~
Passage in the Constitution which was held by the courts to abolish
slavery: "Art. I. All men are born free and equal, and have certain,
natural, essential, and unalienable rights; among which may be reckoned
the right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties," etc.
_Constitution of Massachusetts_, Part I., Art. 1; prefixed to _Perpetual
Laws_ (1789).
~1780, March 1. Pennsylvania: Slavery Abolished.~
"An Act for the gradual abolition of slavery."
Sec. 5. All slaves to be registered before Nov. 1.
Sec. 10. None but slaves "registered as aforesaid, shall, at any time
hereafter, be deemed, adjudged, or holden, within the territories of
this commonwealth, as slaves or servants for life, but as free men and
free women; except the domestic slaves attending upon Delegates in
Congress from the other American States," and those of travellers not
remaining over six months, foreign ministers, etc., "provided such
domestic slaves be not aliened or sold to any inhabitant," etc.
Sec. 11. Fugitive slaves from other states may be taken back.
Sec. 14. Former duty acts, etc., repealed. Dallas, _Laws_, I. 838. Cf.
_Penn. Archives_, VII. 79; VIII. 720.
~1783, April. Confederation: Slave-Trade in Treaty of 1783.~
"To the earnest wish of Jay that British ships should have no right
under the convention to carry into the states any slaves from any part
of the world, it being the intention of the United States entirely to
prohibit their importation, Fox answered promptly: 'If that be their
policy, it never can be competent to us to dispute with them their own
regulations.
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