As a result,
a Quaker petition for a law against the transport traffic in slaves was
received without a murmur in 1794,[35] and on March 22 the first
national act against the slave-trade became a law.[36] It was designed
"to prohibit the carrying on the Slave Trade from the United States to
any foreign place or country," or the fitting out of slavers in the
United States for that country. The penalties for violation were
forfeiture of the ship, a fine of $1000 for each person engaged, and of
$200 for each slave transported. If the Quakers thought this a triumph
of anti-slavery sentiment, they were quickly undeceived. Congress might
willingly restrain the country from feeding West Indian turbulence, and
yet be furious at a petition like that of 1797,[37] calling attention to
"the oppressed state of our brethren of the African race" in this
country, and to the interstate slave-trade. "Considering the present
extraordinary state of the West India Islands and of Europe," young John
Rutledge insisted "that 'sufficient for the day is the evil thereof,'
and that they ought to shut their door against any thing which had a
tendency to produce the like confusion in this country." After excited
debate and some investigation by a special committee, the petition was
ordered, in both Senate and House, to be withdrawn.
48. ~The Act of 1800.
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