeBlacks to the coast of Africa - which might serve as a valuable nursery for seamen, as well as forthe more important object in view - may be among the most feasible and efficient measures which canbe adopted.[signatures]Js. T. Morehead D.[?] Donaldson A.J. Mitchell Sr.Saml. A. Atchison Jas. A. Neale R.W.LucasAsher W. GrahamH. Grieler [?] John [illegible] Briggs W[?] PayneWm. Volt. Loving Wm. Marshall [2 initials, illegible] Thomas B S YoungA.R. Macey Richard [illegible] [3 initials, illegible] _akeyEuclid M. Covington W. Mitchell Tho. Sterrett [?]C.T. Damaron [?] John H. Graham Tho. RogersJohn H. Todd Wm. R. Payne John S. Lucas[illegible] James G. PittsGeo. [illegible] C. T. JonesCharles D. Morehead Benj. Temple Jas. R.[illegible]SIR: [italics] The Board of Managers of the Kentucky Colonization Society respectfully request, that you will procure asmany respectable signatures as you conveniently can, to the above petition, and forward the same directly to yourrepresentative in Congress for presentation. [/italics]L. MUNSELL, Cor. Sec'y. Ky. Col. Society. -- source link
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